IRISH CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP: DUBLIN-BASED Alex McCloy from Ballymena produced a stunning dawn patrol at Belvoir Park yesterday to fire a course-record 65 and walk away with the leading qualifier's silver medal in the Golfsure Irish Close Championship after the 36-hole weekend test before matchplay begins this morning.

In stark contrast, defending champion Shane Lowry from Esker Hills struggled over the south Belfast scenic parkland track in 77 shots but made it inside the limit as 64 players went through to today's first shoot-out round on 151 or better.

McCloy (28) teed off at the 10th with birdie three, hitting a three -wood and three-iron to six feet, but lost the advantage at the 12th hole. Then he really turned on the power play with birdie twos at 14 and 16, from eight and 20 feet, and a three at 17, where he got down from 10 feet, to turn in three-under 31.

The Kells man, who gained a degree in Sports Science at UUJ, drove the green at the first to six feet but missed his eagle putt, and then missed from eight feet for bogey five at the third hole. But he was back on the birdie trail with a three from 10 feet at six and polished off the excellent round at nine with birdie four - his seventh - where a drive and six iron left him on the back of the green and he got down in two stabs.

"That birdie three at the 10th in the early morning was a great start for me and it went on from there," mused the six-foot, 13-stone former Ballymena scrumhalf who shot 11 birdies and an eagle during the two rounds over the weekend.

After 10 holes it looked as if Lowry might be packing his bags. Having three-stabbed the ninth and 10th greens, he was seven over for the day but a birdie two at the 11th rescued the situation. After a seven-iron off the tee he rolled home a 20-footer and then made a four at the long 15th, where he reached the green with a drive and three wood.

"I struggled all day and on the 12th tee I was really worried," admitted the defending champion.

"Anyhow, I'm here for the matchplay and we will see how that pans out."

First to break par was the ever-present Philip Purdy, who posted a two-under 68 with four birdies spread over his card. He clipped a shot off the first, ninth, 12th and 14th holes but dropped strokes at the third and 11th

Nestling nicely in second place is the Portstewart teenager Paul Cutler, who posted a second-round 71 for 141. He holed from 50 feet off the green for a two at the fourth and got down from 10 feet at the eighth and 15 feet on 17. Cutler, a plus-two handicapper, was third in the Brabazon Trophy and fifth in the East.

Stephen Crowe dipped under par with a 69 in a rollercoaster round of six birdies and five bogeys. After starting at the 10th, the Dunmurry member turned one under as he offset bogeys with birdies. It was the same story over the front run but after pencilling in a one-under three at the second hole he bogeyed three of the next five to be one over for the day.

However, Crowe who was one of only the three players over the weekend to break regulation 70, finished birdie-birdie.

The hero of the championship has been 16-year-old Gareth McGee from Malone. He opened with a 70 in his first Irish Close and added a 75 yesterday, helped by a hole-in-one at four, where he used a five iron off the tee.

Banbridge international Connor Doran looked as if he might miss the cut after his 77 on Saturday but produced a comeback yesterday, despite a bogey-bogey start. He made birdies at four, nine and 18 to card a 70

IRISH AMATEUR CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP

(at Belvoir Park Golf Club)

TODAY'S FIRST ROUND DRAW

7.0 - N Kearney (Royal Dublin) v D Carvill (Belvoir Park); 7.07 - S Brady (Co Sligo) v J Patterson (Knock); 7.15 - R Bridges (Stackstown) v S Crowe (Dunmurry); 7.22 - A McCloy (Ballymena) v M Welsh (Knock); 7.30 - C Doran (Banbridge) v C Selfridge (Moyola Park); 7.37 - R Cannon (Laytown & B'town) v P Sheehy (Lahinch); 7.45 - W Kelly (Killeen) v L Lennox (Moyola Park); 7.52 - P O'Hanlon (Curragh) v G Boyd (Donaghadee); 8.00 - C O'Malley (Westport) v A McCormick (Scrabo); 8.07 - N Gorey (Lee Valley) v G Dunne (Seapoint); 8.15 - S Power (West Waterford) v J Fox (Portmarnock); 8.22 - D Crowe (Dunmurry) v C Carvill (Belvoir Park); 8.30 - E Arthurs (Forrest Little) v G O'Flaherty (Cork); 8.37 - A McKinley (Shandon Park) v T O'Flynn (Fota Island); 8.45 - R McNamara (Headfort) v P Purdy (Shandon Park); 8.52 - S Lowry (Esker Hills) v R McGee (Rosapenna).

9.0 - J Caldwell (Clandeboye) v C O'Connor (Athlone); 9.07 - G Lawlor (City West) v K Crowley (Lee Valley); 9.15 - M Sinclair (Knock) v J Mallon (Dungannon); 9.22 - A Hogan (Newlands) v P Buckley (Kanturk); 9.30 - C Curley (Newlands) v A Dunbar (Rathmore); 9.37 - C Bowe (Tramore) v M Durcan (Co Sligo); 9.45 - G McDermott (Co Sligo) v J Carvill (Warrenpoint); 9.52 - S Ward (Co. Louth) v G Reid (Spa);

10.0 - D Lernihan (Castle) v B Fennelly (Royal Dublin); 10.07 - J Crangle (Fortwilliam) v H Diamond (Belvoir Park); 10.15 - G McGee (Malone) v R Oliver (Carrickfergus); 10.22 - P Murray (Limerick) v P O'Kane (Moyola Park); 10.30 - N Grant (Knock) v D Morgan (Mullingar); 10.37 - D Rawluk (Island) v A Morris (Belvoir Park); 10.45 - K McDonagh (Athlone) v R McDowell (Royal Belfast); 10.52 - P Cutler (Portstewart) v D Baker (Downpatrick).