Fox keeps his head to stay on course

Noel Fox has already claimed the East of Ireland and the Irish Amateur Open this season and yesterday at Royal Portrush nudged closer to a triumvirate of championships in one season by reaching the semi-finals of the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Close.

If he does succeed, Fox will not soon forget the travails of Portrush. By his own admission, maintaining a rhythmic swing has proved a constant struggle and he has seldom felt comfortable this week.

But his mental resilience and a largely immaculate short game has rescued him from the precipice on a couple of occasions.

His facility to veer alarmingly between the sublime and the sloppy guarantees decent entertainment for those who choose to follow the Portmarnock golfer. In the morning, he conjured his finest round of the week in securing a 2 and 1 victory over Limerick's Tim Rice. Fox was four under par for the 17 holes, and the unfortunate Rice was left to rue just two poor shots in a high-quality tussle.

In the afternoon, Fox faced Tandragee's Stuart Paul, the latter having earlier beaten UCD's Justin Kehoe 4 and 3. The Walker Cup panellist produced a flop shot of "Mickelsonesque" quality from heavy rough to four feet for an unlikely par and win on the 15th: his opponent took three to get down from the back of the green and this put Fox two up.

Paul responded with great character at the 16th, holing from 25 feet for birdie. When Fox missed from eight feet, the deficit was down to one.

At the 17th, Paul was in trouble from the tee, but his par five would suffice after his opponent's shank from the middle of the fairway put him in trouble.

The 18th was halved in bogey fives. Paul took three to get down from a greenside bunker while Fox was punished by ridiculously severe rough four paces from the putting surface after his second shot had come to rest pin high. He was forced to pitch out sideways, but two putted from 35 feet, the second a particularly smooth seven-footer.

The 19th was something of an anti-climax, with Paul's three putt from 30 feet handing the match to his opponent.

Fox will face Graeme McDowell (20), in the semi-final. The Rathmore golfer accounted first for Colm Moriarty and then experienced Irish international Adrian Morrow. The University of Alabama first year has been in superb form recently, illustrated by his victory in the Leinster Youths Championship last week.

In the other semi-final, Andrew McCormick was rarely troubled in dismissing first David Jones (5 and 4) and then Michael Sinclair (4 and 3). The Scrabo golfer enjoyed an eagle and two birdies in a very composed afternoon destruction of fellow international Sinclair.

His opponent is Dundalk's Danny Coyle, who enjoyed superb victories over Michael Hoey and Stephen Browne. The latter match proved something of a marathon, taking five-and-a-half hours before Coyle prevailed at the 20th with a birdie four.