AMATEUR GOLF:FORMER IRISH champion Shane Lowry hasn't passed the 15th green in the matchplay stages of the Magners North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, at Royal Portrush, this week but he may have to tread on new terrain this morning as he clashes with international colleague Simon Ward in the semi-final.
It is the first time the pair have met in a championship but they have been team members at various levels for Ireland. Both have also shown great form thought the week at Portrush.
Yesterday, Lowry defeated both Paul O'Kane, another international colleague, and Fergal Rafferty by 4 and 3 - Rafferty having ousted Stephen Crowe at the 20th with birdie four.
Lowry started birdie-eagle against Rafferty with a seven-iron into the back of the first green and the same club to a foot at the second.
He also birdied the seventh and 10th to be four up with the rest of the holes halved, Rafferty getting a marvellous half from a bunker at the 12th.
"Simon and I played foursomes together for Ireland and we took two-and-a-half points out of three. I feel very comfortable here this week and I like this Dunluce links. This should be a great game with Simon," enthused Lowry.
Carrickmacross lad Ward, a Co Louth plus-two handicapper, like Lowry, 21, ended the hopes of Ryan Boal 3 and 2 and Corkman Paul Buckley, having a 5 and 3 win over the latter in the quarter-final.
Ward squared the match against Buckley with a birdie two at the sixth, from four feet, and was conceded the seventh and 10th to move two ahead. A winning par at the 13th left Ward leading by three before Buckley also conceded the 15th where he was in trouble again.
The second semi-final will feature 1999 runner-up Andrew Morris from Belvoir Park and surprise packet Ally Kerr from Clandeboye.
Morris has lost only one hole in his four matchplay rounds so far, and yesterday defeated 2006 winner Darren Crowe by 3 and 1 and former Munster interprovincial Aaron O'Callaghan 3 and 2.
Morris turned two up after a birdie four at the ninth but missed short putts for halves at both the 13th and 14th before being conceded the 15th and chipping in from 25 yards for a birdie three at the next hole to end the argument.
Kerr couldn't believe he has reached the last four as, in his fourth attempt, he made the cut this week for the first time. The Clandeboye one-handicapper defeated Cathal O'Malley from Westport by one hole and Gary McDermott from Co Sligo by 2 and 1 after being two down on the third tee to McDermott. He won the fourth in par and birdied the eighth, ninth and 10th to leap two holes ahead.
After losing the 11th and 12th he birdied 15th and was conceded the 17th where McDermott missed the green right with Kerr on the heart of the surface.
