Irish Close Championship Qualifying rounds: Perhaps it was the balmy southern weather, but there was something of the inevitable about Gareth Maybin's rise to the top of the pile in the Irish Amateur Close championship qualifying in Tramore yesterday.

The 22-year-old from Ballyclare, who has won three times this year in the US where he is a student at the University of South Alabama, looked at home as he carded a five under par 67 to lead the qualifiers on eight under.

His 36-hole total of 136 was identical to that of playing partner Noel Fox, but the silver medal was his on the basis of his better score yesterday.

Fox birdied just one of Tramore's four par fives but still carded a second successive 68 at a tricky Tramore course that requires more guile around the greens than power off the tee.

A Walker Cup candidate, Maybin's 67 contained six birdies and just one dropped shot and it was only bettered by Irish Youths international Greg Bowden, who recovered from food poisoning in time to card a course record equalling 66 in the morning.

A strapping 21-year-old from Hermitage, Bowden drew a sizeable gallery to the 18th green where he narrowly failed to sink a 10-foot downhill putt for a closing birdie and a 65.

The Straffan native had considered withdrawing from the championship after a sleepless night, but he recovered sufficiently to be six under par after 17 holes.

The par-five 18th is a tight driving hole and after a precautionary three-iron off the tee, Bowden needed a two-iron to get home but bunkered his approach and had to settle for a par.

Maybin may not have Fox's power off the tee, but he made up for it with a majestic putting display for a 67.

"I'm striking it pretty good," he said. "But my putter has been red-hot so let's hope it stays that way for the rest of the week."

He holed seven putts of between four and 20 feet in a round that contained two remarkable recoveries from the punishing rough.

The first of them came at the index one 14th (for par) and he did it again at the last, where he played a flop shot out of deep grass to 10 feet and drained the putt for a closing birdie and the medal.

Athlone's Colm Moriarty showed just why he is tipped to make the Walker Cup side when he carded an eagle and three birdies in a blemish-free 67, having reached the 12th in five under par.