R&A Junior Open championship: If the quartet of Irish players in the field for the 131st British Open required any inspiration, it came from any unlikely source yesterday. A few miles further in along the Firth of Forth, close to Edinburgh, is the Royal Musselburgh links and it was there yesterday that 16-year-old Limerick player Cian McNamara produced a second round 65 that has put him into pole position in the R&A Junior Open championship, writes Philip Reid
McNamara heads into today's third round with a three-stroke lead over Denmark's Peter Meldgaard, and he is all of eight shots clear of two players currently occupying third place in a field which has attracted 50 players from all over the world. "Maybe now I'll make it onto the Ireland team for next month's Boys' Home Internationals," said McNamara, who produced a five-under-par 65 that featured six birdies and a lone bogey. He had started the day two shots behind overnight leader Meldgaard.
LEADING SCORES: 136 - C McNamara (Ire) 71, 65; 139 - P Meldgaard (Den) 69, 70; 144 - J Minahan (USA) 71, 73; R Saxton (Neth) 71, 73; 146 - J Hannafiah (Mal) 75, 71; W Tucker (SA) 74, 72; A Kelekak (Fr) 71, 75.
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