Waterville's Mark Murphy surprised even himself with a course record equalling, six under par 66 in the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship in Tramore yesterday.

The 24-year-old disc jockey holed a 20-foot eagle putt on the 18th green to take a one shot lead into the final round of qualifying at the testing Waterford layout.

Brilliant sunshine and high temperatures made for excellent scoring with Murphy at the head of affairs after a round that contained two bogeys, six birdies and that stunning eagle finish.

But the entertaining Kerryman admitted that he never expected to play as well following a break from golf after the recent death of his grandmother.

He explained. "I had different expectations than I usually have coming into a championship. It's not that I was making up the numbers but I never saw it coming especially after a few of the early holes."

The affable Kerryman had to scramble for par at the first, missed a short birdie putt at the second and then three-putted the third to go one over. But he bounced back brilliantly to birdie the fourth, fifth and sixth to turn in 34 - two under par.

A five iron to six feet at the 190 yard 10th put him three under the card, and despite dropping a shot at the tough 14th, a two at the short 15th put him back at four under for the day.

Birdie putts of five and six feet failed to drop at the 16th and 17th but Murphy made amends at the 491 yard 18th, needing no more than an eight iron to get home from 165 yards and set up that closing eagle.

His score equalled Eddie Power's course record and gave him a one shot advantage over David Ryan of Grange going into the final round of qualifying.

Ryan, a 21-year-old Dubliner and the current Munster and Leinster Youths champion, hit six birdies and just one bogey in a model round.

"Everything went according to plan," he beamed. "I hit the ball very well and made a great birdie at the 16th where I cut my second around a tree with a three iron and then got up and down from short of the green."

Des Morgan of Mullingar was one shot back on 68 alongside one of the pre-championship favourites, Noel Fox of Portmarnock.

Fox lost the ball of the tee at the last but made an "eagle" with his second ball in a rollercoaster round that contained six birdies.

Five under par after 13 holes, he double bogeyed the 14th, birdied the 17th and then saved par at the last by hitting two three irons and draining a 10 footer.

Of the other three Walker Cup hopefuls in action, Gareth Maybin carded a 69 but Justin Kehoe and Colm Moriarty both struggled to two over par 74s.

Golfsure Irish Amateur Close championship, Tramore (par 72)
First rd.

66  M Murphy (Waterville)
67  D Ryan (Grange)
68  D Morgan (Mullingar), N Fox (Portmarnock)
69  M O'Sullivan (Galway), J Mulready (Castle), N Turner (Muskerry), J Hughes (Woodbrook), G Maybin (Ballyclare), J Walsh (Mallow), C Doran (Banbridge), C Martin (Nenagh), R Leonard (Banbridge)
70  D Crowe (Dunmurry), M McGeady (City of Derry), A O'Callaghan (Douglas), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), B Trainor (Warrenpoint)
71  J McGinn (Greenore), M Staunton (Ballinasloe), M McDermott (Stackstown), T O'Mahony (Mallow), G Bowden (Hermitage), G Forbes (Newtownstewart), L Owens (Royal Dublin)
72  D Coyle (Co Louth), D Daly (Muskerry), E Arthurs (Forrest Little), M Morris (Portmarnock), R Kilpatrick (Banbridge), G Nugent (Kilkenny), J Foster (Ballyclare), E O'Sullivan (The Island)
73  S Moloney (Castletroy), S McTernan (Co Sligo), P McDonald (Woodbrook), C Conaty (Royal Dublin), S Power (West Waterford), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), E McCormack (Slieve Russell), H Hanley (Grange), M Horan (Birr), E Barton (Grange), P O'Hara (Kilkenny), N Kavanagh (Westport), D Dunne (Royal Dublin), A McCormick (Scrabo), D McNamara (Connemara), M McTernan (Co Sligo), M Poucher (Limerick), M Reck (Lucan), M McGinley (Grange), P Power (Tramore), D Rawluk (The Island), M Brett (Portmarnock)
74  D O'Donovan (Muskerry), J Lyons (Galway), R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny), R Walsh (Tralee), P Sheehan (Castletroy), D Carroll (Grange), C Moriarty (Athlone), P O'Brien (Lucan), L Ryan (Stackstown), J Kehoe (Birr), M Kemmy (Limerick), R Cannon (Balbriggan), T Cleary (Cork)
75  D Snow (Portmarnock), J Rafferty (Stadium San Diego), B McElhinney (North West), L Mulligan (Co Longford), C McNamara (Limerick), R McCarthy (The Island), A McKinley (Shandon Park), M Owens (Mallow), J McDermott (Stackstown), G Lynas (Shandon Park), S Galvin (Kilkenny), D McInerney (Lahinch), E Power (Kilkenny), G McKevitt (Greenore), B O'Neill (Waterford), C Cassidy (Portmarnock), M Ryan (Grange), J Mitchell (Tramore), B Keating (Clonmel), P McGrath (Dromoland), M Rowe (Athlone), D Moran (The Island)
76  I Moore (Dunmurry), S Heavey (Co Sligo), G Mallon (North West), G Hall (Edenderry), D O'Brien (L'town & B'town), M Butler (Athlone), E Haugh (Westmanstown), R Fitzgerald (Tramore), R Williams (Baltinglass), M Campbell (Stackstown), D O'Sullivan (Youghal), B O'Connor (Hermitage), J Fox (Portmarnock), A Pierse (Tipperary)
77  K Kinsella (Waterford), D Finn (Mallow), K Canty (Douglas), D Murphy (Abbeyleix), D McWilliams (Holywood), H Boch (Ballybunion), P Davidson (Dungannon), D Deasy (Waterford), N Cunningham (Tramore), F Flynn (L'town & B'town), J Flood (Woodbrook), S Crowe (Dunmurry), C McAleavey (Banbridge), K Bornemann (Douglas), M Collins (Sutton)
78  A Dowling (Hermitage), C Clancy (Stackstown), B Garvin (Castlerock), N Colfer (New Ross), G Massey (Hermitage), D Quilligan (Elm Park), D Burns (Tramore), P Higgins (Mullingar), E Coghlan (Luttrellstown), I Morrison (Cahir Park)
79  P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin), L Hynes (Blainroe), B Cashman (Belvoir Park), P McNamara (Youghal)
80  P Murray (Limerick), R Duggan (Kilkenny), J Barton (Ballinasloe)
81  G O'Flaherty (Cork), T Murphy (Lismore), P O'Hagan (Charlesland), D Logue (Letterkenny), D Coyne (Tuam), M Kelly (Killeen)
82  R Maher (Nenagh)
84  K Maher (Limerick), D O'Sullivan (Limerick)
85  G Morgan (Donabate), M O'Brien (Charlesland)
86  S Eyres (Connemara)
87  P Clifford (Waterford)
DQ  P O'Hanlon (Curragh)

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© Brian Keogh 2003

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