Caldwell leads at Baltray

Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell found his putting touch to lead at the halfway stage in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.

The former University of South Alabama student, birdied the last three holes to card a four under under par 68 and lead by four strokes on seven under par from Scrabo's Ryan Boal.

The talented Antrim player, who turns 22 at the end of the week, is hoping to remain at the top having failed to do so when leading the Irish Amateur Open at the same stage last month.

Caldwell changed his putter at the start of the week and took full advantage by following a birdie at the 16th with 20 foot efforts at the 17th and 18th.

"There is a long to go but I am pleased with how I am playing,” he said.

“My ball striking has been very good and I've managed to hole a few putts. You've no excuse for missing them because the greens here are superb."

Boal hit a 71 to get to three under par with Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs alone in third on two under par, also after a 71.

Ulstermen Darren Crowe and Alastair McKinley are the next best on one under par after rounds of 74 and 71 while overnight leader Hugo Leon of Chile crashed to a 78 after a disappointing opening nine.

Defending champion Jim Carvill scraped into the last two rounds on the cut limit of seven over par after a 74 but the biggest casualty of the day was West of Ireland runner up Paul O'Hanlon who followed his opening 70 with an 83 to miss the out by two shots.

Limerick's Pat Murray continued his fine run of form with a two under par 70 that leaves him just seven shots adrift of Caldwell on level par alongside Brendan McCarroll, Ronan Branigan and Esker Hills' Shane Lowry.

West Waterford's Seamus Power could only managed a second successive 73 to trail the leader by nine strokes with Mallow's David Finn a shot further back on three over after a fine 69.

East of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Louth (Par 72) After 36 holes:

Qualifiers

137 J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 69 68

141 R Boal (Scrabo) 70 71

142 E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 71

143 A McKinley (Shandon Park) 72 71, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 69 74

144 P Murray (Limerick) 74 70, B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 73 71, R Branigan (Co. Louth) 73 71, S Lowry (Esker Hills) 71 73

145 M McGinley (Grange) 73 72, C O'Malley (Westport) 71 74, A Glynn (Porters Park (ENG)) 70 75, H Leon (Chile) 67 78

146 D McInerney (Lahinch) 74 72, B O'Connor (Hermitage) 73 73, S

Power (West Waterford) 73 73, G Bowden (Hermitage) 73 73

147 D Finn (Mallow) 78 69, D Morgan (Mullingar) 75 72, A McAllister (Portmarnock) 74 73, G Mallon (North West) 74 73, R Durnin (L'town & B'town) 73 74, C Curley (Newlands) 73 74, N Gorey ( Killeen) 72 75

148 A Pitcher (The Island) 74 74, C Doran (Banbridge) 73 75

149 R Leonard (Banbridge) 77 72, R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 77 72, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 76 73, J Morris (Mullingar) 74 75, M Sinclair (Knock) 73 76, J Somers (L'town & B'town) 73 76, B Reddan (Co Louth) 72 77

150 M Brett (Portmarnock) 80 70, A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 78 72, G Lynas (Shandon Park) 76 74, T Cleary (Cork) 76 74, J McGinn (L'town & B'town) 74 76, J Lyons (Galway) 74 76, D Moran (The Island) 73 77, M Lavelle (Belmullet) 73 77, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 72 78, G Hall (Edenderry) 72 78

151 D Downie (Sutton) 80 71, D Lernihan (UCD) 79 72, D Coyne (Tuam) 78 73, J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 77 74, R McCarthy (The Island) 76 75, N Grant (Knock) 76 75, N Heather (Portmarnock) 75 76,

Non qualifiers

151 F Rafferty (Dungannon) 74 77, R Cannon (L'town & B'town) 73 78

152 T O'Neill (Rathsallagh) 77 75, K O'Neill (Strandhill) 76 76, R Mann (Cairndhu) 76 76, M McEneff (St. Annes) 75 77, J McKinstry (Cairndhu) 74 78, S Ward (Co. Louth) 74 78, D Coyle (Co. Louth) 73 79, K Ritchie (Quailridge, USA) 72 80

153 N O'Briain (Royal Dublin) 80 73, E O'Sullivan (The Island) 80 73, C Hughes (Royal Portrush) 79 74, A Dowling (Hermitage) 77 76, P O'Hara (Kilkenny) 76 77, B Walton (The Island) 76 77, D Lewis (Woodbrook) 75 78, D Ruddy (Thurles) 75 78, D McNamara (Connemara) 74 79, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 74 79, L Morris (Stonebridge, USA) 72 81, G Lawlor (Citywest) 71 82, P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 70 83

154 M Campbell (Stackstown) 80 74, D Beattie (Whitehead) 77 77, R Williams (Baltinglass) 76 78, J Hughes (Douglas) 73 81, S Grant (Birr) 72 82, J Fox (Portmarnock) 72 82

155 R Maher (Nenagh) 81 74, N O'Connor (Elm Park) 79 76, N Goulding (Portmarnock) 79 76, T O'Flynn (Fota Island) 78 77, S Loftus (Ennis) 78 77, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 78 77, E McAnoy (Knock) 77 78, H Boch (Ballybunion) 77 78, G Nugent (Kilkenny) 76 79, D Leathem (Lisburn) 75 80

156 N Beirth (Co. Louth) 80 76, S Shaw (Lisburn) 80 76, D Carroll (Grange) 79 77, A Boyle (Hollystown) 78 78, H Armstrong (Moyola Park) 77 79, A Condren (Greystones) 77 79, M Poucher (Castle) 76 80, K Stack (Dungarvan) 76 80, D McNeill (Ballybofey) 75 81, W McCully (Donaghadee) 74 82

157 D Scully (Galway) 79 78, J Mulready (Castle) 78 79, D Nolan (Delgany) 78 79, S Doherty (Ballyliffin) 77 80, B Campbell (Malone) 77 80, D O'Brien (L'town & B'town) 76 81

158 J Moore (L'town & B'town) 82 76, C Cunningham (Mullingar) 82 76, J McCarthy (R. Waterloo (BELG)) 79 79, J Toner (Woodbrook) 79 79, G McKevitt (Greenore) 78 80, G Kelly (Co. Louth) 78 80, M Reck (Lucan) 78 80, S O'Flaherty (Hermitage) 77 81, D Rawluk (The Island) 74 84, J Timoney (Headfort) 72 86

159 P Connolly (Clontarf) 83 76, G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 78 81, C McAleavey (Banbridge) 77 82, D Boyle (Cruit Island ) 77 82, J Waldron (Muskerry) 77 82, C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 76 83, G Carew (Edenderry) 75 84, P McGibney (Pheasant Run, USA) 74 85

160 J Hughes (Woodbrook) 82 78, J Heaslip (Ballyclare) 80 80, P O'Brien (Lucan) 80 80

161 E Lonergan (Kilcoole) 83 78, D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 81 80, T Kelly (Balcarrick) 80 81, N Armstrong (Clandeboye) 79 82, K Purcell (Dun Laoghaire) 78 83, P Sheehy (Limerick) 78 83, A Harty (West Waterford) 76 85

163 B McSweeney (Woodbrook) 83 80, S Dwyer (Newlands) 81 82, J Brady (Edenderry) 81 82, B Ronan (Co. Louth) 80 83

164 S O'Donnell (Portarlington) 81 83

166 D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 82 84, D Houlihan (K Club) 80 86

170 A McAuley (Ardee) 84 86

NR D Callaghan (Balbriggan) 81 NR, J McDermott (Stackstown) 83 NR, M

King (Athenry) 76 NR, C O'Connor (Corrstown) 78 NR

DQ C Martin (Kilkenny) 77 DQ

WD T McClements (Holywood) 80 WD, R O'Reilly (Headfort) 89 WD, E Kennedy (Strabane) 80 WD, E McCormack (Galway) 76 WD, R Evans ( Moyola Park) 74 WD, P Cowley (Cork) 85 WD, A McCormick (Scrabo) 81 WD

NS M Mulryan (Athenry) 73 NS, M Rowe (Athlone) 83 NS