Amateur golf often has the best stories and in the final group of the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship in Dun Laoghaire there are three possible narratives that could play out on what promises to be a thrilling closing 36-holes.
Seventeen-year-old Seán Keeling, will take a four shot lead into the final 36 holes after a second round of 69 saw him rise to nine-under-par and break free of the chasing pack.
Keeling has long been tipped for stardom and with an Irish Boys title and Junior Ryder Cup win on his CV he has had plenty of big moments, but Sunday will represent his first genuine chance to lift a maiden men’s title since he saw a five-shot 54-hole shot lead disappear at the Brabazon Trophy last year aged just 16.
Refusing to let go of his coattails are nineteen-year-old Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) who is in unchartered territory at this level, while Brian Doran (Millicent), is the in-form player in the country aiming to continue his dream summer and clinch one of Ireland’s big six.
Doran is just 28-years-old himself but the Pfizer worker admits he will feel like the elder statesman against the two young guns.
Both Abom and Doran carded rounds of 73 and 70 respectively to stay in touch with Keeling as the Roganstown star threatened to disappear over the horizon on more than one occasion on Saturday after a birdie on 12 and eagle on 17 took him to nine-under and out in 33.
“Hit a great drive on 17, had 240, flagged four-iron to maybe 20 feet and rolled it in so that was a nice way to finish my front nine off.
“I’m happy with how I played today. My short game was really good, made a few up and downs especially on my back nine so happy enough.”
Keeling was 27 holes without a bogey before three-putting the 2nd but he followed that up with birdies on 5 and 7 either side of a dropped shot on the 6th and he was pleased with how he has limited his mistakes through 36 holes.
“That’s something I’ve been trying to cut out this year, making less mistakes, it was nice to play a good bit of golf without bogeys and it was down to any time I did miss greens my short game was there and I wasn’t missing too many greens so it was just overall very solid.”
While Keeling has limited the big numbers, Maynooth University student Abom endured a rollercoaster second round where he mixed just six pars with seven birdies and three double bogeys.
It’s very rare that you bookend a round with double bogeys and are still in contention heading into the final day. That’s the case for Abom who was in dreamland after he co-led overnight with a 66 but he was snapped back into reality with an opening double.
To his credit, he rallied with three birdies in a row from the fifth although he closed his front nine out with two bogeys.
The youngster rallied again with three successive birdies from the 12th but two double bogeys and a birdie in his last four holes summed up the volatility in his round but upon reflection, he was content with how he hung in after a horror start.
“I’m very happy, started off with a double it woke me up, I was in dreamland after yesterday’s round so I was happy with how I handled myself and got back in it. Doubles on the back nine but I was still resilient.
“The double at the start you’re like how did that happen, but to come back I showed myself that I can respond from tough situations. The double on the last but no reason why I can’t start birdie, birdie tomorrow.”
The third leg of this trilogy is of course the man of the moment, Doran.
The Millicent man came out of nowhere to finish runner-up at the South before winning the Mullingar Scratch Trophy in style a fortnight ago and his trusty PING putter was like a wand as he kept himself alive with crucial pars on his front nine and three successive birdies on the back which catapulted him into the final group.
The new Scotty Cameron putter he bought himself will remain in the boot of the car for now.
“The front nine was eventful, I don’t know how I turned level par to be honest, sort of found my groove on the back nine and rolled in a few birdies and take that into tomorrow,” he said.
“Looking at Sean the last 36 holes I realised a lot of things about my own game! He’s a quality player and when he rolled in the eagle I made a nice birdie myself and I just laughed because he rolled in the eagle after. He set the pace alright!”
Looking to rip up the script will be Slieve Russell’s Shane McDermott who carded a morning round of 73 to fall back to four-under but only five shots off the pace ahead of a marathon Sunday.
Hugh Foley, Gerard Dunne and local member Richard Sykes are a shot further back while TJ Ford, Colm Campbell and Aodhagan Brady are all two-under after joint low rounds of 69.