Stuart Grehan holds a narrow two-shot lead going into the final day of the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship, as he looks to make history in Westport.
The reigning Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Champion will aim to become the first golfer since Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) in 2021 to do the double.
The Tullamore native shot a second round 73, to follow up his brilliant 65 on Friday, and he lies on eight-under, ahead of Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye). Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) is one shot further in arrears with Mark Gazi (Tralee) rounding out the top four on four-under.
Grehan made an eagle on the second and birdied the fifth but despite getting to 11-under early in his round on Saturday, he couldn’t push on and dropped shots on the tenth and 12th. And while no golfer had done the Open and Close double since Padraig Harrington (1995), before O’Keeffe’s success four years ago, Grehan will take it in his stride with 36 holes remaining tomorrow.
“It’d be cool,” said Grehan. “I kind of set a goal at the start of the year to try to get two or three wins so it’d be nice to do that tomorrow. My game is good, I’m happy enough with everything. Two-shot lead, I would have taken that at the start of the week, go out tomorrow and give it a go.
“I played lovely the front nine (today), then the back nine, just hit one bad shot in on ten and from there I was fighting my game the whole way through. Not very happy to be honest but two-shot lead, so hopefully it comes out tomorrow.
“Just went through a bit of a lull, that always happens in every tournament so hopefully tomorrow, get a good night’s sleep, and get after it. “Tomorrow is going to be a long day, so I’ll be ready.”
Oberholzer held the clubhouse lead for much of the day, with back-to-back rounds of 70 helping him to a six-under total. McDonnell was one of the late finishers and he needed a birdie on the last to equal his Clandeboye counterpart, but had to settle for par.
Aodhagan Brady (County Sligo) had the low round of the day with a brilliant 69 dragging him back into contention and away from the cut mark on one-under.
Westport’s Conor Stapleton made it through on level par. Fellow Mayo golfer Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet) also made it safely through to Sunday.
However, it will be Oberholzer who will be Grehan’s biggest challenger early in the third round on Sunday morning. “It was a pretty solid second round, a lot less stressful, only one bogey. Just kept it out of trouble and when the birdies came, they came,” said Oberholzer.
“This is the first time (playing Westport) but really liking it. Really like the back nine. The back nine is tougher but if you hit good shots there are birdie opportunities out there.
“Bogeyed the tenth but then got a few birdies after that, hit it close on 13, made birdie there, and then took a few birdies off. “I had a good three-under yesterday, so just try to do the same thing and not chase the score as much. I’m probably going to hit some balls now, work on the driver a bit, stay calm out there, don’t force it.
“If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen, but I’ve done all the practice beforehand, so if it happens, it’s good.“But if not, just keep practising.”
