High winds send scores soaring as Rafferty retains West of Ireland lead

Rosses Point bared its fangs as a southerly wind gusting over 30mph at times sent scores soaring in the second qualifying round for the Connolly’s Audi West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty made the most of the fine but breezy early conditions and added a two-over 73 to his opening 65 to remain out in front with a round to go in the 54-hole strokeplay test to find the top 16 who qualify for the matchplay stages from Monday.

The former Walker Cup player mixed 17 pars with a double-bogey six at the 14th to head the field by three strokes from Roscommon's Thomas Higgins and Galway's Liam Nolan on four under par.

Higgins shot the only sub-par score of the day in the morning, a one-under 70 featuring a birdie at the second, an eagle at the fifth and bogeys at the 15th and 17th before the wind got up and scores soared into the 80s and 90s.

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The final five holes were playing into the teeth of the wind for the later starters and Nolan was pleased to play that stretch in three over par for a 73.

"I made a lot of up and downs in the first 12 holes to be one under, but then you turn for home, and it was a case of hanging on to your hat," said Irish international Nolan, who was runner-up to Royal Dublin's Hugh Foley in a 72-hole strokeplay West of Ireland last September. "So I was very happy with the 73 today."

Ballybofey and Stranorlar's Ryan Griffin shot a level-par 71 early in the day to finish on level par and tied for fourth with Foley, who was two under with six to go and thrilled to negotiate the tough closing stretch in two over for a 72 on a day when the field averaged 78.29 compared to 75.08 on day one.

“A 72 felt like a great score in the end, even though I was two under with six to play,” said Foley, who bogeyed the 14th, 16th and 18th but parred the 15th and 17th, where he hit two drivers short of the green before spinning a 30-yard wedge shot back to six inches from the hole to save par.

“The last five holes played really tough. I hit a 4-iron into the 14th [460 yards], a 5-iron to the 15th [422 yards], a 2-iron to the par-three 16th [210 yards] and I was short in two after two drivers to the 17th [470 yards], which was like a par-5 today. Even the 18th [387 yards] was a drive and a chipped 4-iron when it was a lob wedge in there yesterday.

“I was happy with the way I played. It was a great test of the long game with the last few into the wind a serious test.”

The new format – 54 holes of strokeplay with the top 16 to qualify for the matchplay – is being trialled this year and next to get a better quality matchplay contest on Monday and Tuesday.

Bar US-based Alex Maguire and Mark Power, 10 of the 12-strong high-performance panel are in action this week and nine of them are in the top 20 with one qualifying round remaining.

But with 50 players already more than 10 strokes outside the top 16 and wind and rain forecast for round three, it’s no surprise to see 19 players withdrawing and the starting field of 132 reduced to 111 with an additional two players retiring.

Connolly’s Audi West of Ireland Amateur Open

at Co Sligo GC, par 71

138 C Rafferty (Dundalk) 65 73;

141 T Higgins (Roscommon) 71 70, L Nolan (Galway) 68 73;

142 R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar Gc) 71 71, H Foley (Royal Dublin) 70 72;

143 G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 72 71, A Mulholland (Castlerock) 71 72;

144 A Brady (Co Sligo) 73 71, K Egan (Carton House) 69 75, T Ford (Co Sligo) 69 75;

145 M McClean (Malone) 72 73, D Shiel (Powerscourt) 71 74, J Whelan (Grange) 70 75;

146 D Kitt (Athenry) 73 73, R Latimer (Clandeboye) 73 73, M Boucher (Carton House) 71 75, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 70 76, A Fahy (Bray) 68 78;

147 P Coughlan (Castleknock) 75 72, C Harkin (Letterkenny) 74 73, A Benson (West Lothian) 74 73, E Sullivan (Carton House) 73 74, S Walker (Roscommon) 72 75, C Hickey (Dooks) 72 75, E McCormack (Galway Bay) 71 76, C Clarke (Balmoral) 70 77;

148 J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 73 75, D Flynn (Carton House) 73 75, S O'Connor (Castlebar) 71 77, J Hewitt (Tandragee) 71 77, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 71 77, J Boles (Charleville) 71 77, D O'Sullivan (Tralee) 71 77;

149 A King (Faithlegg) 75 74, M Giles (Greenore) 74 75, A Hill (Roscommon) 73 76, A Marshall (Lisburn) 73 76, J Cleary (Elm Park Golf & Sports Club) 73 76, P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 72 77, M Deasy (Douglas) 71 78;

150 R O'Connor (Co Sligo) 78 72, J Fox (Portmarnock) 76 74, R Moran (Castle) 75 75, K McCarron (North West) 74 76, R Brazill (Naas) 74 76, T Dowdall (Woodbrook) 73 77;

151 A Barr (Ballymena) 75 76, D Muldowney (Carton House) 73 78, E Murphy (Dundalk) 73 78, S McLoughlin (Co Sligo) 72 79, A Hickey (Ballyhaunis) 68 83;

152 S McDermott (Slieve Russell) 78 74, R Kennelly (Castleknock) 77 75, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 76 76, J Lyons (Galway) 75 77, T Abom (Edmondstown) 73 79, C Rabbette (Esker Hills) 72 80;

153 S Downes (Royal Dublin) 78 75, F Dobbin (Malone) 76 77, H Fanagan (Milltown) 75 78, B Reilly (Royal Tara) 74 79, S O'Connell (Athenry) 74 79, T Cafferky (Ballinasloe) 74 79, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 74 79, J Murphy (Dundalk) 74 79, H Gillivan (Westport) 72 81, D O'Riordan (Fermoy) 71 82;

154 R Walsh Jnr (Douglas) 78 76, S Carroll (Ballybunion) 76 78, L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 76 78, T Byrne (Royal Curragh) 74 80, S O'Brien (Nenagh) 73 81;

155 C Murtagh (The Island) 77 78, G O'Neill (Malahide) 76 79, A Gaynor (Co Sligo) 74 81, S Dowling (The Island) 74 81, D Brady (Co Sligo) 74 81, L Lyons (Limerick) 73 82;

156 L Kelly (Belvoir Park) 78 78, D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 77 79, M Cain (Cork) 76 80, S Underwood (Co Sligo) 76 80;

157 J Sheahan (Galway Bay) 79 78, K Patton (Lisburn) 78 79, A Challoner (Galway Bay) 78 79, A McCabe (The Links Portmarnock) 76 81, L O'Connor (Edmondstown) 76 81, J Rowe (Belvoir Park) 75 82, R Williamson (Holywood) 74 83;

158 K Robinson (Castlewarden) 79 79, J Kelly (Ardee) 76 82;

159 T O'Connor (Athlone) 81 78, D Marshall (Naas) 81 78, A Dooley (Carton House) 76 83;

160 S McGlynn (Portmarnock) 82 78, R McCrory (Lurgan) 80 80, A McNulty (Lahinch) 79 81;

161 J Hayden (Grange) 81 80, L Abom (Edmondstown) 81 80, R O'Reilly (Cregmore Park) 79 82;

162 B St. John (Portmarnock) 83 79, P McGrath (Galway Bay) 78 84, R Carvill (Warrenpoint) 77 85;

163 M O Sullivan (Ballyneety) 81 82, A Kelly (New Forest) 78 85, J Mitten (Westmanstown) 77 86;

164 T Plunkett (Crover House) 84 80, J Walsh (Douglas) 80 84, G Finnegan (Co Sligo) 78 86;

166 H Kane (Bahamas Golf Federation) 84 82;

168 E Lisibach (Glasgow) 86 82;

WD 153 J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 78 75, J Rackard (Enniscorthy) 75 78, D Connellan (St. Anne's) 73 80; 154 C Ryan (Bray) 74 80;155 A McCormack (Castletroy) 74 81; 156 S Ryan (Royal Dublin) 77 79, S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 75 81; 157 R Abernethy (Dún Laoghaire) 79 78, S Cullen (Slieve Russell) 78 79, D McCormack (Corrstown) 76 81, R Hynes (Oughterard) 75 82; 158 N Crawford (Mourne) 79 79, A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 77 81; 159 S Cunningham (Esker Hills) 76 83; 160 M Shiel (Galway Bay) 74 86; 161 W Beatty (Greenacres) 77 84; 162 D Lally (Blainroe) 80 82; 167 R Halpin (Dún Laoghaire) 77 90; 186 M McCaughey (Bundoran) 92 94.

RTD 78 Q Carew (Castleknock); 76 P O Dochartaigh (Gweedore).

Third round tee-times

07:00 Eoin Lisibach (Glasgow), Heathcliffe Kane (Bahamas Golf Federation), Gerard Finnegan (Co Sligo)

07:11 James Walsh (Douglas), Thomas Plunkett (Crover House), James Mitten (Westmanstown)

07:22 Adam Kelly (New Forest), Morgan O'Sullivan (Ballyneety), Rian Carvill (Warrenpoint)

07:33 Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay), Brandon St. John (Portmarnock), Ronan O'Reilly (Cregmore Park)

07:44 Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Jonathan Hayden (Grange), Aaron McNulty (Lahinch)

07:55 Ronan McCrory (Lurgan), Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock), Aidan Dooley (Carton House)

08:06 David Marshall Jnr (Naas), Thomas O'Connor (Athlone), Jamie Kelly (Ardee)

08:17 Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Rory Williamson (Holywood), Jake Rowe (Belvoir Park)

08:28 Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown), AJ. McCabe (The Links Portmarnock), Adam Challoner (Galway Bay)

08:39 Kyle Patton (Lisburn), Jeremiah Sheahan (Galway Bay), Shane Underwood (Co Sligo)

08:50 Morgan Cain (Cork), David Reddan Jnr (Nenagh), Luke Kelly (Belvoir Park)

09:01 Lucas Lyons (Limerick), David Brady (Co Sligo), Sean Dowling (The Island)

09:12 Alan Gaynor (Co Sligo), Gavin O'Neill (Malahide), Conor Murtagh (The Island)

09:23 Scott O'Brien (Nenagh), Thomas Byrne (Royal Curragh), Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay)

09:34 Senan Carroll (Ballybunion), Robert Walsh Jnr (Douglas), Dean O'Riordan (Fermoy)

09:45 Harry Gillivan (Westport) Jason Murphy (Dundalk), Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint)

09:56 Tom Cafferky (Ballinasloe), Sean O'connell (Athenry), Barry Reilly (Royal Tara)

10:07 Harry Fanagan (Milltown), Fionn Dobbin (Malone), Sean Downes (Royal Dublin)

10:18 Christopher Rabbette (Esker Hills), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Joe Lyons (Galway)

10:29 Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin), Ruairi Kennelly (Castleknock), Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell)

10:40 Andrew Hickey (Ballyhaunis), Sean McLoughlin (Co Sligo), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk)

10:51 David Muldowney (Carton House), Adam Barr (Ballymena), Tom Dowdall (Woodbrook)

11:02 Robert Brazill (Naas), Kyle McCarron (North West), Robert Moran (Castle)

11:13 James Fox (Portmarnock), Ruairi O'Connor (Co Sligo), Mel Deasy (Douglas)

11:24 Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas), John Cleary (Elm Park), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn)

11:35 Allan Hill (Roscommon), Matthew Giles (Greenore), Alex King (Faithlegg)

11:46 Darren O'Sullivan (Tralee), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Robert Cannon (Balbriggan)

11:57 James Hewitt (Tandragee), Shane O'Connor (Castlebar), Darragh Flynn (Carton House)

12:08 Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay)

12:19 Conor Hickey (Dooks), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Eoin Sullivan (Carton House)

12:30 Andrew Benson (West Lothian), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock)

12:41 Alan Fahy (Bray), Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little), Marc Boucher (Carton House)

12:52 Ross Latimer (Clandeboye), David Kitt (Athenry), Jake Whelan (Grange)

13:03 David Shiel (Powerscourt), Matthew McClean (Malone), TJ Ford (Co Sligo)

13:14 Keith Egan (Carton House), Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock)

13:25 Gareth Lappin (Belvoir Park), Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar Gc)

13:36 Liam Nolan (Galway), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk)