North of Ireland Championship: Defending champion Brian McElhinney steered a steady course at Royal Portrush yesterday and side-stepped the usual first day pitfalls in the Magners North of Ireland Amateur Championship to reach the last 16 this morning.
The triple champion - he is the reigning European and Irish champion as well - eased past Alister Eagle by 4 and 3 and then dismissed Neil Boyd by 2 and 1. The North West member now feels that his game is strong again.
"It was a bit off during the qualifying rounds but I'm a lot happier with it now. My driving has improved," he reflected.
Still, he had to draw on all his reserve of talent to push aside Donaghadee player Boyd despite going two up after three holes, having won the second in birdie four and the short third in par. Holes were swapped from there to the turn but McElhinney remained two holes ahead.
He was back to level as going into a bunker cost him the 11th hole but he turned on the pressure again with winning pars at the 13th and 15th as Boyd failed to match regulation.
Mark O'Sullivan also survived a day when former North champions Gareth Maybin, Michael Sinclair and Stuart Paul were all sent packing. The Galway man turned on the power play to beat Jonathan McIntyre by 5 and 4 and then dismiss 15-year-old Liam Reilly from Galgorm Castle.
In that match, O'Sullivan finished three-under-par after racing off to a three holes lead by the sixth. He started his charge with birdie four at the second hole where he pitched to eight feet. He turned three up with another birdie at the long 10th and finally polished off young Reilly with a birdie three at the 15th, getting up and down from left of the green.
This morning O'Sullivan will clash with international colleague Richard Kilpatrick in what could be the match of the day. Kilpatrick stormed to a pair of 5 and 4 wins yesterday.
The winner of the O'Sullivan-Kilpatrick match will meet either McElhinney or Barry Fitzsimons of Downpatrick.
Also through to today's action is Mark Campbell who was pushed to the limits before beating local member John Finnegan by 2 and 1. Campbell birdied the long 17th to end the argument, reaching the green with a drive and four iron.
It took Colm Murphy and Sean McGarry 25 holes and six hours before Murphy got through to the second round where he then lost 5 and 4 to Rory Leonard.
The most amazing match of yesterday, however, was Connor Doran's win over Des Morgan. Mullingar man Morgan was five up at the turn but Doran carded two eagles and four birdies on the back nine to win on the home green. He lost in the second round to Barry Fitzsimons.
First Round: D Crowe (Dunmurry) bt M Smyth (Ballymena) at 20th; B McCarroll (north West) bt A McCloy (Ballymena) 4 and 3; T Coulter (Massereene) bt W Telford (Rathmore) one hole; D Carroll (Grange) bt G Macintosh (Westwood, USA) 5 and 4; T McClements (Holywood) bt M McCormick (West Middlesex) 5 and 4; S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) bt A Meharg (Bright Castle) at 22nd; K McGarry (Bandon) bt D McCusker (Moyola Pk) 4 and 2; M Hammond (Moyola Pk) bt A McKinley (Shandon Park) 2 and 1.
M O'Sullivan (Galway) bt J McIntyre (City of Derry) 5 and 4; L Reilly (Galgorm Castle) bt R Doran (Banbridge) 3 and 1; B Cashman (Belvoir Park) bt M Rowe (Athlone) 2 and 1; R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) bt C McCormick (Holywood) 5 and 4; C Doran (Banbridge) bt D Morgan (Mullingar) one hole; B Fitzsimons (Downpatrick) bt E McAnoy (Knock) 2 and 1; N Boyd (Donaghadee) bt P O'Keefe (Douglas) 4 and 2; B McElhinney (North West) bt A Eagle (Tandragee) 4 and 3.
B Galway (Cairndhu) bt G Maybin (Ballyclare) one hole; T Spence (Clandeboye) bt M McGarry (Ballymena) 5 and 4; C Murphy (Clandeboye) bt S McGarry (Ballymena) at 25th; R Leonard (Banbridge) bt P Higgins (Mullingar) 8 and 6; R Forsythe (Ballyclare) bt G Forbes (Newtownstewart) 6 and 5; R Boal (Scrabo) bt C Clancy (Stackstown) 3 and 2; J Turner (Royal Portrush) bt B Kilgallon (Ballina) one hole; J Foster (Ballyclare) bt R Evans (Moyola Pk) one hole.
J Crangle (Fortwilliam) bt M Sinclair (Knock) 2 and 1; G McDermott (Co Sligo) bt M Lavelle (Belmullet) 8 and 6; B Trainor (Warrenpoint) bt G Black (Ballymena) 6 and 4; J Caldwell (Clandeboye) bt S Paul (Tandragee) one hole; G Reynolds (Rothesay) bt D Coyle (Co Louth) 6 and 5; T Kearney (Ballyliffin) bt F O'Donaghue (Belvoir Pk) at 20th; J Finnegan (Royal Portrush) bt R McDowell (Royal Belfast) 3 and 2; M Campbell (Stackstown) bt S Miskelly (Knock) one hole.
Second Round: Crowe bt McCarroll 7 and 6; Coulter bt Carroll 1 hole; McClements bt McMonagle at 20th; K McGarry bt Hammond 7 and 6; O'Sullivan bt Reilly 4 and 3; Kilpatrick bt Cashman 5 and 4; Fitzsimons bt Doran 4 and 2; McElhinney bt Boyd 2 and 1; Spence bt Galway one hole; Leonard bt Murphy 5 and 4; Forsythe bt Boal one hole; Turner bt Foster at 22nd; Crangle bt McDermott 2 and 1; Caldwell bt Trainor 3 and 2; Kearney bt Reynolds 4 and 3; Campbell bt Finnegan 2 and 1.
