British Amateur Championship:Ireland's hopes of having their second Amateur champion in three years disappeared at Royal Lytham and St Annes yesterday when their final three survivors were bundled out in the third round.

It was a bitter disappointment as first Jonathan Caldwell fell by the wayside followed by Simon Ward and finally Shane Lowry.

Caldwell from Clandeboye was always up against it in his clash with American Tom Gissmeyer, going two down after six holes.

He never really got going, was too wayward from the tee and got punished in the daunting Lytham rough.

Although Caldwell reduced the deficit to one with five to play he was never able to close the gap.

Glissmeyer actually went out in the afternoon to Welsh teenager Jason Shufflebotham by 3 and 2.

Ward from Co Louth, a member of the Britain and Ireland squad, had a battle royal with American Drew Weaver, who survived the Virginia Tech massacre in April in which 32 students died.

Weaver was two up after six holes but 20-year-old Ward fought back bravely and slowly clawed his way back into the game, being one up with five to play.

Weaver dug deep and birdies on 14 and 16 put him back in front and he closed out the game with a birdie three on the last. The American went on to beat the highly-fancied Kevin McAlpine 2 and 1.

Lowry from Esker Hills was two behind early on against Gary Boyd,squared by the 13th, put his nose in front at the 16th but lost the 17th to a birdie.

Halves at the last forced the game into sudden-death and at the 19th Lowry rifled the ball into a greenside bunker, splashed out well but missed the putt from six feet while Boyd, on the heart of the green, two-putted to wrap things up.

Two of the favourites for the title also crashed out when Walker Cup player Lloyd Saltman and World Amateur Golf Ranking number two Jamie Moul were both beaten by one hole.

Saltman, lost to England A squad member Chris Wood, while Moul lost to 19-year-old Ross Kellett.