Only last weekend at Rosses Point he talked self-deprecatingly about being here simply to make up the numbers. In a way, it proved to be an accurate assessment, insofar as 45-year-old Garth McGimpsey made up the last four yesterday in the Standard Life West of Ireland Championship.

Indeed McGimpsey made quite a stir. After beating local favourite Ken Kearney by 3 and 2 in the last of the quarter-finals, he became one of five players to undergo a drug test conducted by the Irish Sports Council. And he had to explain his absence this morning from a meeting of the international selectors.

Meanwhile, fellow Ulsterman Michael Hoey used all available modern technology to extremely impressive effect when beating former international John Morris by 4 and 2. With the ERC II driver and the Titleist Pro V1 ball, he reduced the long, 535-yard 12th to a drive and two-iron, into a right-to-left crosswind. And he drove to within 35 yards of the green at the 404-yard 15th.

Then there was the continued progress of Stackstown's Michael McDermott, who has drawn inspiration from the club's celebrated member, Padraig Harrington. "I've watched Padraig, played with him and received a very useful pitching lesson from him," said the 21-year-old after beating Robert Forsythe by 3 and 2.

And if there was a call to celebrate victory with a song, Stephen Browne and his caddying father, Edmund, could have done so with distinction, after the Hermitage player had beaten Seamus McMonagle by 2 and 1. The early stage of this quarter-final was notable for the fact that McMonagle forfeited the sixth hole after repairing a pitch-mark a yard off the green, in breach of Rule 13-2.

McGimpsey, a four-time winner of this title, had Kearney on the run from an early stage with four successive birdies from the second, to open up a three-hole lead. "I'm feeling it physically now, but I'll be fine again in the morning," he said after the 31 holes necessary for yesterday's wins.

Lapses in concentration cost McGimpsey the 10th and 11th, but he steadied the ship with an exemplary, two-putt birdie on the 12th, where a drive and threewood left him 10 yards from the green. By his estimation, he nailed both of those woods, which only emphasises the quality of Hoey's effort on the same hole.

The Bangor player places Rosses Point very high on his list of favourite courses, a fact reflected in his presence in the semi-finals for a second successive year. But having come through probably the toughest quarter of the draw, he must now face the favourite this morning.

And Hoey is playing well, as approximate figures of 10 under par for 54 matchplay holes so far would indicate. Apart from long driving, his two-iron of 227 yards at the 12th came after a glorious five-iron to within four feet of the pin at the eighth. On that form, he will be extremely difficult to stop.

Browne, at 27, has reached the quarter-finals in five of his last championships, including a semifinal in the Irish Close at Killarney two years ago. Level after a delightful birdie at the short 13th, he made a crucial breakthrough at the 15th where he holed a 12footer for another birdie.

The match ended on the 17th where, after pulling his approach into the hill to the left of the green, McMonagle had the crushing disappointment of sliding his wedge clean under the ball in attempting a recovery. Browne, meanwhile, had putted dead from 35 feet on the right.

He is currently on two years' unpaid leave of absence from a job in banking and will be heading for the European Tour qualifying school later this year. In the meantime he finances his golf by singing baritone to his father's tenor in cabaret and golf functions.

Leinster interprovincial colleague McDermott will be Browne's opponent in the first semi-final this morning. Winner of the Transvaal Open last year, he is a highly-rated competitor who improved his long game significantly through the winter, under the guidance of national coach Howard Bennett.

After a comfortable third-round victory over Athlone's Kevin Sheehy, he capitalised on putting errors by Forsythe in the afternoon. Indeed the Ulsterman threeputted crucially to lose the second, sixth and 12th to pars, by which stage McDermott was three up and well on the way to victory.

Irrespective of today's developments, the championship has been marked so far by golf of a very high quality. Now, fitness to complement this skill will probably be decisive, in which case Hoey is a worthy favourite.

THIRD ROUND

Top half: M McDermott (Stackstown) bt K Sheehy (Athlone) 4 and 3; R Forsythe (Templepatrick) bt G Maybin (Ballyclare) 5 and 4; S Browne (Hermitage) bt M Campbell (Stackstown) 2 and 1; S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) bt P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin) at 19th.

Bottom half: M Hoey (Shandon Park) bt A J Hayes (K Club) 5 and 4; J Morris (Mullingar) bt D Mortimer (Connemara) 2 and 1; G McGimpsey (Bangor) bt T Rice (Limerick) 4 and 3; K Kearney (Roscommon) bt M McTernan (Co Sligo) 3 and 2.

QUARTER-FINALS

Top half: McDermott bt Forsythe 3 and 2; Browne bt McMonagle 2 and 1.

Bottom half: Hoey bt Morris 4 and 2; McGimpsey bt Kearney 3 and 2.