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Dún Laoghaire’s Colin Woodroofe fired a joint best-of-the-day 70 to take a three-stroke lead at the halfway point in the East of Ireland Amateur Open at a testing County Louth.
The tall 22-year-old was one of four joint leaders overnight and he confessed that a hot putter was the key to his two-under-par round in a brisk 20mph southwesterly breeze on a links where firm greens put a premium on driving accuracy and a tidy short game play.
At five under par, he’s three shots clear of Portmarnock’s Jack Pierse, who followed his opening 69 with a 73 with Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty (72), Castle’s Daniel Holland (73) and Laytown and Bettystown’s Cian Geraghty (73) tied for third, four off the pace on one under par.
“My putting has been good, so that saved me a few times,” said Woodroofe, who had four birdies and two bogeys on his card. “It’s definitely been the key.”
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“I started on the back nine and played well and took my chances – on the 13th I hit wedge to four feet and the 15th it was another wedge to eight feet and I made those.
“I three-putted the 16th and turned in one under. But it was a struggle on the back nine and more a case of hanging on and holing putts for par.
“I birdied the second, but I made a great bogey on the third after going left, then right and then left of the green with my third.
“I left my first chip down there in the swale but got it up and down for six. Those are the ones that help your score.”
A former member of the Leinster Boys panel, Woodroofe had his best championship performance earlier this year, eventually losing to Caolan Rafferty on the 18th in the last 16 of the West of Ireland.
“I drove the fourth and made birdie, but then on the sixth, I had to hit two provisionals and ended up getting away with a five.”
As for his hopes of winning the title, he was cautious.
“I came with no expectations, and while it would be nice to win it, I am not going to expect to win now,” he said.
O’Flaherty has been one of the steadiest players so far, dropping just two shots in rounds of 71 and 72.
Defending champion Paul O’Hanlon from Carton House carded a 73 to move up into a share of sixth with Castle’s Robert Moran (73) on level par.
Pierse, this year’s West of Ireland runner-up, played very well on his front nine, rolling in a 15 footer for birdie at the 11th to get to four under par.
He parred his way to the turn to remain near the head of affairs, but like many of the afternoon starters, he found the firm greens and blustery conditions a major challenge and bogeyed the fifth and eighth coming home.
He was playing alongside 16-year-old Kilkenny talent Mark Power, who made some brilliant par saves on his opening nine with the pick of them a 20 footer at the 17th after he was left with no shot to a front left pin from left of the bunker.
He then made three birdies and two bogeys from the third to the seventh but drove into a bunker at the ninth and hit the lip with his attempted escape, running up a frustrating six to add a 74 to his opening 71.
He now shares eighth place with North West’s Kyle McCarron (70), Carton House’s Des Morgan (75), Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell (73) and Esker Hills’ Alan Lowry (76) on one over par.
The cut will fall after Sunday’s third round with the top 42 and ties – currently four over – qualifying for Monday’s final round.
East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship Co Louth (par 72)
After 36 Holes
139 C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 69 70;
142 J Pierse (Portmarnock) 69 73;
143 G O'Flaherty (Cork) 71 72, D Holland (Castle) 70 73, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 70 73;
144 P O'Hanlon (Carton House ) 71 73, R Moran (Castle) 71 73;
145 K McCarron (North West) 75 70, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 72 73, M Power (Kilkenny) 71 74, D Morgan (Carton House) 70 75, a Lowry (Esker Hills) 69 76;
146 G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 75 71, S Healy (Royal Dublin) 75 71, S Sweeney (USA) 74 72, C Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 72, S Bleakley (Shandon Park) 73 73, L Donnelly (Kilkenny) 72 74, R Brazill (Naas) 72 74, J Murphy (Kinsale) 72 74, R Pierse (Grange) 72 74, G Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 71, 75, J Carvill (Banbridge), 71, 75, P Murray (Clontarf), 71, 75, D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), 69, 77;
147 G Mungovan (Headfort) 73 74, J Knipe (Royal Portrush) 73 74, B Murray (Waterford Castle) 71 76, P Coughlan (Moate) 71 76, R Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 71 76, J Hickey (Cork) 70 77;
148 R Williamson (Holywood) 75 73, T Ford (Co. Sligo) 74 74, M Morrissey (Co. Sligo) 74 74, S Doyle (the Island) 74 74, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 74 74, R Dutton (Tandragee) 74 74, T McLarnon (Massereene) 73 75, E Farrell (Ardee) 73 75, G Collins (Rosslare) 72 76, J Greene (Portmarnock) 72 76, S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 72 76, C Denvir (Elm Park) 71 77, G Carr (Mullingar) 71 77;
149 J McVicker (Knock Golf Club ) 77 72, A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 77 72, D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 76 73, M McKinstry (Cairndhu) 75 74, K LeBlanc (Island) 75 74, C Butler (Kinsale) 74 75, M Norton (Belvoir Park) 74 75, A Hill (Athenry) 74 75, P O'Brien (Co. Louth) 74 75, E Leonard (Wentworth/Killiney) 74 75, J Sugrue (Mallow) 74 75, B Anderson (Royal Dublin) 73 76, G Ward (Kinsale) 73 76, J Whelan (Newlands) 72 77;
150 H Foley (Royal Dublin) 78 72, C Raymond (Newlands) 77 73, M Boucher (Carton House) 76 74, R Neville (The Links Portmarnock) 75 75, W Small (Tandragee) 75 75, E Griffin (Waterford) 75 75, M Looby (Greystones) 73 77, M O'Rourke (Royal Tara) 73 77, G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 72 78, R Kelly (Tuam) 72 78, S Cullen (Slieve Russell) 72 78, M Nolan (Delgany) 72 78;
151 W Russell (Clandeboye) 79 72, A Grant (Dundalk) 78 73, G McDermott (Carton House) 76 75, J Fletcher (Warrenpoint) 75 76, R Berkeley (Dun Laoghaire) 73 78, P Kerr (Royal Portrush) 72 79, S O'Connor (Luttrellstown Castle ) 71 80;
152 J Brady (Rosslare) 77 75, C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 76 76, T Collins (Dun Laoghaire) 76 76, Z Glynn (Bray) 74 78, C O'Connor (Corrstown) 74 78, M Kennelly (Athenry), 73, 79, D Coghlan (Portmarnock), 72, 80;
153 P Carey (Nenagh) 80 73, G Dunne (Co. Louth) 77 76, R Hynes (Royal Dublin) 76 77, D Brophy (Castleknock) 75 78, D Brennan (Shannon) 74, 79, S Garrett (Portstewart), 74, 79, K Murphy (Charlesland), 73, 80;
154 D Coyle (Portmarnock) 81 73, C Nolan (Galway) 78 76, M Kane (Larne) 78 76, M Fitzsimons (Ardglass) 77 77, G Bohill (Co. Louth) 77 77, P Murphy (Rosslare) 77 77, S Greenberg (Tandragee) 76 78, N Grant (Shandon Park) 76 78, J Walsh (Castle) 74 80, A Hickey (Ballyhaunis) 72 82;
155 J Fox (Portmarnock) 82 73, D Crawford (Bundoran) 78 77, G Smyth (Clonmel) 76 79, D Morley (Oughterard) 76 79, A McDaid (Palmerstown Stud) 71 84;
156 S McDermott (Co. Cavan) 84 72, E Smith (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 76, S Desmond (Monkstown) 79 77, C Dullaghan (Greenore) 79 77, I Lynch (Rosslare) 79 77, T Hackett (Royal Dublin) 78 78, a Dowling (Hermitage) 77 79;
157 G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 82 75, S Kinch (Hollystown) 79 78, J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 79, S McGlynn (Portmarnock) 78 79, D Reidy (Co. Sligo) 77 80, L Grehan (Mullingar) 75 82;
158 E Murphy (Dundalk) 80 78, J Doherty (Carton House) 78 80;
160 A Doran (Ardee) 84 76, D Brady (Co. Sligo) 82 78;
161 M Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 79 82;
162 P O'Sullivan (Old Conna) 82 80, C Kelly (USA) 78 84;
163 D O'Neill (Carton House) 81 82;
164 D Smith (Castle) 82 82;
WD R Cannon (Balbriggan);
Rtd A Myles (Newlands), S Carter (Royal Dublin), R McKinstry (Cairndhu).
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