Staunton surges into contention

As Mark Staunton (above) stormed up the leader board on the back nine, during yesterday’s third round in the Cassidy Golf Irish PGA Championship, at Roganstown, Michael McDermott came tumbling down with the two players colliding at six-under-par 207 and sharing the lead, going into today’s final action.

Over the front nine yesterday, McDermott, who set a course record 65 in his opening salvo on Thursday, skated to a tournament nine-under with a quad of birdies from the second hole and he pencilled in another at the long 10th to be well clear of the field but then the wheels came off.

The Leopardstown player bogeyed 14 and 16 and lost two strokes at the last for a round of 69 and a total of 207.

Meanwhile, Ballinasloe pro Staunton produced steady stuff to cover the outward run in regulation 35 and then turned on the powerplay on the way home. Birdies at 10 and 11 sent him to six under and he swapped bogey five at 13 for birdie four at 18 to leap into a share of the overnight lead with McDermott.

Three players are biting at the heels of the leaders with Damian Mooney, Cian McNamara and Michael McGeady sharing 208, just a stroke back.

Mooney began the day at level 142 but sparkled with birdies at three, four, seven and eight for a four-under-31 to the turn. He added other birdies at 10 and 18 but dropped a shot at 17 for a round of 66, the best of the day.

McNamara also sped up the leaderboard with a four-birdie, one-bogey 68 while McGeady made it a threesome, one stroke behind the leaders, with a three-birdie, two-bogey 70.

A shootout today to decide the title, vacated by 2012 winner David Higgins, looks a distinct possibility.

History-maker Hazel Kavanagh (Carr Golf Services), the first woman to make the cut, kept the female flag flying high as she posted a one-over-par 72, yesterday, to move up the leader board, after making the cut on the margin on Friday evening.

Her score would have been much better yesterday, too, had she not pencilled in a triple-bogey six at the ninth hole. She birdied the par four third and long holes 10 and 18 but also dropped a shot at par four 11 to card a one-over-72, leaving her at 11-over after 54 holes.