Peter Lawrie, the holder, is in line for an extremely rare distinction, after claiming the halfway lead in the Friends Provident Mullingar Scratch Trophy with a second round of 69 yesterday. In the 34-year history of the event, Peter Townsend (1965, 1966) is the only player to have successfully defended the title.
The reigning Irish Close champion was one of only three players to break 70 in unexpectedly wet conditions. Lush rough, flanking tight fairways, became all the more clinging when soaked by steady rain for much of the day.
But the course remained in admirable condition overall. "It is very well presented - a credit to the organisers," said Mark Sheridan, after a total of 145 that could have been appreciably better.
Though only 23, Sheridan could be considered a reasonably good judge of such matters having just returned from an eight-month stint on the greens staff of Augusta National.
He was three under par for the tournament and five under for the second round after carding seven birdies in the afternoon. But a three-putt bogey at the short 15th seemed to unnerve him and he went on to card further bogeys on each of the remaining three holes for a 71.
A tight leaderboard at the halfway stage, became fairly predictable when the field had completed the morning round. Danny Coyle of Dundalk led on two-under-par 70 but no fewer than 11 players, including Lawrie, Sean Quinlivan and Noel Fox, were within a stroke of him on 71.
As it happened, Coyle remained in contention after a second round of 71 but the more established challengers also held their ground. And significant progress was made by Bryan Omelia whose return to full health after a recent whiplash injury was reflected in a second round of 70 for 146. At the end of play, 53 players on 152 - eight over par - made the cut.
Sound course management characterised Lawrie's performance, morning and afternoon. Indicative of a fresh breeze and the wet condition of the course was that he needed a four-iron second shot of 200 yards to set up a birdie from three feet at the seventh.
Another precise approach shot, this time with a seven iron, yielded a birdie from four feet at the ninth. These efforts more than offset a bogey at the short second where he missed the green on the right with a four iron. Lawrie then holed an 18-footer for a birdie at the 13th and finished the round with a four at the last where he wedged to five feet.
"I'm very pleased to be in a position to defend the title," he said afterwards. "I feel I'm driving the ball well - straight, rather than long - and if my putting holds up, who knows how things will turn out."
A particularly interesting challenger at this stage is former boy and youth international, Paul Byrne of Nenagh, who found a way of regaining a scratch handicap in a hurry. He was scratch until the end of July when two cards pushed him out to one handicap (.5 exact). Now, rounds of 71 and 70 have restored him to last month's status.
It represents an impressive debut for the 21-year-old, who was unable to appear here before now because of boys and youths competitions. As it happened, he putted most admirably, using the blade only 11 times on the back nine in the morning. And he completed the day with an eight-foot birdie putt at the 18th.
Gary Cullen of Beaverstown reaped a rich dividend from power-hitting by being four under for the par fives over 36 holes. And the comeback performance of the day came from East of Ireland champion Quinlivan who was four over par after his first five holes in the morning and covered the remaining 31 holes in seven under.
Halfway Totals
Qualifiers
140 - P Lawrie (UCD/Newlands) 71, 69
141 - P Byrne (Nenagh) 71, 70; S Quinlivan (Ballybunion) 71, 70; D Coyle (Dundalk) 70, 71
142 - D O'Sullivan (Cork) 73, 69; M Turley (Elm Park) 71, 71
143 - A Thomas (Tramore) 71, 72; N Fox (Portmarnock) 71, 72; D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 71, 72
144 - G Cullen (Beaverstown) 74, 70; T Rice (Limerick) 71, 73; J Kavanagh (Castletroy) 71, 73
145 - M Sheridan (Old Conna) 74, 71; C Mallon (North West) 76, 69; C Cunningham (Mullingar) 72, 73
146 - J Brady (Edenderry) 71, 75; G Lunny (Naas) 72, 74; J P Fitzgerald (Co Louth) 73, 73; P Cowley (Cork) 71, 75; B Omelia (Newlands) 76, 70; N Goulding (Portmarnock) 74, 72; M McGinley (Grange) 73, 73.
147 - G Smith (Ballinascorney) 76, 71; D Dunne (Co Sligo) 72, 75; P Errity (Delgany) 73, 74
148 - J J Garry (Mullingar) 73, 75; P Power (Tramore) 75, 73; A Smith (The Island) 73, 75; N Howley (Ballinasloe) 75, 73
149 - S McEnery (Ennis) 74, 75; E O'Sullivan (The Island) 76, 73; D Flynn (Ballina) 77, 72; S Browne (Hermitage) 74, 75; E Power (Kilkenny) 77, 72; F Gannon (Skerries) 76, 73
149 - S Nayagam (Tullamore) 75, 75; D Snow (Portmarnock) 77, 73; S Carter (Mountrath) 72, 78; T Eighan (Mullingar) 77, 73; S Moloney (Castletroy) 77, 73; E Brady (Royal Dublin) 77, 73; P Killeen (Claremorris) 76, 74
151 - E Butler (Landsdown) 75, 76; M O'Kelly (Limerick) 73, 78; M Horan (Birr) 76, 75; D Sugrue (Killarney) 76, 75; Pat Collier (Limerick) 74, 77; L MacNamara (Woodbrook) 76, 75; J McNamara (Sundridge Park) 79, 72
152 - A Dowling (Hermitage) 74, 78; J Sugrue (Killarney) 73, 79; D Coakley (Carlow) 75, 77; G Purcell (Mullingar) 78, 74.
