Kelly two clear as McGrane shoots record 66 at Enniscrone
Noel McGrane (Royal Dublin) after shooting a course recond 66 in the second round of the 2018 Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship at Enniscrone Golf Club today (05/07/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman
Four-time winner Maurice Kelly leads by two strokes going into the final round of the Irish Seniors Close Championship at Enniscrone.
The Naas international carded his second successive 71 to lead on four-under from Tuam’s Alan Moran, who also carded a 71 in Thursday's second round.
England’s Steve Graham and Castlerock's David Mulholland are two strokes further back in a tie for third.
Former West of Ireland champion Noel McGrane produced the round of the day, carding a glorious, seven-under-par, course record 66 which included a hole-in-one at the eighth.
The Royal Dublin player holed a six-iron from 170 yards for his ace to go five-under for the day and picked up two more shots on the back nine to make a giant leap up the leaderboard.
While his round two heroics may not be sufficient to win the title following a forgettable first round of 84, he will leave Enniscrone with fond memories.
"It's nice to know it's still in there," said McGrane, whose class continues to shine through at the age of 55.
"I holed a few putts, that was the big difference today. I put a new grip on the putter last night."
At four over par, McGrane is eight shots off the lead.
Irish Seniors Close Championship, Enniscrone (Par 73)
After 36 holes
142 M Kelly (Naas) 71 71
144 A Moran (Tuam) 73 71
146 S Graham (East Sussex Nat) 76 70; D Mulholland (Castlerock) 71 75
147 A Egan (Royal Curragh) 73 74
150 N McGrane (Royal Dublin) 84 66; S Underwood (Co. Sligo) 79 71; H Smyth (Mourne) 74 76
151 E Haugh (Castletroy) 78 73; R Cross (Enniscrone) 75 76; M Coote (Tralee) 74 77
152 J O'Brien (Castlemartyr) 77 75
154 A Lilley (Ballyclare) 85 69; R McDowell (Royal Belfast) 77 77
155 K Bornemann (Douglas) 83 72; J McVeigh (Carlow) 80 75; P Lyons (Cork) 79 76; J Mitchell (Tramore) 78 77; P Cowley (Cork) 77 78; T Kelly (Balcarrick) 74 81
156 M McMurray (Royal Portrush) 84 72
157 A Brannock (Newlands) 82 75; L Halpin (Westport) 80 77; P Rogers (Dundalk) 79 78
158 E Heywood (City of Derry) 79 79; S Alley (Co. Tipperary) 79 79
159 T Hayes (Co. Louth) 85 74; I Smyth (Clandeboye) 84 75; B Donlon (Birr) 83 76; M Chambers (Royal Dublin) 82 77; B Burke (Moate) 82 77; M Ahern (Skerries) 82 77; P Sheehan (Ballybunion) 80 79
160 T McClements (Clandeboye) 86 74; B O'Leary (Greystones) 86 74; F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown ) 78 82; D Varian (Dun Laoghaire) 75 85
161 N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire) 85 76; J Garvey (Seapoint) 82 79; E Power (Kilkenny) 79 82
162 W Doggart (Clandeboye) 88 74; M Quirke (Doneraile) 85 77; D O'Loughlin (Kingswood) 85 77; J Dempsey (Royal Curragh) 82 80; P Bevins (Carlow) 81 81; M Gaynor (Co. Meath) 80 82; J Hughes (Balcarrick) 80 82; C Murphy (Clandeboye) 80 82; D Smith (Millicent) 79 83
Non-qualifiers
163 A Wynne (Strandhill) 82 81; D O'Neill (The Links Portmarnock) 81 82
164 P Madigan (Waterford Castle) 88 76; R Timlin (Galway) 84 80; L Connolly (Wexford) 83 81; D Hogan (Newlands) 83 81; N Duke (Killiney) 82 82; F Leonard (Knightsbrook ) 81 83; T Tyrrell (The Heath) 79 85
165 S Ward (Laytown & Bettystown) 87 78; M McCormick (West Middlesex) 86 79; D O'Donovan (Bandon) 86 79; M Eaton (Holywood) 83 82; B Hobson (Malone) 81 84; D Linehan (Muskerry) 80 85; V Carney (Beech Park) 79 86
166 P Mitchell (Holywood) 87 79; J Hughes (Woodbrook) 86 80; P Lewis (Woodbrook) 84 82; C McIlroy (Holywood) 84 82; P Butler Jnr (Newlands) 83 83; D Sheedy (Lahinch) 82 84; D Weekes (Malone) 81 85
167 P McGilloway (Hermitage) 87 80; S Carter (Mountrath) 85 82; M O'Neill (Clonmel) 85 82; K Knightly (Royal Dublin) 82 85; R Fitzgerald (Tramore) 82 85; J Houlihan (Dooks) 81 86
168 N Woods (Bangor) 87 81; J Bodkin (Tuam) 84 84; C Hurst (Pedham Place ) 83 85; F Harrold (Castletroy) 82 86; C Harrington (Southfield) 81 87; M Crowley (Naas) 80 88
169 J Williams (Castle) 93 76; P Morgan (Co. Sligo) 85 84; S Healy (Galway) 82 87
170 K Lawlor (Beaverstown) 89 81; T Saunders (Ennis) 87 83
172 I Harbourne (Newlands) 89 83; M Higgins (Claremorris) 83 89
173 T Byrne (Greystones) 89 84; P Browne (Laytown & Bettystown) 77 96
174 B O'Malley (Royal Dublin) 90 84; M Hogan (Glasson) 88 86
175 H MacKeown (Portmarnock) 91 84
176 M Donohue (Portumna) 97 79
177 G Hutchinson (Royal Belfast) 91 86; D Francis (Ashbourne) 91 86
179 G Fox (Strandhill) 91 88
184 S O'Mahony (Galway) 90 94
187 T Griffin (Corballis Links) 91 96
188 A Bell (Greencastle) 95 93
WD H O'Leary (Muskerry) 83 WD; M Scott (Luttrellstown Castle) 84 WD; B Bolger (Portmarnock) 81 WD
NR M Horan (Birr Golf Club); P Higgins (Naas); D Egan (Moyvalley); P Reilly (Co. Louth)
RTD A Morrow (Portmarnock); C Walshe (Dundalk); K Sheehy (Athlone); R McDonnell (Co. Louth); J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin)
NR P Fulham (Glenlo Abbey); G Eagleton (Virginia); R Joyce (Oughterard); P Killeen (Claremorris)
Round 3 Draw
- 08:00 (6th): David F Smith (Millicent) Colm Murphy (Clandeboye)
- 08:10 (6th): Joseph Hughes (Balcarrick) Michael Gaynor (Co. Meath)
- 08:20 (6th): Patrick Bevins (Carlow) Jack Dempsey (Royal Curragh) Declan O'Loughlin (Kingswood)
- 08:30 (6th): Michael Quirke (Doneraile) William Doggart (Clandeboye) Eddie Power (Kilkenny)
- 08:40 (6th): John Garvey (Seapoint) Noel Mannion (Dun Laoghaire) David Varian (Dun Laoghaire)
- 08:50 (6th): Frank Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown) Barry O'Leary (Greystones) Tony McClements (Clandeboye)
- 08:05 (1st): Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion) Mick Ahern (Skerries) Bert Burke (Moate)
- 08:15 (1st): Michael Chambers (Royal Dublin) Bill Donlon (Birr) Ian Smyth (Clandeboye)
- 08:25 (1st): Tony Hayes (Co. Louth) Sean Alley (Co. Tipperary) Ernie Heywood (City of Derry)
- 08:35 (1st): Peter Rogers (Dundalk) Liam Halpin (Westport) Anthony Brannock (Newlands)
- 08:45 (1st): Mark McMurray (Royal Portrush) Terry Kelly (Balcarrick) Peter Cowley (Cork)
- 08:55 (1st): John Mitchell (Tramore) Pat Lyons (Cork) Jim McVeigh (Carlow)
- 09:05 (1st): Karl Bornemann (Douglas) Richard McDowell (Royal Belfast) Alan Lilley (Ballyclare)
- 09:15 (1st): John O'Brien (Castlemartyr) Michael Coote (Tralee) Randal Cross (Enniscrone)
- 09:25 (1st): Eamon Haugh (Castletroy) Hugh B Smyth (Mourne) Shane Underwood (Co. Sligo)
- 09:35 (1st): Noel McGrane (Royal Dublin) Alan Egan (Royal Curragh) David Mulholland (Castlerock)
- 09:45 (1st): Steve Graham (East Sussex Nat) Alan Moran (Tuam) Maurice Kelly (Naas)