Sharvin top Close qualifier
Added to his opening round of 70, the Sport Studies student at the University of Stirling, finished the 36 holes on 136, one shot ahead of Tuam’s Damien Coyne to lead the top 64 players into matchplay.
“I am feeling good, my game is in great shape” Sharvin declared. “I have barely missed a shot for two days. I holed a few putts this afternoon; that was the difference from the previous day. ”
Tuam’s Damien Coyne, who shot an eight-under par 64 on Saturday, missed out on the top spot by one stroke after his second round of 73 left him on 137 while Naas teenager Jack Hume, who agonisingly faded at the finish of the Irish Amateur Open last month, ended stroke play qualifying on 138.
* Holland’s Joost Luiten shrugged off a shaky start and a one-hour weather delay to claim his second European Tour title in the Lyoness Open in Austria yesterday.
Luiten carded a closing 71 at Diamond Country Club to finish 17 under par and win by two shots from Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, who birdied the 18th to claim outright second ahead of China’s Liang Wen-chong and France’s Romain Wattel.
* Irish pair Reeve Whitson and Dermot McElroy warmed up for next week’s Amateur Championship with solid performances in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Whitson, from Mourne, shot a 73 yesterday for a one over par 289 which gave him a share of 12th spot.
That meant he finished seven strokes adrift of English international Neil Raymond who carried off the trophy with two strokes to spare.
Mcelroy, from Ballymena, posted a 75 yesterday for a 292 aggregate and a share of 20th place.
