Clandeboye’s Benjamin Oberholzer trails chief Stuart Grehan by simply two strokes heading into the ultimate 36 holes of the AIG Irish Beginner Shut Championship at Westport
Set for his junior season at East Tennessee State College, the Belfast expertise carded a second successive three-under 70 to sit down alone in second on six below heading into Sunday’s closing two rounds.
With the minimize falling at four-over par, the 44-man area is roofed by simply 12 strokes.
Nevertheless it’s clear that the skilled County Louth star Grehan holds is the recent favorite as he seems to grow to be the primary man to do the Flogas Irish Beginner Open and Irish Shut double since Peter O’Keeffe matched Padraig Harrington’s feat (1995) in 2021.
The Tullamore native adopted his sensational opening 65 with a stage par 73 to guide on eight-under from Oberholzer, with Royal Dublin’s Jack McDonnell three adrift and Tralee’s Mark Gazi an additional stroke again.
Grehan made an eagle two on the second and birdied the fifth, however regardless of attending to 11-under early in his spherical, he double bogeyed the par-five tenth and bogeyed the twelfth earlier than parring his approach residence.
The previous skilled stays the clear favorite for the title and he’s embracing the chance to make his mark within the document books.
“It’d be cool,” stated Grehan. “I set a purpose at the beginning of the yr to attempt to get two or three wins, so it’d be good to do this tomorrow.
“My recreation is sweet, I’m glad sufficient with every thing. Two-shot lead, I’d have taken that at the beginning of the week, exit tomorrow and provides it a go.
“I performed pretty on the entrance 9 (at this time), then the again 9, simply hit one dangerous shot in on ten, and from there, I used to be combating my recreation the entire approach by way of. Not very glad to be trustworthy, however two-shot lead, so hopefully it comes out tomorrow.
“Simply went by way of a little bit of a lull, that all the time occurs in each match, so hopefully tomorrow, get an excellent night time’s sleep, and get after it.
“Tomorrow goes to be a protracted day, so I’ll be prepared.”
Oberholzer held the clubhouse lead for a lot of the day, with back-to-back rounds of 70 serving to him to a six-under whole.
“It was a fairly strong second spherical, rather a lot much less irritating, just one bogey. Simply stored it out of bother and when the birdies got here, they got here,” stated Oberholzer.
“That is the primary time (taking part in Westport), however I am actually liking it. Actually just like the again 9. The again 9 is harder, however in case you hit good pictures, there are birdie alternatives on the market.
“Bogeyed the tenth however then acquired just a few birdies after that, hit it shut on 13, made birdie there, after which took just a few birdies off.
“I had an excellent three-under yesterday, so simply attempt to do the identical factor and never chase the rating as a lot. I’m most likely going to hit some balls now, work on the driving force a bit, keep calm on the market, don’t pressure it.
“If it’s going to occur, it’s going to occur, however I’ve finished all of the apply beforehand, so if it occurs, it’s good.
“But when not, simply preserve practising.”
McDonnell was one of many late finishers, and he wanted a birdie on the final to equal his Clandeboye counterpart, however needed to accept par.
Defending champion Thomas Abom is simply six behind, tied for ninth, after a 73, whereas Co Sligo’s Aodhagan Brady shot a better of the day 69, enhancing by seven pictures on his first spherical, to lurk simply exterior the highest 10 on one below.
Westport’s Conor Stapleton made it by way of on stage par after a brace of 73s. Fellow Mayo golfer Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet) additionally made it safely by way of to Sunday on stage par after a 72.
AIG Irish Beginner Shut Championship, Westport GC (Par 73)
After 36 holes
Detailed scores
138 Stuart Grehan (Co Louth) 65 73;
140 Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 70 70;
141 Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 70 71;
142 Mark Gazi (Tralee) 68 74;
143 Gerard Dunne (Co Louth) 73 70, Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn) 72 71, Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 70 73, Ross Latimer (Knock) 72 71;
144 Quentin Carew (Castleknock) 72 72, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) 71 73, Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 70 74, David Kitt (Athenry) 73 71, Cian Harkin (Letterkenny) 70 74;
145 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) 76 69, Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 74 71, Calum Ward (Carton Home) 74 71, Dylan Holmes (Greystones) 70 75, Alex Kerins (Carton Home) 73 72;
146 Conor Hickey (Dooks) 74 72, John William Burke (Ballyhaunis) 72 74, Conor Stapleton (Westport) 73 73, Keith Egan (Carton Home) 71 75, Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet) 74 72, Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 76 70, Luke O’Neill (Connemara) 76 70;
147 Jack Murphy (Douglas) 70 77, TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 71 76, Darragh Flynn (Carton Home) 72 75, David Reddan (Castleknock) 75 72, James Walsh (Douglas) 77 70;
148 Evan Farrell (Co Louth) 74 74, James O’Rourke (Naas) 76 72, Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 77 71, Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 75 73, Paddy Quill (Cork) 70 78;
149 Barry O’Neill (Tramore) 78 71, Sean Reddy (Douglas) 76 73, Rafael Poli (Holywood) 74 75;
150 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 80 70, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) 73 77, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) 75 75, Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) 75 75, Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park) 74 76, Jake Foley (Elm Park) 73 77;
Missed the minimize
151 Lucas Lyons (Limerick) 76 75, Jordan Boles (Charleville) 75 76, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 77 74, Kyle McCarron (North West) 73 78, Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) 76 75, Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 78 73, Adam Talbot (Carton Home) 74 77;
152 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 75 77, Samuel Gammell (Naas) 74 78, Barry McMenamin (Ballybofey and Stranorlar) 76 76, Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill) 74 78, Barry O’Connell (Douglas) 73 79, Louis Goodman (Co Louth) 74 78, Seán Cloonan (Dunmore demense) 77 75, Harris Fleming (Galgorm Fortress) 71 81, Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park) 80 72;
153 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 74 79, Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little) 75 78, Harley Phipps (Co Louth) 79 74, David Shiel (Enniscrone) 74 79, David Brady (Straffan) 79 74, Mark McKenna (Dun Laoghaire) 77 76, Neil Patterson (Baltinglass) 80 73, Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay) 79 74, Ben Cahill (Dundalk) 72 81, Jamie Larkin (Palmerstown Home) 77 76;
154 Eoin Burrows (Belvoir Park) 75 79, Eoin Magill (East Clare) 72 82, Ross McCormack (Palmerstown Home) 76 78, Robert Galligan (Elm Park) 76 78, Steven Gormley (Blainroe) 75 79;
155 Adam Challoner (Galway Bay) 77 78;
156 David Joyce (Powerscourt) 79 77, Sean Rooney (Fortwilliam) 77 79, Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire) 78 78, Cathal Gallagher (Gweedore) 81 75, Danny Lyne (Lahinch) 81 75;
157 Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) 76 81, Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone) 76 81, Graham Callaghan (Co Louth) 77 80, Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety) 77 80, Ryan Corrigan (Castlebar) 73 84, Tom Glennon (Kilkenny) 77 80, Sean Downes (Royal Dublin) 83 74, Seán McLoughlin (Co Sligo) 79 78;
158 William Josh Nicholl (Galgorm Fortress) 79 79, Andrew Gavin (Black Bush) 77 81, Patrick Burke (Foxrock) 75 83, David O’Malley (Black Bush) 78 80;
159 Fergal Coyle (Athenry) 77 82, Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy) 82 77, Brian Lane (Muskerry) 79 80, Sean Murphy (Grange) 81 78;
160 Eoin Lisibach (Goyer) 83 77, Mark Doyle (Westmanstown) 77 83, Kevin Barry (Castlebar) 82 78, William Walshe (Delgany) 79 81, Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown) 77 83;
161 Michael Joyce (Mulranny) 83 78, Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt) 83 78;
162 Evan Maher (Mountrath) 81 81, Diarmuid Harrington (Doneraile) 83 79;
163 Freddie Bracken (Portmarnock) 82 81, Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay) 80 83, Thomas Plunkett (Crover Home) 80 83;
164 Finlay Keen (Royal Belfast) 83 81;
165 Jonathan Hayden (Royal Dublin) 81 84;
166 Tadhg Burns (Headfort) 80 86;
168 Johnny Napier (Scrabo) 80 88;
169 Donnacha Cleary (Tipperary) 81 88;
170 Jamie Anderson (Greystones) 84 86;
175 James Fenlon (Bunclody) 91 84;
WD David Howard (Fota Island) 75 WD, Ryan Lyons (Blarney) WD WD, James Fox (Portmarnock) WD WD, David Lally (Blainroe) WD WD;
NS: Ryan Murray (Balmoral) NS NS, David Marshall (Naas) NS NS, Mike Kelly (Naas) NS NS.
