WEST OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP:ON A day when many of the bright young stars of Irish golf saw their exit at the Radisson-Blu West of Ireland championship, two veterans served up an unlikely feast of birdies amid high winds on their way to a third-round clash this morning.
Limerick's Pat Murray and Banbridge's Rory Leonard will play each other this morning after both conjured magical runs in their first and second round matches.
Leonard was particularly impressive - needing only 27 holes to see off his two opponents, Dunmurry's Stephen Crowe and Rathmore's Ben Best.
His aggregate approximate total of 10 under par, given the conditions, was astounding. "I had a great start this morning which helped things along," Leonard said, reflecting on his four birdies in the first five holes of his first match.
"I played Pat last year at the Close - he played really well then. But I just hope I can keep doing what I'm doing and see what happens."
Murray, meanwhile, faced his second great trial of this West of Ireland when he came up against Michael Buggy from Castlecomer in the first round.
Indeed, Murray's very presence in the matchplay draw was highly unlikely after his disastrous opening 83 - and even more so after a bogey at the first hole of his second round - but he worked magic from there on in for a 68 on Saturday.
And when he found himself in similar trouble against Buggy, to whom he was down for most of his match, he somehow fought his way out once again.
He took the lead for the first time at the 17th, closed the match out, and then took control against Thurles' David Ruddy with five birdies in his second match to book his place in the last 16.
"I just kept things simple," he said. "I played an awful lot better this evening (in the second round). It's not about fantastic golf - it's about the least mistakes possible and trying to keep yourself warm.
"I'm looking forward to playing Rory - he's playing well at the moment. It's a bit of a pity it's so early. But I'm glad to be in early and get a rest," he continued.
However, it was the end of the road for Castle's Darragh Lernihan - beaten on the 18th in round one by Headfort's Brian Casey - and Rathmore's Alan Dunbar, who lost at the 17th to Louth's Daniel Coyle.
Newlands' Andrew Hogan, the leading qualifier, also exited at the hands of Fota Island's Thomas O'Flynn, and was joined on the trip home by his clubmate, Cian Curley, who lost in the second round on the third extra hole to Belvoir Park's Ross McConnell.
Pre-tournament favourite Paul Cutler survived, however, beating Royal Dublin's Gary McGrane on the 16th and Lee Valley's Niall Gorey on the 17th.
He faces local favourite Barry Anderson in the third round this morning, after Anderson saw off 2008 runner-up Des Morgan from Mullingar.
Details
First Round: R Leonard (Banbridge) bt S Crowe (Dunmurry) 6 and 5, B Best (Rathmore) bt R Whitson (Mourne) 2 and 1, D Ruddy (Thurles) bt G Dunne (Seapoint) 5 and 4, P Murray (Limerick) bt M Buggy (Castlecomer) 1 hole, M Walsh (Styal) bt P Sheehy (Newcastlewest) 4 and 2, T O'Flynn (Fota Island) bt A Hogan (Newlands) 19th, G Hopkins (Skerries) bt N Grant (Knock) 19th, J Senior (Heysham) bt J Monaghan (The Island) 4 and 3, R McNamara (Headfort) bt N Murray (Dunmurry) 1 hole, L Lennox (Moyola Park) bt C Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 3 and 2, R McConnell (Belvoir Park) bt G Collins (Rosslare) 4 and 3, C Curley (Newlands) bt S McGlynn (South County) 3 and 2, D Morgan (Mullingar) bt S Ryan (Royal Dublin) 1 hole, B Anderson (Co Sligo) bt R McCarthy (The Island) 1 hole, N Gorey (Lee Valley) bt A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 7 and 6, P Cutler (Portstewart) bt G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 3 and 2, D Coyle (Co Louth) bt A Dunbar (Rathmore) 3 and 1, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) bt C Fairweather (Knock) 4 and 3, T Cleary (Dromoland) bt K McDonagh (Athlone) 2 and 1, R Bridges (Stackstown) bt R O'Donovan (Lucan) 2 and 1, R Carter (Lansdown) bt RJ Cannon (L'town and B'town) 1 hole, M Sinclair (Knock) bt A Kearney (Castlerock) 3 and 2, M McGinley (Grange) bt M Durcan (Co Sligo) 3 and 2, D McElroy (Ballymena) bt R O'Sullivan (Fota Island) 5 and 4, P Dunne (Greystones) bt B Walton (The Island) 1 hole, E McCormack (Galway) bt A Morris (Belvoir Park) 20th, S McConnell (Ballyclare) bt G McDermott (Co Sligo) 21st, G Bohill (Co Louth) bt R Evans (Moyola Park) 4 and 2, B Casey (Headfort) bt D Lernihan (Castle) 1 hole, D Kernohan (Galgorm Castle) bt D Downey (Sutton) 19th, J Hurst (Shaw Hill) bt D Crowe (Dunmurry) 1 hole, K Boggan (Meath) bt M McKnight (Lisburn) 20th.
Second Round: Leonard bt Best 5 and 4, Murray bt Ruddy 5 and 4, O'Flynn bt Walsh 3 and 1, Hopkins bt Senior 2 and 1, McNamara bt Lennox 1 hole, McConnell bt Curley 21st, Anderson bt Morgan 3 and 2, Cutler bt Gorey 2 and 1, Arthurs bt Coyle 4 and 3, Bridges bt Cleary 1 hole, Sinclair bt Carter 2 and 1, McGinley bt McElroy 1 hole, McCormack bt Dunne 2 and 1, Bohill bt McConnell 4 and 3, Kernohan bt Casey 1 hole, Boggan bt Hurst 1 hole.
