Sport

Maybin outscores Fox again to finish top qualifier

Irish Close Championship Qualifying: For the second consecutive year Gareth Maybin pulled rank on his playing partner Noel Fox…

Mon Jun 14 2004 - 01:00

Irish Close Championship Qualifying: For the second consecutive year Gareth Maybin pulled rank on his playing partner Noel Fox by snatching the Silver Medal as leading qualifier in the Irish Close Amateur Championship. Yesterday at sunny Donegal, Maybin finished one stroke ahead of Fox after taking the honours at Tramore last season on the second round.

The Ballyclare member added a level par 73 to his opening 72 while Fox was left to reflect on a poor first round 77 but his 69 yesterday is a course record. He scorched over the back nine, having teed off at the 10th, in five-under-par 31, holing putts of up to 12 feet but also taking two stabs from four feet at the 14th.

Fox's birdies were at the 11th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18th holes. He then went six under for the day at the long first hole despite pulling his drive. That, for a time, was the end of the sparkling run as he bogeyed the second, third and fifth holes but he recovered to birdie the 469-metres sixth with a drive and three wood and two putts from 40 feet.

Maybin would like if the Irish Close was all strokeplay. He reckons he'd have a better chance of winning it after taking the Silver Medal three times in the last four years but failing to get past the quarter-finals.

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"If they would make it strokeplay then I could win this championship," was the tongue-in-cheek quip from the Ballyclare man

He played the back nine first alongside Fox and eased round with two birdies and two bogeys. He birdied the short 13th where he rifled an eight-iron to one inch, and the long first hole. After a good drive Maybin put his second approach in to sand but splashed out to four feet and holed.

He missed the 17th green left to drop a shot and after being over the back at the 172-metres fifth, pitched to four feet and missed.

Holywood teenager Harry Diamond and Bandon's Kenny McGarry were joint-third a further stroke back in joint third spot. Diamond made four birdies in his 72, after an opening 75. In fact, for a long period he was the outright leader, being a morning starter. In late afternoon McGarry posted a 73 to tie Diamond on 147.

East of Ireland champion Mark Campbell after his opening 72 took 76 shots to get around yesterday. James Fox made it double qualification for the family as he pencilled in his second 74 to join Campbell.

Defending champion Mark O'Sullivan squeezed into the matchplay with rounds of 75 and 79 as the cut was made on 12-over-par 158 (only four on that score got in) but among those who missed out were East runner-up Robert Forsythe, Richard Kilpatrick, Colm Montgomery and Stephen Crowe.

7.00: B McElhinney (North West) v M Rowe (Athlone). 7.07: D Ryan (Grange) v C Doran (Banbridge). 7.15: T Kearney (Ballyliffin) v A Considine (Ennis). 7.22: R McIlroy (Holywood) v D Carroll (Grange). 7.30: J Foster (Ballyclare) v P Murray (Limerick). 7.37: A McCormick (Scrabo) v D Kelleher (Portmarnock). 7.45: J Neary (Donegal) v M Shanahan (West Waterford). 7.52: M O'Sullivan (UCD/ Galway) v R Williams (Baltinglass)

8.00: M Campbell (Stackstown) v A Morrow (Portmarnock). 8.07: D Moran (The Island) v C McAleavey (Banbridge). 8.15: A Wynne (Strandhill) v T O'Neill (Rathsallagh). 8.22: M Sinclair (Knock) v G Mallon (North West). 8.30: C Bowe (Tramore) v N Kavanagh (Westport). 8.37: N Gorey (Killeen) v S Moloney (Castletroy). 8.45: R Cannon (Balbriggan) v E O'Sullivan (The Island). 8.52: G Maybin (Ballyclare) v P McGrath (Dromoland).

9.00: S McTernan (Co Sligo) v R Boal (Scrabo). 9.07: R McCarthy (The Island) v M Poucher (Limerick). 9.15: J McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown) v L Owens (Royal Dublin). 9.22: N Turner (UCC / Muskerry) v M Power (Moate). 9.30: A McKinley (Shandon Park) v J Fox (Portmarnock). 9.37: T Walsh (Claremorris) v R Leonard (Banbridge). 9.45: K McGarry (Bandon) v P O'Keeffe (Douglas). 9.52: N Fox (Portmarnock) v G Bowden (Hermitage).

10.00: D Crowe (Dunmurry) v G Bohill (Co Louth). 10.07: M Horan (Birr) v P O'Hanlon (Curragh). 10.15: L Butler (West Waterford) v S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy). 10.22: M Owens (Mallow) v S Doherty (Ballyliffin). 10.30: H Diamond (Holywood) v K Bornemann (Douglas). 10.37: B Trainor (Warrenpoint) v P Murphy (Killarney). 10.45: A O'Callaghan (Douglas) v D O'Brien (Laytown & Bettystown). 10.52: M McGeady (City of Derry) v G Nugent (Kilkenny).