Irish trio stay in Spanish Open hunt

PAUL DUNNE and Alan Dunbar held their nerve in Barcelona yesterday to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Spanish Men’s Open Amateur Championship with a stroke to spare.

Dunne posted a 76 to add to his opening 75 and Dunbar added a 77 to his 74 on a day when scores generally were higher than on the opening day.

Dermot McElroy, the Irish Boys’ champion from Ballymena made it by the skin of his teeth, compiling a second successive 76. But there was bitter disappointment for Portstewart’s Paul Cutler, while Luke Lennox, Chris Selfridge and Richard O’Donovan also missed out.