North Golf: Mark Campbell is on course for a championship double after reaching this morning's semi-finals in the Magners North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

The Stackstown man won the East title earlier this season. The plus-two Dubliner beat Ballyliffin player Thomas Kearney and then Joe Crangle yesterday to make the last four for the first time.

He went five-up at the turn on Belfast's Crangle, with four wins in a row from the fifth hole but the Fortwilliam member hit back, with only two separating the pair after 14 holes. Campbell wrapped up victory with a birdie three at the 16th. "My game is not as good as I'd like but it has been getting better all week and it has got me to the semi-finals here for the first time," said the 24-year-old.

On a day when defending champion Brian McElhinney was defeated by Downpatrick's Barry Fitzsimmons, Massereene scratch player Trevor Coulter became the giant-killer. He first dismissed senior international Darren Crowe on the home green and then carved out a 2 and 1 win over Bandon teenager Kevin McGarry to book his place in this morning's semi-finals against Richard Kilpatrick.

Against Crowe he levelled the argument with a par at the 12th hole but, after losing the 15th, had to square the battle again at 16, where a five-foot putt was conceded to him. He then won on the home green. Both were in sand, with the Massereene man getting up and down.

The 19-year-old McGarry was favourite to reach the semi-finals but Coulter eventually ground him down. Once more Coulter had to come from behind over the closing holes and clinched the match at the long 17th, where he holed from eight feet, with McGarry missing from six.

Fitzsimmons ended McElhinney's reign with a one-hole third-round victory. McElhinney was in a fairway bunker and 25 feet from the flag in three with the Downpatrick player only three feet away. The holder brushed the hole with his fine effort but Fitzsimmons slotted home his putt for victory.

The scratch 20-year-old took Kilpatrick to the 19th hole in the quarter-finals but the Banbridge international sneaked through to the semis with par five after being pin high. He lagged the putt stiff as Fitzsimmons was over the back, then his putt ran 15 feet past and he was 10 feet short in four. Fitzpatrick carved out his third 5 and 4 victory in the morning when he dismissed international colleague Mark O'Sullivan,

Rory Leonard pushed out local hope John Turner by 3 and 2 after going par-birdie-birdie-birdie from the seventh hole to shoot three-up. He lost the 12th to par but won the 13th in par with a drive and six iron to the green. The next three holes were halved in regulation.