Consistent Kennedy leads Irish Boys at halfway

Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) driving at the 16th tee in the second round of the 2019 Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship at County Sligo Golf Club (17/05/2019). Picture by Pat Cashman

Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy claimed the halfway lead in the Irish Boys Amateur Open when he fired a level par 72 in windy conditions at New Forest.

The Boys international mixed three birdies with three bogeys to head fellow international Luke O’Neill from Connemara by one stroke on four-under par.

Portmarnock’s Michael Fitzgibbon shot the only sub-par round of the day, closing with back to back birdies for an impressive bogey-free, three-under 69 that moved him up 46 places to tied 13th on two-over.

O’Neill, who won the German Boys title recently, shot 73 to sit alone in second with Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey third on two-under after a 70.

Seapoint’s Dylan Keating, who won the Regional Qualifier for The Open at Baltray on Monday, also shot 70 to share fourth with Lisburn talent Aaron Marshall on one-under.

The top 50 and ties after Thursday’s third round will make the cut with the players on 10-over 154 or better currently projected to make it.

Lee Valley’s Mel Deasy is well placed to make it after he aced the par-three 16th en route to a 74 that leaves him tied 29th on six-over 150.

Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship, New Forest (Par 72)

Detailed scores

After 36 holes

140 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 68 72;

141 L O'Neill (Connemara) 68 73;

142 F Hickey (Muskerry) 72 70;

143 D Keating (Seapoint) 73 70, A Marshall (Lisburn) 69 74;

144 R Milne (Faithlegg) 73 71, E Sullivan (Carton House) 72 72, J Black (Lisburn) 71 73;

145 J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 74 71, J Byrne (Baltinglass) 72 73, S Walker (Roscommon) 71 74, L Mitchell (Knock) 69 76;

146 M Fitzgibbon (Portmarnock) 77 69, L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 75 71, R Carvill (Warrenpoint) 74 72, B Crawford (Greenacres) 72 74;

147 C French (Carton House) 75 72, J Shellard (Lisburn) 74 73, A Smith (Mullingar) 73 74;

148 E Shipp (Headfort) 75 73, A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 74, R Galligan (Elm Park) 69 79;

149 C MacCanna (Carton House) 75 74, R Feerick (Mallow) 75 74, G Leigh (ENG) 75 74, D Leufer (Athenry) 73 76, K Morrison (Holywood) 72 77, S Doyle (Black Bush) 71 78;

150 M Kernanet (FRA) 77 73, M Deasy (Lee Valley) 76 74, E Freeman (Naas) 74 76, E McArthur (Royal Portrush) 72 78, A Mijic (FRA) 72 78, A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 72 78, J McCabe (Roganstown) 71 79;

151 R McNelis (Fintona) 80 71, B St John (Portmarnock) 77 74, R Walsh (Kinsale) 75 76, H Lord (ENG) 75 76, C Connell (Newlands) 74 77, D Marshall (Naas) 73 78, J Egan (Muskerry) 71 80;

152 J Mackin (Dundalk) 78 74, C Owen (WAL) 75 77, C Ruddy (Enniscrone) 74 78, R Kelliher (Killarney) 74 78, S Downes (Royal Dublin) 73 79;

153 S West (ENG) 78 75, D Raher (Dungarvan) 77 76;

154 L Kelly (Belvoir Park) 80 74, F Hoare (Roscommon) 78 76, S Murphy (Portumna) 78 76, K McCarthy (Lee Valley) 75 79, E Prendergast (Claremorris) 74 80, A Carroll (Newlands) 71 83;

155 L Keyes (Dun Laoghaire) 80 75, J Butler (Naas) 79 76, R Bather (WAL) 79 76, M Hopkins (ENG) 77 78, C Rabbette (Esker Hills) 76 79, C Harkin (Letterkenny) 75 80, G McKenzie (ENG) 75 80, P Keeling (Roganstown) 74 81, T Kelly (Royal Dublin) 73 82, M Dhaubhadel (ENG) 71 84;

156 S Miller (Clandeboye) 81 75, B Thomas (WAL) 81 75, D Muldowney (Carton House) 80 76, J McMaster (Holywood) 79 77, D McNicholl (Westmanstown) 79 77, M McCormack (Mullingar) 78 78, D Ford (Co. Sligo) 74 82;

157 C Byrne (Strabane) 81 76, C McCarthy (USA) 81 76, T Higgins (Roscommon) 80 77, N McDermott (Co. Sligo) 80 77, N O'Callaghan (Greenore) 78 79, P Naughton (Limerick) 78 79, P Byrne (Ballybunion) 76 81, P McGrath (Cregmore) 74 83;

158 P Ó Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 80 78, J Rooney (Co. Armagh) 79 79, D Mulligan (The Links Portmarnock) 79 79, R Howley (USA) 78 80;

159 A Westerdijk (ENG) 80 79, T Stout (Royal Belfast) 80 79, R Goodall (Royal Portrush) 78 81, C Collins (BER) 76 83, A Dineen (Cork) 75 84;

160 T Browne (Naas) 81 79, V Krause (Germany) 81 79, J Foley (Elm Park) 80 80, C O'Connor (Roscommon) 80 80, A Blair (Scrabo) 75 85;

161 O Reilly (Newlands) 82 79, G Herlihy (Castle) 79 82, C Roper (ENG) 79 82, G Keogh (Galway) 79 82, K Collins (Douglas) 78 83;

162 D Behan (Naas) 83 79, S Murtagh (Mullingar) 82 80, R Campbell (Greenacres) 81 81;

163 S Watts (St. Anne's) 82 81, T Crinion (Howth) 80 83, C Elliott (ENG) 78 85, M Duignan (Royal Dublin) 77 86;

164 M Schulze (Germany) 83 81, M Troy (Dungarvan) 83 81, M Collins (Bundoran) 82 82, S Collins (BER) 82 82, L Abom (Edmondstown) 80 84, M Hayes (Galgorm Castle) 79 85, D Byrne (Powerscourt) 77 87;

165 J Brown (The Heritage) 84 81, E O'Shaughnessy (Muskerry) 79 86, R Cowhey (Elm Park) 79 86;

166 J Richardson (ENG) 88 78, A Fraher (Black Bush) 80 86;

168 M Gibson (Knock) 83 85;

169 T Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 88 81, J Nolan (Birr) 83 86;

170 D Connolly (Castle Dargan) 86 84, R Davidson (Knock) 85 85, D Cunningham (Tuam) 85 85;

171 M O'Brien (Elm Park) 86 85, S Kearns (Elm Park) 83 88, A Bolger (Castle) 81 90;

172 C Walsh (Clandeboye) 94 78;

174 W O'Halloran (ENG) 85 89;

175 D O'Malley (Black Bush) 85 90;

176 R Reid (Greystones) 81 95;

177 P Costello (Cregmore Park) 89 88;

178 S McDermott (Highfield) 86 92;

180 M Duggan (Highfield) 96 84.