Galway’s Joe Lyons will look to upset home hopeful David Mulholland with the pair tied for the lead heading into the final round of the Irish Senior Men’s Amateur Open Championship in Castlerock.
The two-time Irish Seniors Men’s Amateur Close Champion was first out this morning and after a phenomenal front nine he closed out his round for a 65, ten shots better than his opening round here on Wednesday.
It leaves Lyons on six-under, alongside Mulholland, who finished with a 71 after his first round 69.
Mulholland, who won the Leinster Senior Men’s Amateur Open earlier this month, lost his ball on the Par 5 17th, and that resulted in the only bogey on his card as he forfeited the solo lead.
Lyons finished T5 in last year’s Irish Seniors Men’s Amateur Open and he will go into the final round here full of confidence, following a round which included eight birdies in his opening 13 holes.
“I was delighted but it’s a funny game, I didn’t play a whole lot better today than I did yesterday,” said Lyons.
“I was playing with some demons in my head today but I managed to conquer them for the most part.
“What was very important, the very first hole I hit a weak second shot and it spun off the green. I putt it and left it about ten feet short. I thought, here we go but I holed for par.
“I missed a good birdie chance on two but I hit a good putt and didn’t mind so much. And then I was just off the back edge of three, the Par 5, in two. A nice up and down for birdie.
“Hit a lovely tee shot into the Par 3 fourth to about eight feet and holed the putt for birdie and then two really good shots into five, two-putt birdie there as well.
“A bit of momentum early on and just sort of rode that for the rest of the round, hit a lot of good shots.”
Three closing pars helped Ian Smyth (Clandeboye) to a narrow one-shot win ahead of Ray Kong (USA) in the over-70 category.
Meanwhile, Lyons had made the best of the better conditions on Thursday morning, he was in scintillating form with three birdies in-a-row between three and five. He had two more on his front nine and further birdies on 10, 11 and 13.
He parred his way in for a sublime 65 and while others gave chase in the afternoon, no one could register a better tally.
Mulholland almost did but his bogey on 17 means that two players share the lead entering the final day.
“It was very steady. I missed my first green at the 12th and got it up and down and got it going,” said Mulholland.
“It’s a long day, lost a ball on 17 which was a disappointing finish, but apart from that played very steady. Didn’t do much wrong, that was the only dropped shot.
“I have a lot of confidence coming in from Tara. Played very straight, didn’t do much wrong because the course was tricky and very very tight.
“I got a bit of confidence and just trying to keep that routine going, one loose shot today, so I can’t complain.”
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