The greatest defence of any links course is the wind and after two days that saw course records and a hole in one, Seapoint Golf Links said enough is enough and bit back with gusts akin to the West of Ireland on day three of the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship.
Fourteen players are separated by five shots and it’s Patrick Keeling who stands tallest through 54 holes after a gutsy 73 gave him a nine-under total and a one shot lead over Darragh Flynn and Thomas Abom with local hopeful Gerard Dunne two shots back on seven-under alongside Warrenpoint’s Stephen Coulter.
Roganstown star Keeling, who shot a course record 62 on Friday, looked like his challenge was unravelling when he carded three bogeys on the front nine but a brilliant inward half of 34 including a birdie at the treacherous par-3 17th helped him edge his nose in front as he looks for his first national title.
“I’m excited,” said Keeling who only arrived back from Louisville on Monday. “I’m going to be nervous, there is no denying that. I felt pretty comfortable out there today so it’s just going to be the same kind of mission tomorrow, just take it one shot at a time get into a rhythm, hopefully a little earlier than I did today!”
There was a case of deja vu for Keeling after a difficult front nine in what was a three club wind at times and only exacerbated by the dropping temperatures. He had been struggling early in round one but knuckled down on the back nine to claw his way back. He did so again cancelling out bogeys on 12 and 16 with birdies on 10, 13, 14 and the two on the 17th.
“It was definitely different to yesterday’s conditions but I was fortunate enough being out in the afternoon in round one in a bit of that wind and had to really grind out a score. Yesterday you could control your ball a little better in the wind, today I hit 9-iron from 115 yards and it ballooned up in the air so there is no number anymore it was just total feel and ball flight.
“Three over through nine I knew I had to come back it was going to be harder into that cold north wind. Me and my caddie just stayed in our own bubble had a bit of fun and thankfully I made a couple of birdies. Really nice birdie on 17, the tee shot was shot of the day then a really nice up and down on 18 to keep it rolling into tomorrow.”
Carton House man Flynn was the leader in the clubhouse on eight-under after a fine round of 70 and he will tee off with Keeling and Abom in the final group. Edmondstown’s Abom who held the overnight lead bogeyed two of the last three holes for a round of 75.
The second to last group will feature County Louth’s Dunne who battled valiantly for a 73 and he will be with Coulter and Royal Birkdale’s Greg Holmes who sparkled with a 69 to get to four-under as he looks to give this championship another run after shining last year.
Also on four-under and within five of the lead is a logjam of nine players is defending champion Stuart Grehan. The Co. Louth man carded a 74 but his hopes of becoming the first back to back winner of the Irish Amateur since 1997 are still alive.
Grehan is joined by Dylan Shaw-Radford, Ryan Griffin, David Reddan, David Howard, Conor Stapleton, Liam Abom and Tom Hughes of Formby.
The cut fell at three-over with 52 players making it into the final round. The low round of the day came early in the morning from Portmarnock youngster John Moran with a 68 but it proved to be in vain as he missed the cut by one.
Scoring HERE