Moriarty in contention as eight Irish make cut
That's probably a little unfair on Athlone's Colm Moriarty who, at one under par, is second best of the eight Irishmen who survived the cut at Carton House yesterday.
Credit must also go to Jimmy Bolger, the Kilkenny club professional, who is two over and looking forward to a memorable couple of days.
Moriarty, the 25 year-old former Walker Cup golfer, added a 74 to his 69 of Thursday and barring a major collapse over the final two rounds is set to pick up the largest cheque of his professional career. He started at the 10th yesterday and immediately dropped a couple of shots, misjudging the wind and left his nine iron approach shot short of the green.
"That was annoying because I wasn't in trouble at either hole", he commented. "I didn't commit to either shot but it was tricky in the wind and I'll just have to show more commitment with the short irons. But I'm putting well and have the pace of the greens."
Back to back birdies followed at the 5th and 6th even if Moriarty did again drop strokes on the opening holes of his back nine, he hung in there for seven successive pars. Kilkennyman Gary Murphy, now representing the Heritage club near Portlaoise, was well pleased to shoot 72 for one over par, the same mark as Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, and Peter Lawrie, who shot an equal best of the day back nine of 33. Full marks, too, to Waterville's David Higgins who hung on for dear life to survive on the cut mark of four over par.
On the debit side, there was Graeme McDowell's failure to make the cut over a course that looked suited to his particular qualities, but yesterday's 76 for five over was one too many.
The big disappointment was the 16-year-old Rory McIlroy who, after Thursday's 71, soared to an 81 yesterday to miss out.
Irish qualifiers: 141 Paul McGinley. 143 Colm Moriarty. 145 Gary Murphy, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Peter Lawrie. 146 Jimmy Bolger. 148 David Higgins.
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