GOLF NORTH OF IRELAND AMATEUR OPEN: ALIGNMENT TIPS over the internet from his pro brother Rory in Kingston Heath, Australia, helped Connor Doran set the qualifying target at 133, after the 36 holes strokeplay action in the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, at Royal Portrush.

Doran opened with a three-under-67 from the Valley course on Monday and added a six-under-66 from Dunluce yesterday for 133 but he still missed out on the leading qualifier’s silver medal and now bemoans a three-putt for bogey, at his last hole, his only bogey in the two rounds.

Later in the day, Doran’s 133 was matched by Dermot McElroy and Harry Diamond, with McElroy taking the medal because of a stunning 10-birdie 63 on Dunluce.

“That was a silly mistake at the last where I three-putted from the front edge,” reflected Doran. “Indeed my score could have been a 56 as I missed a string of birdie chances.”

The Banbridge plus-two handicapper got off to a flier with eagle at the second and he birdied five and nine to turn four-under. There were further birdies at 10 and 12 and he pencilled in his third birdie four at 17, before his closing lapse.

McElroy was first to catch the leader with his sizzling 63 after his 70 on the Valley. The Ballymena 19-year-old raced to seven-under after 12 holes before his sole lapse of the day at 13. However, he birdied 15, as his eagle effort from 10 feet sat on the lip, and he finished with back-to-back birdies, four and three, from 25 and 10 feet. My putting was bad in the Irish Open and I practised hard since,” revealed McElroy.

West of Ireland champion Diamond reckoned his 65 was a great score until he saw McElroy’s 63. His tale of woe was a plugged tee-shot in a bank at the eighth hole where he dropped his only stroke.

When Diamond eagled the long ninth hole from 15 feet behind the flag he was four-under and he then birdied 10 from 20 feet, Calamity Corner from 30 feet and the 18th from 15 feet. The cut fell on 142, with three players on that score missing out.