Barry O’Leary fired a three-under par 68 to bolt into a commanding four-shot lead at the Irish Seniors Close Championship at Kilkenny Golf Club.
The Greystones golfer was very impressive, carding four birdies in-all to move to two-under par, four shots clear of fellow Greystones golfer, Alan Condron and Ballybunion’s Peter Sheehan who share second at plus-two.
Portmarnock Links’ Declan O’Neill and Doneraile’s Steven Graham both shot even-par 71’s to move inside the top-5 and are just six back at four-over par.
Unfortunately, Thursday proved a disastrous day for overnight leader Pat Lyons; the Corkonian plummeting down the boar after a nine-over par 80.
The Irish Seniors Close, now 10 years old, was first staged in 2009 at Roscommon. That first championship was won by Maurice Kelly and he retained his title the following year at Blainroe.
Kelly triumphed again in 2014, at Tullamore, and in 2015, at Grange. Kelly won for a fifth time at Enniscrone in 2018 and the winner of this year’s Championship will receive the Maurice Kelly Trophy following a decision by the Golfing Union of Ireland to name the trophy after the five time champion, who passed away on 28 December last.
Full Scoring HERE
Round Two Scores – Complete
140 B O’Leary (Greystones) 72 68
144 A Condren (Greystones) 74 70; P Sheehan (Ballybunion) 74 70
146 D O’Neill (The Links Portmarnock) 75 71; S Graham (Doneraile) 75 71
147 P Purdy (Shandon Park) 73 74
148 C Lally (Blainroe) 75 73; J O’Brien (Castlemartyr) 74 74; J Mitchell (Tramore) 74 74
149 B Hobson (Malone) 73 76; E Haugh (Castletroy) 72 77
150 T McClements (Clandeboye) 79 71; T Cleary (Woodstock) 74 76; P Lyons (Cork) 70 80
151 P Madigan (Waterford Castle) 80 71; T Lennon (Carlow) 78 73; J Joyce (Borris) 76 75; B Loftus (Lahinch) 76 75; G McGimpsey (Royal Portrush) 75 76; A Egan (Royal Curragh) 74 77; N Duke (Killiney) 73 78
152 H Smyth (Mourne) 78 74; P Higgins (Naas) 75 77; A McDonald (Kilkenny) 75 77
153 D Smith (Millicent) 79 74; C Murphy (Clandeboye) 78 75; S Alley (Co Tipperary) 77 76; D Brabazon (Balbriggan) 77 76; J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown) 74 79
154 T Cleary (Cork) 79 75; J Crean (Kinsale) 79 75; K Bornemann (Douglas) 78 76; C Walshe (Dundalk) 78 76; A Moran (Tuam) 77 77; M Quirke (Doneraile) 76 78; L Connolly (Wexford) 75 79; H O’Leary (Muskerry) 75 79
155 E Power (Kilkenny) 82 73; J Crangle (Fortwillam) 78 77; D Varian (Dun Laoghaire) 77 78
156 R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny) 79 77; D O’Donovan (Bandon) 79 77; B Lavery (Belvoir Park) 78 78; L Halpin (Westport) 77 79; P Murphy (Killarney) 77 79
164 P Cowley (Cork) 81 83
166 A Smith (Blainroe) 84 82; P Phelan (Cahir Park) 83 83
Non-Qualifiers
157 A Brannock (Newlands) 79 78; B Donlon (Birr) 79 78; T Tyrrell (The Heath) 77 80; S Underwood (Co Sligo) 74 83
158 L Doran (Co Louth) 82 76; L Kelly (Kilkenny) 80 78; R Duggan (Kilkenny) 80 78; M Scott (Hollystown) 79 79; J Williams (Castle) 79 79; F Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 80; R Fitzgerald (Tramore) 78 80; E Rogers (Dundalk) 77 81
159 V Smyth (Co Louth) 82 77; B Daish (Dun Laoghaire) 77 82
160 J O’Sullivan (Fota Island) 85 75; M Windebank (Portstewart) 84 76; A Cleere (Kilkenny) 83 77; J Dempsey (Royal Curragh) 83 77; N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire) 78 82; J Grant (The Island) 77 83
161 P Carbin (Athenry) 84 77; B McDonnell (K Club) 84 77; D Brophy (Kilkenny) 83 78
162 M Higgins (Connemara) 87 75; M O’Neill (Clonmel) 82 80
163 I Smyth (Clandeboye) 82 81; J McVeigh (Carlow) 82 81; R Timlin (Galway) 79 84
164 M Chambers (Royal Dublin) 81 83; B Cunningham (Carton House) 79 85; J Garvey (Seapoint) 77 87
165 T Hayes (Co Louth) 82 83; J Whelan (Athenry) 81 84
167 G O’Sullivan (Tralee) 84 83; J Crowley (The Island) 82 85; J O’Malley (Rathdowney) 79 88
168 B O’Malley (Royal Dublin) 88 80; T Griffin (Corballis Links) 83 85; T Byrne (Greystones) 82 86
170 S Healy (Galway) 90 80; M Davey (Mourne) 87 83; M Galvin (Castleknock) 83 87; M Gaynor (Co Meath) 80 90
171 F Leonard (Knightsbrook) 82 89
172 J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin) 84 88
173 G Finn (Cork) 88 85; J Burke (Kilkenny) 88 85
174 I Brown (Kilkenny) 86 88
176 A Murphy (Co Sligo) 90 86; F Moriarty (Thurles) 86 90
178 T Butler (Kilkenny) 87 91
179 F Dalton (Kilkenny) 89 90
180 D Sheedy (Lahinch) 93 87
188 R Curtin (Kilkenny) 88 100
WD D Mulholland (Castlerock), M Darcy (Tullamore)
NR M Shortall (Kilkenny), A Bell (Greencastle), K Knightly (Royal Dublin), D Lowans (Dun Laoghaire), C Donovan (Portarlington), N McGrane (The Royal Dublin)
RTD K Sheehy (Athlone)
WD J Carroll (Co Louth)
Leave a comment