Fox takes three shot lead at Irish Amateur Open

Portmarnock's Noel Fox hit a two under par 70 to take a three shot lead into the final two rounds of the AIB Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

The 29 year old Dubliner had two birdies, two eagles and four bogeys in a roller coaster round to lead the field on six under par.

Fox had to survive a front nine charge by Welshman Manley who scorched to the turn in 29 - six under par.

The 24 year old birdied the first, second, fifth and eighth and had an eagle two at the 369-yard seventh where holed a 60-yard pitch.

Leading by two at the turn, Manley dropped a stroke at the 10th and then he ran up a triple bogey seven at the 13th where he drove out of bounds.

Fox was one clear after that and birdied at the 15th and had an eagle two at the 267 yard 16th where he drilled a driver to just three feet before three putting for bogey at the last.

AIB Irish Amateur Open, Royal Dublin GC, after 36 holes

138 N Fox (Portmarnock) 68 70

141 S Manley (Wales) 71 70

142 A Kruger (South Africa) 72 70

143 J Moul (England) 72 71

144 C Moriarty (Athlone) 74 70

145 L Corfield (England) 77 68, J Donaldson (England) 72 73

146 D Morgan (Mullingar) 73, R Wellington (South Africa) 72 74, J McLeary (Scotland) 72 74

147 M Campbell (Stackstown) 78 69, J Evans (England) 77 70, G Wardlow (Shandon Park) 74 73, R McCarthy (The Island) 74 73

148 N Beggs (South Africa) 79 69, B Bunny (Australia) 78 70, M Sinclair (Knock) 77 71, R Kakko (Finland) 75 73, J Foster (Ballyclare) 75 73, T Cruz (Portugal) 74 74, D Morris (Limerick) 74 74, M Mulryan (Athenry) 73 75, S Moloney (Castletroy) 73 75

149 P Bradshaw (England) 78 71, E Ramsay (Scotland) 76 73, E Vernon (England) 76 73, G Evans (England) 73 76, M McGeady (City of Derry) 73 76

150 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 79 71, H Santos (Portugal) 78 72, M Korhonen (Finland) 76 74, R Leonard (Banbridge) 74 76, E McCormack (Slieve Russell) 73 77, N Edwards (Wales) 72 78

151 M O'Sullivan (Galway) 80 71, D Berry (England) 77 74, F Illouz (France) 76 75

152 J Kehoe (Birr) 80 72, J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin) 79 73, G Hall (Edenderry) 79 73, J Moore (Laytown & Bettystown) 78 74, A Ulivo (Finland) 77 75

Non qualifiers

153 M McDermott (Stackstown) 79 74, M Collins (Sutton) 79 74, V Karhu (Finland) 79 74, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 77 76, K Moore (Douglas Isle of Man) 77 76, N Campino (Portugal) 75 78, P Ring (England) 75 78, A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 74 79, G Bowden (Hermitage) 74 79

154 R Boal (Scrabo) 81 73, B McElhinney (North West) 80 74, M Ryan (Grange) 78 76, D Gleeson (Old Conna) 78 76, C Montgomery (Malone) 77 77, P Hendriksen (England) 77 77, D Ryan (Grange) 77 77, A McCormick (Scrabo) 76 78, C McNamara (Limerick) 76 78

155 C Martin (Nenagh) 84 71, M Murphy (Waterville) 81 74, P Murray (Limerick) 81 74, R Santos (Portugal) 81 74, R Caldwell (England) 75 80

156 R Cronin (England) 81 75, P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 80 76, R Forsythe (Hilton Templepatrick) 80 76, L Harpin (Wales) 80 76, S Franklin (Athenry) 79 77, C Housden (England) 79 77, A Dowling (Hermitage) 78 78, S Wallace (Scotland) 78 78, F Flynn (L'town & B'town) 77 79, H Hanley (Grange) 77 79, S McParland (Greenore) 77 79

157 B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 83 74, L Ryan (Stackstown) 81 76, J Cunliffe (South Africa) 80 77, G Massey (Hermitage) 76 81

158 T Kogler (Austria) 81 77, J McGinn (Greenore) 81 77, K Bornemann (Douglas) 80 78

159 G O'Flaherty (Cork) 82 77, T Sundstrom (Finland) 81 78, G Lynas (Shandon Park) 80 79, A Morrow (Portmarnock) 79 80, F Whelan (L'town & B'town) 79 80, L Owens (Royal Dublin) 79 80

160 P Spargo (Australia) 85 75, C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 81 79, T Laitto (Finland) 81 79, K Canty (Douglas) 81 79, P Erofeieff (Finland) 80 80

161 D Moran (The Island) 84 77, C Conaty (Royal Dublin) 83 78, A Smith (The Island) 83 78, J Lyons (Galway) 82 79, S McVey (Banbridge) 81 80, P Relecom (Belgium) 80 81

162 S Crowe (Dunmurry) 83 79, N Lavin (Royal Dublin) 79 83, S Caul (Malahide) 78 84, A McAllister (Portmarnock) 78 84

163 T O'Mahony (Mallow) 85 78, P Purdy (Shandon Park) 82 81

164 W Fox (England) 86 78, N Vowles (England) 82 82

165 R Maher (Nenagh) 87 78, P Roos (Finland) 87 78, P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin) 85 80, D Rawluk (The Island) 81 84

167 D Dunne (Royal Dublin) 82 85

168 R Williams (Baltinglass) 83 85, E Barton (Grange) 83 85

172 B Ugeux (USA) 80 92

NR  B Christie (Skerries)

WD  J Mooney (Laytown & Bettystown)

Draw for rounds 3 and 4

(07:30/12:30) - Ulivo, Moore, Hall;

(07:39/12:39) - Hutchinson, Kehoe, Illouz;

(07:48/12:48) - Berry, O'Sullivan, Edwards;

(07:57/12:57) - McCormack, Leonard, Korhonen;

(08:06/13.06) - Santos, Crowe, McGeady;

(08:15/13.15) - Evans, Vernon, Ramsay;

(08:24/13.24) - Bradshaw, Moloney, Mulryan;

(08:33/13.33) - Morris, T Cruz, Foster;

(08:42/13.42) - Kakko, Sinclair, Bunny;

(08:51/13.51) - Beggs, McCarthy, Wardlow;

(09:00/14.00) - Evans, Campbell, McLeary;

(09:09/14.09) - Wellington, Morgan, Donaldson

(09:18/14.18) - Corfield, Moriarty, Moul;

(09:27/14.27) - Kruger, Manley, Fox.