It wasn’t the low round that he promised – but in any case it was enough to give Peter O’Keeffe the lead going into tomorrow’s final round of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open.

O’Keeffe started quickly with an eagle on the opening par five, but he gave the two shots back before the turn and started the second nine level for his round.  It was an interesting back nine for all of the leading contenders.  England’s Sean Towndrow took a two shot lead on the 16th thanks to an eagle on the short par four, but two doubles followed and he closed on a 77 and +3 for the tournament.  Christopher McClean was level with O’Keeffe after 15, but bogies on the 16th & 18th saw him drop down also.

O’Keeffe continued his pattern of steady golf with the odd birdie or bogey balancing each other out.  In the end only himself and Robin Dawson (T7) could match par on the closing three holes.  That was enough for two over par 73 on day three, and surprisingly enough that see’s him with a one shot lead over Christopher McClean.  O’Keeffe (L) will be joined by Mc Clean (+1) and Marc Norton (+2) in tomorrow’s final group which tees off at 11.12.

John Murphy saw the wheels come off his round from the start, he took an 8 on the opening hole – in stark contrast to his playing partner O’Keeffe who had a 3.  Murphy’s luck didn’t change, he turned on 42 strokes (+7) and although he steadied on the back nine (+2) the damage was done.  Murphy is now tied for 30th place but will have another chance on the RCD links tomorrow as he made the 54 hole cut for the top 50.
FLOGAS IRISH AMATEUR OPEN
At Royal County Down
Round Three Scores

213 P O’Keeffe (Douglas), 70, 70, 73
214 C MacLean (Balmore ), 73, 67, 74
215 M Norton (Belvoir Park), 72, 68, 75; M Jordan (Royal Liverpool ), 68, 74, 73
216 C Howie (Peebles), 73, 71, 72; S Towndrow (Southport & Ainsdale), 69, 70, 77
217 R Dawson (Tramore), 71, 75, 71; H Bernard (Laval Sur-le-Lac), 71, 71, 75; J Fox (Portmarnock), 70, 72, 75; T Sloman (Taunton & Pickeridge), 69, 74, 74
218 C Syme (Drumoig ), 74, 71, 73; J Freiburghaus (Domat/Ems), 72, 73, 73; A Venter (Silverlakes), 72, 71, 75; J Hilleard (Farrington Park), 71, 74, 73
219 J Glenn (Brancepeth Castle ), 75, 70, 74; M Schmitt (Rheinhessen), 74, 68, 77; S Bleakley (Shandon Park), 73, 76, 70; J Bolton (Ogbourne Downs), 73, 73, 73; D Boote (Walton Heath), 73, 72, 74; C Consul (Duesseldorfer ), 72, 72, 75; A Gleeson (Castle), 72, 69, 78; C Fairweather (Knock), 71, 76, 72; K McClatchie (Serengeti ), 68, 71, 80
220 S Hagestad (Deepdale ), 73, 71, 76; E McIntosh (Turnhouse ), 71, 71, 78; G Bloor (Cavendish), 71, 70, 79; L Johnston (Dumfries and County), 70, 74, 76; G Petrozzi (Trentham), 69, 75, 76; N Poppleton (Wath), 67, 76, 77
221 M Waite (Filton ), 76, 73, 72; C Strickland (Ham Manor), 76, 70, 75; J Murphy (Kinsale), 75, 66, 80; T Vahlenkamp (Berliner Stolper Heide), 74, 77, 70; J McMahon (Wallasey), 73, 76, 72; G Frimodt (Odense Eventyr ), 72, 73, 76; G Rank (Elmira ), 72, 71, 78; E McCormack (Galway Bay), 71, 75, 75; L Shepherd (Rye ), 71, 75, 75
222 T Gandy (Rowany ), 76, 74, 72; M Schmid (Herzogenaurach), 75, 73, 74; D Dougan (Drumpelier ), 74, 76, 72; G Lenehan (Portmarnock), 74, 72, 76; R Brazill (Naas), 74, 71, 77; S Broholt Lind (Odder Gol), 72, 74, 76; C O’Rourke (Naas), 72, 72, 78
223 C Campbell (Warrenpoint), 79, 73, 71; S Gregory (Corhampton ), 75, 75, 73; M Power (Kilkenny), 75, 74, 74; C Long (Burton ), 75, 74, 74; J Nicholas (Westchester Country Club), 74, 75, 74; R Geissler (St. Leon-Rot), 72, 78, 73

NON QUALIFIERS
224 B Jones (Northamptonshire county ), 77, 74, 73; N Crawford (Mourne), 76, 73, 75; T Randolph (Arcola), 73, 70, 81; J Skov Olesen (Naestved), 72, 76, 76; L Brown (Muriwai ), 72, 73, 79; T Plumb (Sherborne ), 71, 76, 77
225 J Sundborg (Shanklin & Sandown ), 78, 76, 71; G McDermott (Carton House), 77, 73, 75; M Saulez (Durban), 76, 70, 79; J Pierse (Portmarnock), 74, 74, 77; T Harris (Castletown), 73, 78, 74; J Galbraith (Whitehead), 73, 75, 77; J Wilson (Balmore ), 72, 76, 77; O Percy-Smith (Furesø), 72, 75, 78; J Lyons (Galway), 70, 79, 76; B Gill (Lindrick ), 70, 74, 81
226 S Carter (The Royal Dublin), 75, 74, 77; S Coulter (Warrenpoint), 75, 73, 78; T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown), 75, 72, 79; G Lappin (Belvoir Park), 73, 75, 78; C Ross (Kirkhill ), 73, 72, 81; L Matthews (Southerndown ), 72, 76, 78; C Raymond (Newlands), 72, 72, 82; J McDonnell (Forrest Little), 69, 79, 78
227 T Dolan (Heswall ), 80, 79, 68; E Leonard (Wentworth), 79, 70, 78; M Ryan (New Ross), 78, 72, 77; R Pierse (Grange), 77, 75, 75; B Chamberlain (Padeswood and Buckley ), 76, 78, 73; A McCormack (Castletroy), 76, 73, 78; E Griffith (Conwy), 74, 71, 82; C Thornton (), 73, 79, 75; H Young-alls (Notts ), 73, 79, 75
228 R Dutton (Tandragee), 77, 77, 74; H Goddard (Hanbury Manor), 76, 72, 80; C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), 75, 78, 75; L Donnelly (Kilkenny), 74, 78, 76; I O’Rourke (The Royal Dublin), 74, 75, 79; M Nolan (Delgany), 74, 74, 80; D Goldstein (Noyac ), 73, 78, 77; C Rafferty (Dundalk), 72, 74, 82; H Byers (Walton Heath ), 71, 74, 83; R Foley (Lausanne ), 70, 77, 81
229 A Harper (Bolton OldLinks ), 76, 73, 80; P Coughlan (Moate), 75, 75, 79; A Hickey (Ballyhaunis), 73, 78, 78; M Morrissey (Co. Sligo), 71, 81, 77
230 T Beasley (Hunstanton), 79, 74, 77; A Grant (Dundalk), 78, 73, 79; J Hapgood (Southerndown), 77, 80, 73; M Zillekens (Niederrheinischer), 77, 76, 77; G Collins (Rosslare), 76, 79, 75; J Stokes (La Moye), 76, 77, 77; C Farr (Priors Hall), 73, 73, 84; T O’Connor (Athlone), 72, 73, 85
231 S Hamilton (Notts), 80, 74, 77; B Dietzel (Essen-Heidhausen), 80, 73, 78; R Haije (Goyer ), 76, 82, 73; K LeBlanc (The Island), 75, 75, 81; C Unger (St. Leon-Rot), 73, 75, 83; A James (Laval Sur-le-Lac), 71, 72, 88
232 J Sugrue (Mallow), 80, 75, 77; R Neergaard-Petersen (Furesø), 80, 71, 81; J Brady (Rosslare), 77, 82, 73; M Howard (The Royal Birkdale ), 76, 77, 79
233 J Seaman (Wrag Barn), 76, 78, 79; J Long (Lansdown), 76, 76, 81; J Burnage (Saunton ), 75, 84, 74; C Boon (Oubaai), 75, 78, 80; W Small (Tandragee), 75, 72, 86; M Harris (St Mellons), 72, 81, 80
234 G Dunne (Co. Louth), 77, 77, 80; T Collins (Dun Laoghaire), 76, 78, 80
235 B Komline (Black Oak ), 82, 76, 77; J Whelan (Newlands), 80, 75, 80; A McDougall (Elderslie ), 79, 74, 82; K Harman (Southerndown ), 77, 76, 82
236 N Bachem (Marienburger), 78, 70, 88; D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown), 77, 78, 81; T Cline (The Tuxedo), 76, 77, 83
237 M Hutson (Muriwai ), 80, 76, 81; C Butler (Kinsale), 77, 77, 83
238 H Foley (The Royal Dublin), 81, 73, 84; R Moran (Castle), 80, 79, 79; T McLarnon (Massereene), 79, 79, 80; M Reid (Galgorm Castle), 78, 84, 76
241 T Junak (GC Main-Taunus), 81, 78, 82
243 J Trinder (Pymble ), 82, 80, 81
WD W Russell (Clandeboye), 76, WD; B Best (Rathmore), 77, WD
NS D Brophy (Castleknock), 78, 83
WD M Boegel (St. Leon- Rot), 79, WD
DQ S Ryan (The Royal Dublin)