Golf

South of Ireland: Gathering of champions in last 16 at Lahinch

Cream rises to the top ahead of weekend action at Co Clare links

Irish Amateur Open champion Colm Campbell won through to the last 16 at the South of Ireland in Lahinch. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Irish Amateur Open champion Colm Campbell won through to the last 16 at the South of Ireland in Lahinch. Photograph: Ben Brady/Inpho
Brian Keogh in Lahinch
Fri Jul 22 2022 - 21:28

The cream rose to the top on the first day of match play combat with six “Major” winners through to the last 16 of the Pierse Motors-sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

The leading qualifier, Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill, crashed back to earth following his 10-under 62 on Thursday and lost 3&2 to Westport’s Harry Gillivan in the first round as reigning champion TJ Ford from Co Sligo fell at the 20th to a birdie from Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill.

While the day started in scorching sunshine, it finished in misty rain as Portmarnock’s Seán Flanagan, the 2016 North of Ireland champion, beat Fermoy’s Dean O’Riordan with a birdie on the 22nd in gathering gloom.

Flanagan got up and down from around 90 yards at the 18th for birdie to extend the match before prevailing with a conceded birdie four at the Klondyke.

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He now faces reigning Irish Amateur Open champion Colm Campbell for a place in Saturay’s quarter-finals after the Warrenpoint man edged out Ardee’s Evan Farrell by one hole, then cruised to a 7&6 win over young Alex King from Faithlegg.

The winner will face a tough quarter-final against Dundalk’s Eoin Murphy or North of Ireland champion Hugh Foley from Royal Dublin, who came back from 2-down to beat Roganstown’s Joshua McCabe 2&1.

They are all in the bottom half of the draw, which looks strong with Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy set to face Nenagh’s David Reddan Jnr after he ended O’Neill’s run with a 2-up win.

The winner of that one will take on resurgent Connacht Stroke Play champion Robert Brazill from Naas, a 2&1 winner over David Kitt, or Lahinch’s Aaron McNulty.

A three-handicapper just two years ago, McNulty was four under as he caused a shock by beating 2018 champion Caolan Rafferty by two holes before easing to a 4&3 win over Senior Cup team-mate Stephen Loftus.

In the top half, Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe beat two international team-mates to progress.

After edging out Carton House’s Marc Boucher by two holes, he made five birdies and no mistakes to beat current East of Ireland champion Alex Maguire 3&2.

O’Keeffe will take on Tramore’s Jack Hearn, who ended the dream of Milltown’s Harry Fanagan 4&3.

Gillivan now faces former winner Robbie Cannon of Balbriggan in the last 16 with the winner to face Galway international Liam Nolan – who avenged his West of Ireland final defeat to Alan Fahy with 3&1 first-round win – or Carton House’s Jack Doherty, who beat Elm Park’s Charlie Denvir at the 20th.

Results

First round

H Gillivan (Westport) bt J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 3&2; R Abernethy (Dún Laoghaire) bt A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 2&1; J McDonnell (Forrest Little) bt S McLoughlin (Co Sligo) 19th; R Cannon (Balbriggan) bt D Keating (Seapoint) 3&2: L Nolan (Galway) bt A Fahy (Bray) 3&1; S Hogan (The Heritage) bt R Latimer (Clandeboye) 19th; C Denvir (Elm Park) bt S O’Brien (Nenagh) 3&2; J Doherty (Carton House) bt M Dodd (St. Anne’s) 3&2; A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) bt C Harkin (Letterkenny) 6&5; P O’Keeffe (Douglas) bt M Boucher (Carton House) 2 holes; H Fanagan (Milltown) bt J Hewitt (Tandragee) 1 hole; J Hearn (Tramore) bt A McCormack (Castletroy) 2 hole; R Knightly (Royal Dublin) bt D Flynn (Carton House) 2&1; P Coughlan (Castleknock) bt J Rackard (Enniscorthy) 5&3; K Egan (Carton House) bt M Mullen (Rosslare) 6&5; A Riordan (Blarney) bt J Cleary (Elm Park) 1 hole; G O’Neill (Malahide) bt TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 20th; D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) bt B St John (Portmarnock) 4&3; D Kelleher (Blarney) bt J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 2 holes; M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) bt P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 4&3; A McNulty (Lahinch) bt C Rafferty (Dundalk) 2 holes; S Loftus (Lahinch) bt D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 2&1; D Kitt (Athenry) bt P Adler (North Shore Country Club, USA) 2&1; R Brazill (Naas) w/o P O’Hanlon (Carton House); H Foley (Royal Dublin) bt G O’Flaherty (Cork) 3&1; J McCabe (Roganstown) bt J Whelan (Grange) 19th; E Murphy (Dundalk) bt J Foley (Elm Park) 4&3; J Madden (Royal Portrush) bt D O’Sullivan (Tralee) 2&1; C Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) v E Farrell (Ardee); A King (Faithlegg) v K Morris (Wexford) 2&1; S Flanagan (Portmarnock) bt E Sullivan (Carton House) 4&3; D O’Riordan (Fermoy) bt J Robinson (Lisburn) 2&1.

Second round

Gillivan bt Abernethy 3&2; Cannon bt McDonnell 2&1; Nolan bt Hogan 4&2; Doherty bt Denvir 20th; O’Keeffe bt Maguire 3&2; Hearn bt Fanagan 4&3; Coughlan bt Knightly 1 hole; Egan bt Riordan 4&3; Reddan Jnr bt O’Neill 2 holes; Kennedy bt Kelleher 5&4; McNulty bt Loftus 4&3; Brazill bt Kitt 2&1; Foley bt McCabe 2&1; Murphy bt Madden 4&3; Campbell bt King 7&6; Flanagan bt O’Riordan 22nd.

Saturday’s third-round draw

08:00 Gillivan v Cannon;

08:12 Nolan v Doherty;

08:24 O’Keeffe v Hearn;

08:36 Coughlan v Egan;

08:48 Reddan Jnr v Kennedy;

09:00 McNulty v Brazill;

09:12 Foley v Murphy;

09:24 Campbell v Flanagan.