A putter 'borrowed' from the professional's shop at Kinsale could help Pat Murray win the East of Ireland Amateur Open title at Co Louth today.

Yesterday the 29 year old Kinsale golf club manager fired seven birdies in a superb round of 68 - three of them at the last three holes - to lead by a stroke from Balmoral's Peter Martin, who also shot a 68 around the sun-blessed Baltray links.

After the carnage of Saturday, when a strong north wind played havoc with the field, the scoring was decidedly better yesterday.

One of a trio of overnight leaders that included Ken Kearney and Declan Branigan, Tipperary­born Murray was the only one who managed to keep it going yesterday.

Now the former Ireland international has a realistic chance of winning his first major domestic title over 36 holes today. But he will have to be wary not only of playing partner Martin, but of reigning West of Ireland champion Michael McDermott in particular.

The Stackstown youngster shot a 68 yesterday and now lurks just two off lead, setting up the possibility of becoming the first man since Garth McGimpsey in 1988 to compete the double of the East and West of Ireland titles.

And veteran campaigner Adrian Morrow, a winner of this championship in 1975 and 1983, carded an impeccable 69 that included 14 pars and four birdies to trail the leader by just four shots. The 48 year-old, who may still be tempted to try his hand at the senior professional game in two years time, finished with a two under par aggregate 144 and is still well in the hunt alongside North West's Brian McElhinney.

But the day belonged to Murray. After reaching the par five 2nd and 3rd holes in two shots he two-putted both times with the Odyssey White Hot putter he had 'borrowed' from the pros shop in Kinsale just days before to go to three under par for the championship.

He then holed from six feet for birdie at the 334 yard 4th and again at the 7th where he drilled a five iron to five feet to go four under par for his round.

But the back nine wasn't quite a stroll in the park and Baltray can be very punishing if you stray from the rolling, bouncy fairways or suffer a lapse of concentration.

At the 13th Murray under-clubbed and then failed to get up and down to record his first bogey of the day. And another was to follow just two holes later where he three putted from 30 feet at the par three 15th.

Rather than try and protect what he had, Murray attacked the course and skated home with three birdies in a row to finish in grand style.

Despite find the rough at the 16th his raking recovery shot skipped up tot he free where he holed form 20 feet to go to three under for the day. A four iron to 12 feet and the 17th got him to four under he hit a driver and three wood to within chipping distance at the last and then rolled in an uphill 12 footer for his 68.

"I'm playing very nicely," he said afterwards. "I've been practising hard and I'm not afraid to win." Balmoral player Martin could well have joined him at the top of the leader board but three putted the last from 25 feet when a birdie looked a certainty.

An Ulster inter-provincial, Martin's receding hairline makes him looks far older than his 24 years but he played like a veteran yesterday with nines of 35 and 33. Birdies on the 2nd, 6th and 8th were contrasted with a propped shot at the 9th where he found a bunker off the tee.

But a 40-foot birdie putt at the 10th followed by a drive and eight iron for a simple birdie at the long 11th put Martin back four under for the day and cruising. And when he drained a 20-foot putt for birdie on the 16th it looked as though he would tie Murray, who had just finished in front of him.

East of Ireland Amateur Championship, Co Louth GC;

After 36 holes

140 - P Murray (Kinsale) 72, 68

141 - P Martin (Balmoral) 73, 68 142 - M McDermott (Stackstown) 74, 68

144 - A. Morrow (Portmarnock) 75, 69; B McElhinney (North West) 73, 71; 145 - N Lavin (Royal Dublin) 76, 69;

146 - K Kearney (Roscommon) 72, 74;

147 - D Sugrue (Killarney) 75, 72;

148 - D Carroll (Grange) 76, 72; E Power (Kilkenny) 75, 73; G Cullen (Beaverstown) 75, 73; H Hanley (Grange) 75, 73; D Branigan (Seapoint) 72, 76

149 - K Bornemann (Douglas) 79, 70; C Donovan (Killeen) 75, 74; C Finn (Douglas) 75, 74; R Evans (Moyola Park) 74, 75;

150 - G McGimpsey (Bangor) 79, 71; M O'Sullivan (UCD) 78, 72; J Timoney (Headfort) 76, 74; M Flanagan (Longford) 75, 75; A Morris (Belvoir Park) 75, 75; N Goulding (Portmarnock) 74, 76; R Cannon (Balbriggan) 73, 77; J Kehoe (UCD) 78, 72; P Purdy (Shandon Park) 76, 74; M Sinclair (Knock) 75, 75; R de Lacey Staunton (Hong Kong) 75, 75

151 - J Lyons (Birr) 81, 70; R Leonard (Banbridge) 79, 72; M McGeady (City of Derry) 76, 75; F O'Donogue (Belvoir Park) 77, 74; C Murphy (Clandeboye) 76, 75; F Whelan (Laytown and Bettystown) 76, 75; V Smyth (Co Louth) 74, 77; M Owens (Mallow) 73, 78; S Browne (Hermitage) 77, 74; N Gorey (Killeen) 77, 74; P McDonald (Woodbrook) 76, 75

152 - B Smyth (Mourne) 82, 70; S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) 82, 70; A Pierce (Tipperary) 79, 73; G Bohill (Co Louth) 78, 74; P Rogers (Dundalk) 76, 76; M Collins (Doneraile) 76, 76; J Crangle (Fortwilliam) 75, 77; M McGinley (Grange) 74, 78; T Hayes (K Club) 73, 79;

153 - J Moore (Laytown and Bettystown) 78, 75; R Flood (Hermitage) 78, 75; J Mulready (Castle) 78, 75; J Morris (Mullingar) 76, 77; J Foster (Ballyclare) 79, 74; M Kelly (Killeen) 78, 75; W Kelly (Killeen) 76, 77; G Mc Neil (Waterford) 74, 79;

154 - C Doran (Banbridge) 82, 72; D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 76, 78; B Ronan (Co Louth) 76, 78; D Cunningham (Galway) 75, 79; S Carter (Mountrath) 78, 76; R Elliott (Royal Portrush) 78, 76; D Finn (Mallow) 77, 77; J Fox (Portmarnock) 76, 78; D Gannon (Co Louth) 75, 79;

155 - N Crawford (Mourne) 78, 77; L Owens (Royal Dublin) 80, 75; G O'Flaherty (CORK) 79, 76;

156 - D Kelliher (Portmarnock) 80, 76; A Dowling (Hermitage) 80, 76; F Flynn (Laytown and Bettystown) 77, 79; M Collins (Sutton) 78, 78; C Waters (Athenry) 75, 81; G Purthill (Shannon) 84, 72; R Boal (Scrabo) 81, 75; G Hall (Edenderry) 81, 75; G McGranahan (Oughterard) 80, 76; G Bowden (Hermitage) 77, 79;

157 - G Mallon (North West) 83, 74; J McDowell (Royal Belfast) 78, 79; S Moloney (Castletroy) 80, 77; B Kilgannon (Ballina) 79, 78; E O'Sullivan (The Island) 81, 76; I Frogatt (Malone) 78, 79

158 - B Hobson (Shandon Park) 81, 77; JD McGinn (Mannon Castle) 81, 77; J Harding (City of Derry) 78, 79; P Coughlan (St Anne's) 83, 75; J Gannon (Co Louth) 81, 77

159 - G Lynas (Shandon Park) 82, 77; N Beirth (Co. Louth) 83, 76; S Irving (Howth) 81, 78; M Murphy (Waterville) 81, 78; J Carr (Sutton) 80, 79; R Walsh (Tralee) 82, 77; D O'Brien (Laytown and Bettystown) 79, 80; W Blackwood (Mourne) 83, 76;

160 - B Reid (Pebble Beach) 82, 78; P McLaughlin 81, 79; L Hynes (Blainroe) 80, 80; D Snow (Portmarnock) 79, 81; M Ryan (Grange) 75, 85;

161 - G Smith (Vartry Lakes) 86, 75; M Moreland (Scrabo) 82, 79; P Cabrey (Lurgan) 80, 81; D McInerney (Lahinch) 84, 77; C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 82, 79;

162 - A McAllister (Portmarnock) 83, 79; J Curran (Elm Park) 83, 79

163 - S Adamson (Royal Belfast) 86, 77; A Hogan (West Hill) 81, 82; M Doyle (K Club) 83, 80; J Callan (Strabane) 85, 78;

164 - T Cummins (Lurgan) 84, 80; G Wardlow (Shandon Park) 79, 85;

165 - S Ward (Laytown and Bettystown) 85, 80; R Durnin (Laytown and Bettystown) 83, 82; B O'Brien (Headfort) 85, 80 166 - P. Morris (Douglas) 84, 82; I Leahy (Laytown and Bettystown) 85, 81

167 - P Byrne (Sutton) 82, 85 168 - G Moore (Blackwood) 89, 79

169 - E McLoughlin (Tullamore) 90, 79; M O'Brien (Co Louth) 85,84

171 ­ R Connolly (Elm Green) 89, 82; 172 ­ D Callaghan (Balbriggan) 90, 82;

NR - A Booth (Bundoran), K Sheehy (Athlone) 91, NR

RET - D Dooley (Roscrea) 82, Rt; D Baker (Downpatrick)

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© Brian Keogh 2001

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