County Louth’s Thomas Mulligan and Royal Portrush’s Peter Kerr were the only Irish qualifiers for Thursday’s matchplay stages of the British Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale and Southport and Ainsdale.

Mulligan followed a two under 70 at Royal Birkdale with a one over 72 at Southport and Ainsdale to qualify in sixth place on one under par, five shots behind England’s Bradley Moore who led the qualifiers by following up an opening seven-under-par 65 with a one-over 72 at Birkdale.

The England boys’ international, 17, finished three shots clear of Scots Calum Fyfe and Murray Naysmith and Denmark’s Christoffer Bring.

Kerr opened with a level par 72 at Southport and Ainsdale before adding a 75 at Royal Birkdale to qualify in 30th place on four over.

The cut fell on six-over-par among those to miss out were Ireland’s Rory Williamson and Conor Purcell, who both finished tied fourth at the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship in June.

Mulligan now faces Scotland’s Will Porter with Kerr drawn against Spain’s Angel Hidalgo Portillo.

British Boys Championship, Royal Birkdale

Match Play draw

Selected qualifiers - strokeplay results

• 1 MOORE, Bradley Kedleston Park -6 65 72 137
• 2 NAYSMITH, Murray Marriott Dalmahoy -3 71 69 140
• 3 BRING, Christoffer Denmark -3 71 69 140
• 4 FYFE, Calum Cawder -3 73 67 140 
• 5 DE LANGE, Keegan South Africa -2 69 72 141
• 6 MULLIGAN, Thomas County Louth -1 70 72 142
• 7 THURLOWAY, Thomas Mannings Heath Par 75 68 143
• 8 NEVIN-WHARTON, Rhys Sandiway Par 73 70 143
• 9 BRIGGS, Toby Dunston Hall +1 72 72 144
• 10 FARR, Callum Priors Hall +1 72 72 144
• 30 KERR, Peter Royal Portrush +4 72 75 147

Non-qualifiers

• 99 WILLIAMSON, Rory Holywood +8 76 75 151
• 107 BOUCHER, Marc Carton House +9 75 77 152 
• 137 NORTON, Marc Belvoir Park +11 76 78 154
• 162 PURCELL, Conor Portmarnock +13 79 77 156
• 165 BRADY, David County Sligo +13 77 79 156
• 226 LEONARD, Eoin Wentworth +20 77 86 163