Mark Power is still the leading Irishman at the halfway stage of the World Amateur Team Championships – Eisenhower Trophy at Le Golf National. Power carded a two-over 73 to drop outside the top-40 on one-under.
A late double-bogey tainted what had been a solid effort to that point with the Kilkenny native carding twelve successive pars after a bogey on the second.
The Wake Forest student, who is back on European soil after making the knockout stages of the US Amateur Championship, showed his bounce back qualities with a birdie at the par-3 16th.
Power lies in 42nd place having dropped 30 places in round two with Japan’s Taiga Semikawa on course for a wire-to-wire victory after he opened up a four-shot gap after 36 holes on fifteen-under.
The Japanese golfer backed up a 63 with another fine effort of 65 to lead Italy’s Filippo Celli and LIV Golf amateur David Puig of Spain who are both eleven-under-par.
There will be local interest over the weekend in the shape of Tom Vaillant who is six off the pace on nine-under. Vaillant has won two Alps Tour events this year and is just outside the top-500 in the world rankings.
Malone’s Matthew McClean is next best of the Irish in 85th place on three-over. McClean had another rollercoaster round carding four birdies, two bogeys and two double-bogeys on his way to a two-over 73.
Two sixes on 15 and 18 – his front nine – really halted his progress and like Powe,r it was the doubles that really thwarted what was looking like a solid round.
A closing birdie on the 9th saw Robert Moran join McClean on three-over and ensure that his card was counting after a one-over 72.
The Castle golfer dropped three shots in two holes after a bogey on 12 and a double on 13 but bounced back straight away to birdie 14.
After a bogey on the second, the Dubliner put on a fast finish with birdies on the sixth and ninth to keep Ireland inside the top-30 on the team leaderboard.
The Boys in Green are currently one-over at the halfway stage a distant 23 strokes behind Japan who have established a sizeable advantage of five strokes at 22-under-par.
- Full scoring HERE
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