Tramore’s Jack Hearn overcame difficult early conditions and carded a three-under 67 to take a one-shot lead into today’s final two rounds of the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close at Malone.

Hearn was out in the worst of the morning conditions with the remnants of Storm Betty still lingering and made four birdies before dropping his only shot of the day at the 16th.

A beaten semi-finalist in the South of Ireland and runner-up in the Mullingar Scratch Cup, he leads on three-under-par from defending champion Quentin Carew (68) from Castleknock and The Island's Conor Murtagh, who had seven birdies in a brilliant 66.

Castle’s Robert Moran is alone in fourth on one-under after a 71 with Co Armagh’s Adam Cromwell (71), Belvoir Park’s Simon Ward (72) and first-round leader Keith Egan (74) from Carton House tied for fifth on level par heading into the final 36 holes.

The cut for the top 39 and ties fell at seven-over 147.

“Hit it solid from start to finish and I got off well,” Hearn said. “I was two under through five holes and then I managed to hold onto that, I just made one bogey on 16 and then played the rest in two under so pretty solid today.

“I’m just a bit more relaxed on the golf course. Just trying to enjoy it a bit more and start to love the game of golf a bit again. Halfway through this one, so another 36 holes to look forward to. 

“Just keep doing the same things, at least I’m giving myself a chance for tomorrow.”

AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close, Malone GC (Par 70)

Detailed scores

After 36 holes

137 Jack Hearn (Tramore) 70 67

138 Conor Murtagh (The Island) 72 66, Quentin Carew (Castleknock) 70 68

139 Robert Moran (Castle) 68 71

140 Adam Cromwell (Co. Armagh) 69 71, Simon Ward (Belvoir Park) 68 72, Keith Egan (Carton House) 66 74

141 Scott Jones (Belvoir Park) 74 67,  Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate 71 70, Brandon St John (Portmarnock) 72 69, Jordan Boles
(Charleville) 69 72

142 Simon Walker (Roscommon) 71 71, Liam Nolan (Galway) 70 72

143 James Fox (Portmarnock) 75 68, David Shiel (Enniscrone) 74 69, David Muldowney (Naas) 71 72, Marc Norton (Belvoir Park) 71 72

144 Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy) 77 67, Calum Ward (Carton House) 75 69, Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin) 76 68, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) 74 70, Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) 72 72, Jack Blake (The Island) 73 71, David Howard (Fota island) 69 75, Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park) 70 74, Jamie Butler (Killeen) 72 72

145 Dean O’Riordan (Fermoy) 74 71, Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) 73 72, Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 73 72, Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell) 74 71, Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) 69 76

146 James Hewitt (Tandragee) 74 72, Cian Harkin (Letterkenny) 74 72, Josh McCabe (Roganstown Golf & CC) 72 74

146 Evan Farrell (Co. Louth) 75 71

147 Ross Nelson (Belvoir Park) 77 70, Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 73 74, Charlie Mooney (Ballinasloe) 76 71, Robert Galligan (Elm Park) 75 72, Rory Milne (Faithlegg) 73 74, Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) 74 73, Mark Doogue (Baltinglass) 78 69, Thomas Abom
(Edmondstown) 75 72, Marc Boucher (Carton House) 74 73, Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 72 75, David Kitt (Athenry) 71 76, Jake Foley (Elm Park) 73 74, Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) 73 74, Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) 71 76

Cut

148 Seán Desmond (Monkstown) 81 67, Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle) 77 71, Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo) 73 75,  Mel Deasy (Douglas) 73 75, Cathal Butler (Kinsale) 76 72, Robert Brazill (Naas) 72 76, Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle) 73 75, Cialan Burke(Straffan) 71 77, Gavan Keogh (Galway) 73 75

149 David Marshall (Naas) 79 70,  Conor Hickey (Dooks) 75 74, Ruairi O’Connor (Co Sligo) 78 71,  Daniel Vaughan (Ardglass) 73 76, Lewis Gowdy (Bangor) 74 75, Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 75 74

150 Rory McConnell (Belvior Park) 74 76, Chris Moulds (Lisburn) 77 73, Adam Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 75 75, Samuel Gammell (Naas) 75 75, Adam Kelly (New Forest) 72 78, Morgan O'Sullivan (Ballyneety) 74 76, Sean Reddy (Douglas) 73 77, Jake Rowe
(Belvoir Park) 72 78

151 TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 78 73), Robert Walsh (Douglas) 77 74, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 73 78, Noah Bickerstaff (Massereene) 76 75, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) 75 76, Cian O’Connor (Roscommon) 73 78

152 Cathal Mac Canna (Carton House) 75 77, Adam Smith (Mullingar) 74 78, Sean Deasy (Douglas) 76 76, Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little) 74 78

153 Luke O’Neill (Connemara Golf Links) 76 77, Paddy Quill (Cork) 79 74, Charlie Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell) 77 76, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 76 77, James Mitten (Castleknock) 81 72, Ryan Symington (Lisburn) 75 78, Niall Carroll (Dunmurry) 75 78, Conor Clarke (Balmoral) 76 77, John Cunningham (Carton House) 73 80

154 Stephen Barker (Mourne) 77 77,  Aaron McNulty (Lahinch) 79 75,  Gary Collins (Rosslare) 76 78, Matt Murphy (Clandeboye) 78 76, Annraoi Collins (Portmarnock) 73 81, Luke Lynch (Naas) 78 76

155 Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 78 77, Luke Harris (Hermitage) 73 82, Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush) 76 79

156 Tom Cafferky (Ballinasloe) 78 78, Nicholas McClay (Cairndhu) 78 78, Ciaran Smyth (Ballinasloe) 79 77

157 David O’Malley (Black Bush) 78 79, Jude Devlin (Bangor) 77 80, Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan) 78 79, Eoin Freeman (Tulfarris) 78 79, Scott Montgomery (Holywood) 75 82, Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 73 84, Thomas Beaumont (Bangor) 78 79

158 David Boden (Belvoir Park) 81 77, Ryan Murray (Balmoral) 81 77, James Maginn (Mourne) 82 76, Matthew Lynch (Greenore) 77 81

159 Eoin Magill (East Clare) 79 80, Matthew Wylie (Woodhall Spa) 82 77,  Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock) 74 85

160 Jake Adler (Nenagh 81 79), David Foy (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 82, Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood) 80 80

161 Mark O’Rourke (Royal Tara) 80 81, Rory Williamson (Holywood) 82 79, John Dillon (Lahinch) 81 80

162 Ciaran Mahon (Kilcock) 81 81

163 Dylan Harbourne (Grange) 81 82

165 Karl Murray (Arklow) 81 84

WD Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 72 WD, Ben Best (Rathmore) 76 WD, Kevin Gallagher (Strabane) 79 WD, Stephen Cunningham (Esker Hills) 82 WD

NS Patrick Dallat (Galgorm Castle) 76 NS

81 Ted Harman (Balmoral) 81