By Brian Keogh

Red-hot Aussie Stewart Ginn celebrated his 58th birthday in style by taking a two stroke lead into the final round of the AIB Irish Seniors Open.

The Melbourne man fired a one under par 71 in tough conditions at Palmerstown House to lead on six under par from former Ryder Cup ace Costantino Rocca and American left-hander Doug Johnson.

Beaten by Sam Torrance in a four-man play-off last year, Ginn planned a low key birthday celebration last night as he prepared to chase his first senior win in Europe.

He said: "I'll limit myself to a cafe latte and a glass of red. I can't afford to do any celebrating yet.

"My wife is Malaysian and when I called her this morning she was celebrating for me with cocktails by the pool."

Rocca and Johnson also carded 71s to get to four under with former K Club pro Peter O'Hagan the best of the home brigade on one under par after a 71.

Defending champion Torrance crashed seven behind after a 74 with Denis O'Sullivan (74) and Eamonn Darcy (77) well off the pace.

Leaderboard
138 S Ginn (Aus) 67 71.
140 C Rocca (Ita) 69 71, D Johnson (USA) 69 71.
141 J Quiros (Spa) 73 68, K Spurgeon (Eng) 71 70.
142 D Merriman (Aus) 72 70,
143 P O'HAGAN (Ire) 72 71, G Levenson (Rsa) 68 75.
144 D Good (Aus) 73 71, A Garrido (Spa) 73 71, J Bland (Rsa) 71 73, H
Carbonetti (Arg) 71 73, A Tapie (USA) 69 75.
145 A Fernandez (Chi) 74 71, T Allen (Eng) 73 72, G Encina (Chi) 72 73, S
Torrance (Sco) 71 74.
146 B Cameron (Eng) 74 72, M Gray (Sco) 74 72, C Mason (Eng) 73 73, T Gale
(Aus) 73 73, B Lincoln (Rsa) 73 73.
147 D Cambridge (Jam) 77 70, G Cali (Ita) 75 72, D O'SULLIVAN (Ire) 74 73,
T Johnstone (Zim) 73 74, L Carbonetti (Arg) 73 74, N Job (Eng) 73 74, G Ralph (Eng) 73 74.
148 J Rivero (Spa) 75 73, S Owen (Nzl) 75 73, G Watine (Fra) 74 74, R
Drummond (Sco) 74 74, E DARCY (Ire) 71 77, J Chillas (Sco) 71 77.
149 T Horton (Eng) 75 74, M Clayton (Aus) 72 77, B Longmuir (Sco) 72 77, G
J Brand (Eng) 70 79.
150 M Miller (Sco) 73 77, J HEGGARTY (Ire) 72 78, A Sowa (Arg) 72 78, P
Oakley (USA) 71 79.
151 D Durnian (Eng) 77 74, B Smit (Rsa) 76 75, E Rodriguez (Spa) 75 76, P
Teravainen (USA) 75 76, L HIGGINS (Ire) 74 77, P Dugeny (Fra) 73 78, R Carrasco (USA) 73 78, D Creamer (Eng) 71 80.
152 A MORROW (Ire, am) 74 78, M Pinero (Spa) 74 78, I Mosey (Eng) 73 79, P
LEONARD (Ire) 72 80.
153 V Garcia (Spa) 79 74, M Ferguson (Aus) 79 74, M Bembridge (Eng) 77 76,
T Charnely (Eng) 76 77, B Larratt (Eng) 76 77, S Martin (Sco) 75 78, J Rhodes (Eng) 75 78, B Heuchan (Can) 73 80.
154 N Ratcliffe (Aus) 75 79.
155 J Lapsley (Nzl) 78 77, J Mashego (Rsa) 76 79, T Rastall (Eng) 75 80, J
Hawkes (Rsa) 74 81, D J Russell (Eng) 74 81.
156 L MacNAMARA (Ire, am) 77 79.
158 E POLLAND (Ire) 79 79, M Poxon (Eng) 79 79.
159 B Shearer (Aus) 80 79.
167 J Benda (USA) 82 85.
168 D MORRIS (Ire, am) 89 79.