Galway's Ronan Mullarney topped the qualifiers for the second year running but insisted with will mean nothing if he fails to win the AIG Irish Amateur Close at Ballybunion.

The Irish international (23) followed a six-under 65 with a 68 over the Old Course yesterday to top the 64 qualifiers by an impressive six shots from Killiney's Eoin Leonard on nine-under 133 and claim his second silver medal.

"If it was a stroke play competition, nine-under after two rounds would be more appealing to me," said Mullarney, who has won the Mullingar Scratch Trophy and four collegiate events with Maynooth University but no 'majors'. "But it's just about qualifying.

"I led qualifying in this last year and didn't win it so hopefully go a bit better this year. I want to win. I want to win bad."

Challenge Tour professional Cormac Sharvin was the last leading qualifier to go on to win the title, edging out Paul Dunne at Connemara in 2013.

"If I go home at the end of the week and all I got was leading qualifier, I'd be disappointed," said Mullarney, who was one of the earlier starters who avoided most of the rain that made conditions testing in the afternoon. "Hopefully, I'll be lifting the trophy at the end of the week."

He knows that despite an excellent matchplay record for club and country, there are guarantees.

"You cannot have an off match," added the Galway man, who fell in the last 16 last year. "The standard is good. It doesn't make a difference who you draw in the match play."

Defending champion Robbie Cannon withdrew with illness during Saturday's opening round, but 2018 runner-up Leonard shot 67 to finish second on 139 with Warrenpoint's Colm Cambell third on two-under after a 69.

Links specialists Richard Knightly from Royal Dublin and Portmarnock's James Fox were joint fourth on 141.

The cut for the top 64 fell at nine-over par 151 four of the eight on that mark surviving.

Massereene international, Tiarnán McLarnon, the 2015 champion, was the biggest casualty on 152.

AIG Irish Amateur Close, Ballybunion GC (Old, Par 71)

Scores

First round - August 5

1. 07:30 R Mullarney (Galway) v R O'Connor (Co. Sligo);

2. 07:38 A Lowry (Esker Hills) v M Boucher (Carton House);

3. 07:46 C Nolan (Galway) v N Hearns (Mountrath);

4. 07:54 H Duggan (Kilkenny) v P Sheehan (Ballybunion);

5. 08:02 H Gillivan (Westport) v TJ Ford (Co. Sligo);

6. 08:10 K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) v J Murphy (Kinsale);

7. 08:18 S Flanagan (Portmarnock) v M Deasy (Lee Valley);

8. 08:26 P Murphy (Rosslare) v J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle);

9. 08:34 R Knightly (Royal Dublin) v R Williamson (Holywood);

10. 08:42 C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) v J McCarthy (Grange);

11. 08:50 G Dunne (Co. Louth) v E Stack (Ballybunion);

12. 08:58 P Conroy (Enniscorthy) v M McClean (Malone);

13. 09:06 J Fox (Portmarnock) v J Blake (The Island);

14. 09:14 G O'Mahony (Fota Island) v W Russell (Clandeboye);

15. 09:22 C Denvir (Elm Park) v E O'Brien (Clontarf);

16. 09:30 J Doherty (Carton House) v C Byrne (Woodbrook);

17. 09:38 E Leonard (Killiney) v C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire);

18. 09:46 C Butler (Kinsale) v J Hood (Galgorm Castle);

19. 09:54 A McCormack (Castletroy) v S Hogan (Nenagh);

20. 10:02 L Nolan (Galway) v S Walsh (Portmarnock);

21. 10:10 D Morley (Oughterard) v P Coughlan (Castleknock);

22. 10:18 E Griffin (Waterford) v D Coyle (Portmarnock);

23. 10:26 H O'Hare (Fortwilliam) v A Doran (Co. Louth);

24. 10:34 R Black (Hilton Templepatrick) v R Brazill (Naas);

25. 10:42 C Campbell (Warrenpoint) v P McKeever (Castle);

26. 10:50 J Lyons (Galway) v R Moran (Castle);

27. 10:58 P Murray (Clontarf) v K Stack (Dungarvan);

28. 11:06 E Murphy (Dundalk) v W Small (Tandragee);

29. 11:14 A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) v S Desmond (Monkstown);

30. 11:22 B Best (Rathmore) v D Brady (Co. Sligo);

31. 11:30 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) v E Farrell (Ardee);

32. 11:38 L Grehan (Mullingar) v R Galligan (Elm Park).

Qualifiers

133 R Mullarney (Galway) 65 68 (Silver medal);

139 E Leonard (Killiney) 72 67;

140 C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 71 69;

141 R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 70 71, J Fox (Portmarnock) 70 71;

142 A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 74 68, D Morley (Oughterard) 71 71;

143 H Gillivan (Westport) 74 69, S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 71 72;

144 H O'Hare (Fortwilliam) 75 69, P O' Keeffe (Douglas) 73 71, C Denvir (Elm Park) 72 72;

145 G Dunne (Co. Louth) 74 71, P Murray (Clontarf) 74 71, A McCormack (Castletroy) 73 72, C Nolan (Galway) 72 73, H Duggan (Kilkenny) 71 74, L Nolan (Galway) 71 74;
146 E Murphy (Dundalk) 75 71, P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 71 75, J Doherty (Carton House) 70 76, L Grehan (Mullingar) 69 77;

147 R Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 78 69, P Murphy (Rosslare) 76 71, K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 75 72, E Griffin (Waterford) 75 72, B Best (Rathmore) 75 72, G O'Mahony (Fota Island) 74 73, C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 74 73, J Lyons (Galway) 73 74, C Butler (Kinsale) 68 79;

148 A Lowry (Esker Hills) 78 70, M Boucher (Carton House) 78 70, J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 77 71, R Moran (Castle) 77 71, J McCarthy (Grange) 76 72, W Russell (Clandeboye) 75 73, D Brady (Co. Sligo) 74 74, D Coyle (Portmarnock) 74 74, J Murphy (Kinsale) 74 74, J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 74 74, R Brazill (Naas) 72 76, R Galligan (Elm Park) 72 76, C Byrne (Woodbrook) 71 77;

149 M McClean (Malone) 77 72, W Small (Tandragee) 75 74, S Walsh (Portmarnock) 74 75, P Sheehan (Ballybunion) 74 75, N Hearns (Mountrath) 73 76, S Hogan (Nenagh) 73 76, K Stack (Dungarvan) 73 76, E Stack (Ballybunion) 72 77, E O'Brien (Clontarf) 71 78, E Farrell (Ardee) 71 78;

150 A Doran (Co. Louth) 78 72, M Deasy (Lee Valley) 77 73, T Ford (Co. Sligo) 77 73, P Coughlan (Castleknock) 76 74, S Desmond (Monkstown) 75 75, J Blake (The Island) 73 77;

151 R Williamson (Holywood) 79 72, P McKeever (Castle) 78 73, C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 76 75, R O'Connor (Co. Sligo) 75 76;

Non-Qualifiers

151 M Reid (Galgorm Castle) 75 76, D McCormack (Roganstown) 75 76, E Smith (The Links Portmarnock) 75 76, T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 77;

152 J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 79 73, T McLarnon (Massereene) 78 74, N Crawford (Mourne) 78 74, S Carroll (Ballybunion) 77 75, S Murphy (Portumna) 77 75, L Power (Galway) 76 76, T Dowdall (Woodbrook) 75 77, P Buckley (Memorial) 72 80, G Ward (Kinsale) 70 82;

153 B Lenihan (Ballybunion) 82 71, M McPartlin (Smurfit club ) 81 72, F O'Sullivan (Tralee) 80 73, T Higgins (Roscommon) 79 74, I Lynch (Rosslare) 77 76, B Murray (Waterford Castle) 77 76, C Feeney (Co. Sligo) 77 76, R Nelson (Belvoir Park) 76 77, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 73 80;

154 D Flynn (Carton House) 83 71, K Morrison (Holywood) 81 73, P O'Connor (Macroom) 79 75, M Young (Golf du Priéure) 78 76, D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 77 77, M McCormack (Moss Creek) 76 78, R Walsh Jr (Kinsale) 74 80;

155 R Latimer (Knock) 83 72, P O'Hara (Kilkenny) 81 74, J Whelan (Newlands) 81 74, R Milne (Faithlegg) 78 77, R O'Doherty (Enniscrone) 78 77, J Temple (Portmarnock) 72 83;

156 A Ryan (Thurles) 79 77, J Keane (Lahinch) 79 77, C Glennon (Glasson) 78 78, M McKenna (Dun Laoghaire) 77 79, B Shally (Dromoland) 76 80, K McCormack (Portarlington) 76 80;

157 D Kitt (Athenry) 82 75, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 78;

158 M Nolan (Dun Laoghaire) 84 74, D Leufer (Athenry) 83 75, P Brennan (Belvoir Park) 81 77, M Healy (Kinsale) 80 78, C Dunphy (Killeen Castle) 75 83, D McAleenon (Edenmore) 71 87;

159 L O'Connor (Edmondstown) 80 79, D O'Driscoll (Ballybunion) 79 80, P Tobin (Douglas) 79 80;

160 C Hickey (Dooks) 81 79, T Plunkett (Crover House) 80 80, E Shipp (Headfort) 79 81;

161 A Hill (Athenry) 83 78;

164 P Connolly (Killeen Castle) 86 78;

165 R McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 80 85;

166 M O’Sullivan (The International) 86 80;

170 E Rumley (Kinsale) 85 85;

173 J Tuohy (Galway Bay) 89 84;

RTD G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock), R Clarke (The Island), M McKinstry (Cairndhu), K Lynch (Skibbereen), R Cannon (Balbriggan);

NR P Naughton (Limerick), S O'Connor (Castlebar).