A sensational second round of 65 saw Caolan Rafferty march to his second win at the Laytown & Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup.
Trailing by one after a morning 66, Rafferty, a previous winner here in 2022 and a runner-up after a playoff loss last year wasn’t going to be denied as he fired four birdies and a closing eagle in a bogey-free effort to win by three shots on eleven-under-par with Kevin LeBlanc (The Island) in second place.
The Dundalk man registered ten birdies and an eagle across his 36 holes with his only bogey coming on the par-4 6th in round one.
The former West of Ireland and South of Ireland winner and 2019 Walker Cup player played his last 27 holes in eleven-under-par.
It was a day of low scoring, LeBlanc hit the front with a bogey free opening round go 65 (-6) to take a one shot lead into the afternoon. But the former Irish international who turned professional aged just 19 in 2017 endured a scrappy finale.
After three birdies in his first five holes, the Dubliner dropped shots on 8 and 11 and despite picking up a birdie on the par-4 13th a bogey on 16 ran his race although he finished well with a birdie on 18 for a final round of 69 and an eight-under total.
Former South of Ireland winner TJ Ford warmed up for his home open at the West next week with a rollercoaster round of 72 – which included five birdies, four bogeys and a double – and a stunning bogey free low round of the day 64 to take third place on six-under-par.
Also in third place was Edmondstown’s Liam Abom while local member David Foy led the home charge in fifth on five-under.
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