The race for the Christy O’Connor trophy and a place in next month’s Amgen Irish Open at the K Club hotted up as three players played their way into the reckoning. Robert Moran is one of them but insists he isn’t thinking about a tournament debut.
The leading Irishman will secure a spot in the Irish Open field and Paul Mcbride leads the way in a share of eighth place on four-under while Alex Maguire and Moran are a shot further back in fourteenth and will play the final round of the Irish Challenge together at Killeen Castle.
Moran fired six birdies in a two-under round of 70 to move up twelve places on the leaderboard.
“Pretty happy, it was tricky enough with that wind and the greens seemed to get firmer as the afternoon wore on so I made enough birdies to block out the mistakes, couple too many bogeys but six birdies around there I am pretty happy with that, it’s very good,” said the Dubliner.
Moran was one-over through five holes but a timely par save on the sixth kickstarted his round and he roared to the turn with three successive birdies. The Castle golfer dropped a shot at the par-5 12th but responded with back to back birdies on the 15th and 16th before dropping a shot on 17.
He has been putting well from short range and will need to keep up his mojo on the greens.
“I had a nice putt for par on six from like seven feet, it’s mad the difference something like that makes then was inside five feet for birdie on the next three holes which was pretty satisfying. That was a nice way to finish the back nine I didn’t quite kick on the way I would have liked on the back nine but it was nice to finish with some decent enough golf.
“I didn’t hole like anything outside of ten feet but the six to eight footers which you have a lot of for par, and I had a few for birdie I was able to be tidy with them.
“There are incentives but it’s just about playing golf really. Once you start thinking about things like that you are in trouble. I’ve done well at staying present and hitting the next shot.”
Moran has been well travelled man this year, playing a full schedule on the Alps Tour and he is revelling in home comforts this week.
“It’s nice to stay in my own bed, my parents haven’t got to watch me too much this year, my girlfriend Rachel came out to watch me in Germany for the first time a few weeks ago and I shot six-over so I was in pretty bad form so it’s nice that she can watch me play some decent golf.
“Great to have some spectators out as well there’s a lot of people out there, I think Irish people love golf so it’s good to be home.”
Maguire also carded a round of 70 which he felt could have been a lot lower after he doubled the first and bogeyed the last while McBride carded a confidence boosting 67 which included three birdies in his last five holes and he is the front runner for a very opportunistic start at the Irish Open.
At the top Denmark’s Jeppe Kristian Andersen leads by three shots on twelve-under after a blistering 65.
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