Irish Close Championship MatchplayIt's been a rough fortnight for Mark O'Sullivan. The 22-year-old, who is studying for a BA in Economics at University College, Dublin, has only recently completed a glut of exams, 11 to be precise.
He probably viewed his defence of the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Close Championship at Co Donegal Golf Club as a blessed relief; that is, until yesterday.
The Galway native negotiated the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying over the weekend with four shots to spare, and yesterday morning managed to brazen out a one hole victory over Raymond Williams of Baltinglass.
The afternoon was to prove less edifying for the Irish international as he succumbed to fellow 22-year-old Mark Shanahan. The West Waterford golfer has no representative pedigree, but he proved a doughty competitor to prevail on the home green.
He only returned to Ireland last October having spent the previous four years in England, initially studying Golf and Science at Preston before spending some time in the professional's shop at Darlington.
He is currently employed as an assistant greenkeeper at West Waterford, and being in close proximity to practice facilities has kept his game in pretty good shape.
Shanahan, a left hander, won the ninth, 10th and 11th in regulation figures to go three up as O'Sullivan's short game could not rescue some errant approach shots. Strong winds buffeted the magnificent Murvagh links, so par golf was a decent achievement in the conditions, perhaps best illustrated by the fact that five tees were moved forward yesterday.
It was Shanahan's turn to finish second best to the course as he conceded the 13th to par, and was "all over the shop at the next", to see his lead dwindle from three to a one hole advantage. When he missed a short putt on the 16th for a bogey four, O'Sullivan had regained parity.
The contest was decided largely by their tee-shots on the 18th. O'Sullivan caught a bunker and could only lay up short, but did hit a superb pitch to eight feet under the hole. Shanahan cleared the bunker but got a flier from the semi-rough to finish 30 feet above the pin, facing a slick downhill putt.
He rolled it down to 18 inches while O'Sullivan failed to make his, giving Shanahan a one hole victory.
"Mark's a great player but he just didn't get the breaks at the right time. A couple of things went my way at the start and in the middle of the round and I'm obviously delighted to go through."
The Dungarvan man had beaten the only local representative, John Neary, in the morning and now faces Scrabo's Andrew McCormick.
O'Sullivan was not the only high-profile casualty. Last year's Close beaten finalist, David Carroll of Grange, lost in the afternoon to Ennis' Alan Considine.
Irish internationals Johnny Foster and Mervyn Owens saw their hopes perish at the hands of Pat Murray and Seamus McMonagle respectively.
Recent East of Ireland champion Mark Campbell continued his fine form by crushing Adrian Morrow 7 and 6 and Ciaran McAleavey 3 and 2.
The Island's Robert McCarthy beat Sean McTernan of Co Sligo, who finished tied second at the East and runner-up in the Irish Strokeplay, on the 17th.
At 16 minutes past eight last night Michael McGeady holed a five-foot putt on the 18th green for par to edge past Donal O'Brien. The pair had endured a marathon encounter and were all square playing the last. O'Brien found the greenside bunker with his second and failed to get up and down.
McGeady was through the back, but his chip from deep rough hit the hole. The Irish international will now face an in-form Harry Diamond of Holywood this morning for a place in the quarter-finals.
THIRD ROUND DRAW: B McElhinney v A Considine; A McCormick v M Shanahan; M Campbell v M Sinclair; C Bowe v G Maybin; R McCarthy v J McGinn; A McKinley v N Fox; D Crowe v S McMonagle; H Diamond v M McGeady.
First match at 8.30am; subsequent matches to be played at 10-minute intervals.
