Castle Golf Club’s Robert Moran looks determined to score a big win sooner or later and took another giant step in that direction on Saturday at the Lytham Trophy.

The Dubliner, who was beaten in a playoff by Peter O’Keeffe for last year’s Irish Close title at Tullamore, opened with a 68 that included six birdies (first, fourth, seventh, eighth, 12th and 13th, a bogey at the sixth a triple-bogey seven at the 18th to trail Matthew McClean by two strokes.

Then in yesterday’s second round, Moran mixed birdies at the seventh, eighth, 13th and 16th with bogeys at the 11th and 17th to lead The Berkshire's John Gough by one stroke on four-under.

Moran won the Munster and Ulster strokeplay titles last year but this is a step up in class and he certainly has the game to pull it off on one of golf’s most stringent strokeplay tests.

Gough, whose father hails from Co Meath, won the Copa S.M. El Rey at Sherry Golf in March, beating Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley on the 20th in the quarter-finals before defeating Norway’s Michael Alexander Mjaaseth 6&5 in the 36-hole final.

Playing out of The Berkshire, he added a 70 to his opening 67 to sit alone in second on three-under with English compatriot Ben Quinney from Kingshill Golf Club in Kent two shots further back on one-under after a 67.

Scotland’s Connor Rochon is level par after two 70s with Dundalk’s Eoin Murphy in a four-way tie for fifth on one-over after rounds of 68 and 73.

Overnight leader McClean followed his 66 with a 77 to share 14th on three-over with Forrest Little's Jack McDonnell 20th on five-over after a 73 and Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly 27th on six-over after a 75.

The cut for the top 40 and ties fell at seven-over 147 which meant disappointment for several members of Ireland’s high-performance panel with Hugh Foley missing out by a shot after rounds of 73 and 75 and West of Ireland runner-up Liam Nolan two shots off the pace after recovering from a 77 with a 72.

There are 36 holes today and In the event of a tie after 72 holes, the competitors who tie will determine the winner by playing holes 1, 2 and 18 in a stroke play format.

If a tie still exists then a sudden death play-off will take place over these same holes. The play-off will commence immediately after the last players have completed the final round.

Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham & St Annes (Par 70)

Detailed scores

1 Robert Moran 4 10:26 AM 68 68 136

T5 Eoin Murphy +1 10:02 AM 68 73 141

T14 Matthew McClean +3 9:30 AM 66 77 143

T20 Jack McDonnell +5 8:58 AM 72 73 145

T27 Richard Knightly +6 8:10 AM 71 75 146

CUT Hugh Foley +8 73 75

CUT Liam Nolan +9 77 72

CUT Patrick Keeling +10 76 74

CUT Marc Boucher +10 75 75

CUT Thomas Higgins +11 76 75

CUT Alan Fahy +12 77 75

CUT David Kitt +13 75 78

CUT TJ Ford +14 80 74

CUT Aidan Dooley +15 80 75

CUT John Cleary +15 75 80

CUT Aaron Marshall +17 76 81

CUT David Shiel +22 81 81