McDermott grinds out another fine round

The wailing wall they call the scoreboard was full of budding tour pros complaining about the stiffness of the examination.

But there wasn’t a peep out of Co Sligo’s Gary McDermott, who simply got on with the job of grinding out a score to take a two-stroke lead in the last two rounds of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

As many of his peers complained about what they considered the unfairness of the course in a stiff southerly crosswind that gusted to 30 mph at times, the former international birdied the 16th and 17th to add a one under 71 to his opening 69 to lead two strokes from Scotland’s Jamie Savage (68) and the Isle of Man’s Tom Gandy (71) on four under 140.

McDermott bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 14th but hit a wedge to 15 feet at the 16th and a seven iron to 10 feet at the 17th, converting both chance for birdies.

“Anytime you are better to par around Royal Dublin, any sort of day, you are walking off with a smile on your face,” said McDermott, who now plays out of Carton House.

“I just dug deep and managed to hit a couple of good shots at the end that added a bit of a gloss to the round.”

Refusing to look too far ahead, he added: “It is two rounds of golf. That’s all. Two good rounds. The clock starts again tomorrow and we will just try and grind something out again.”

Even 17-year old South African Thriston Lawrence, winner of last year’s Lytham Trophy, was delighted to get the chance to gain experience as he looks to a future in the professional ranks.

“If you can do well in these conditions then there is no wind you will find on the tour in the future that will be any tougher,” said Lawrence, who had five birdies and three bogeys in a 70 to share third place with Scotland’s Alexander Culverwell (73) on one under par. “It is great preparation for the future.”

While officials moved up 13 tees, reducing the course by 404 yards to 6,893 yards, just eight players in the 120-strong field broke par with the field averaging 77.1.

Glaswegian Savage (19) threatened to tear the course apart when he raced to six under through 16 holes but finished with two bogeys for a best of the week 68 as Gandy played the last eight holes in three under for a fine 71.

Irish Close champion Cormac Sharvin from Ardglass made four birdies in his first six holes and shot 70 to share sixth on level par 144 with West of Ireland champion Jack Hume of Naas, who shot a second successive 72.