It isn’t too often that a scratch golfer would have six bogies and a double – and still be happy with his round.  Well that’s exactly what happened Sean Desmond in Lahinch today.  Playing is his first South of Ireland, the Monsktown teenager shot a 74 in very testing conditions.   That 74 included four birdies and an eagle, which helped Desmond to bounce back from the bogies.  He was actually one under after an eagle on the 5th and he finished the front nine on level par.  That included a lost ball on the 7th which led to a double bogey.  A birdie on the 12th saw Desmond back in the red but three consecutive bogies on 13, 14 and 15 saw him return to the black and sign for a two over par 74.

Desmond held the clubhouse lead for a few hours but was surpassed by Rowan Lester who came home in three under to record a level par 72.  Desmond is currently tied for second alongside Robin Dawson.  Gary O’Flaherty and Peter O’Keeffe are the next best of the Cork lads, they both shot a four over par 76.  John Hickey is two shots back on 78, and Eoghan Long and James Sugrue both shot 79.   Gary Ward and John Murphy are both on +8, inside the top 64.  The remaining five Cork golfers are outside the top 70 and will need to improve tomorrow if they are to make the cut.  The top 64 after tomorrow’s second strokeplay round will qualify for the matchplay phase.

The scorecards from the 13 Cork golfers told an interesting story, which reflected the tough conditions.  Between them they record 23 doubles, 3 trebles and on quadruple bogey.  With rounds topping five hours, it was as much a mental test as a physical one.

The forecast for tomorrow’s second round isn’t much better, right now it’s a case of getting a good night’s sleep before the challenge of qualifying starts again tomorrow.

South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship
at Lahinch Golf Club, 26 July 2017

Sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen

CSS = 77 R/O

72	R Lester (Hermitage)
74	R Dawson (Tramore); S Desmond (Monkstown)
75	M McKinstry (Cairndhu); C Purcell (Portmarnock); S Carter (The Royal Dublin)
76	C O’Rourke (Naas); J Lyons (Galway); G O’Flaherty (Cork); P O’ Keeffe (Douglas); R Cannon (Balbriggan); J Ryan (Castletroy)
77	J Yates (Naas); G Lenehan (Portmarnock); J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little); E Smith (Laytown & Bettystown); T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown); P Coughlan (Castleknock)
78	C Campbell (Warrenpoint); J Hickey (Cork); B Murray (Waterford Castle); S Grehan (Tullamore); K Murphy (Charlesland); W Russell (Clandeboye); G Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick); A Gleeson  (Castle); B Doran (Baltinglass); P Kerr (Royal Portrush); D Brennan (Shannon); M Kennelly (Galway Bay); T Hackett (The Royal Dublin); M Ryan (New Ross); R McKinstry (Cairndhu); P Murray (Clontarf); T Cleary (Woodstock)
79	E Long (Monkstown); A Mulhall (Ardglass); J Kehoe (Limerick); M Morrissey (Co. Sligo); J Sugrue (Mallow); T Ford (Co. Sligo); G Nugent (Kilkenny); L Donnelly (Kilkenny)
80	R Pierse (Grange); T Clarke (Royal Portrush); D Coghlan (Portmarnock); D McMahon (Castletroy); J Walsh (Castle); M Norton (Belvoir Park); J Murphy (Kinsale); J Whelan (Newlands); C Fairweather (Knock); M O’Kelly (Limerick); J McVicker (Knock); G Ward (Kinsale); R Mullarney (Galway); E Griffin (Waterford); M Power (Kilkenny)
81	K McCarron (North West); J Knipe (Royal Portrush); M Nolan (Delgany); E Power (Kilkenny); J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle); J Pierse (Portmarnock); R Williamson (Holywood); R Brazill (Naas); O O’Brien (Limerick); H O’Hare (Fortwilliam); P O’Hara (Kilkenny); T O’Connor (Athlone); M MacGrath (Lahinch); D Lowry (Corrstown); J Galbraith (Whitehead); G Lappin (Belvoir Park); M Shiel (Galway Bay); E Stack (Ballybunion)
82	S Loftus (Yas Links Golf Club, UAE); B Anderson (The Royal Dublin); K Bornemann (Douglas); D Brophy (Castleknock); D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh); L Grehan (Mullingar); D Murphy (Portarlington); R O’Connor (Co. Sligo); T Collins (Dun Laoghaire); J Fletcher (Warrenpoint); G Smyth (Clonmel); H Foley (The Royal Dublin); P Murphy (Rosslare); S Hogan (Nenagh); T McLarnon (Massereene)
83	A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire); J Greene (Portmarnock); A McCormack (Castletroy); M Grehan (Tullamore); C Rafferty (Dundalk); P Sheehan (Ballybunion); A Lynch (Bray); S Ryan (The Royal Dublin); S Poucher (Limerick); P Kelly (Co. Armagh); G Young (Nenagh); B McGarry (Nenagh)
84	M Boucher (Carton House); M Horan (Birr); M Looby (Greystones); C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire); B Shally (Dromoland); D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown); P O’Connor (Macroom); C Butler (Kinsale); J Hood (Galgorm Castle); M Reddan (Limerick); D Morley (Oughterard)
85	C Kelly (Fort Lauderdale CC, USA); R Dutton (Tandragee); S Sweeney (Vista Valencia USA); S Walsh (Portmarnock); J Rackard (Enniscorthy); R Steedman (Courtown); R Knightly (The Royal Dublin)
86	P Connolly (Killeen Castle); T Neenan (Lahinch); E Leonard (Wentworth/Killiney); C Cunningham (Carton House); P Carey (Nenagh); C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire); C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown)
87	S Greenberg (Tandragee); W Small (Tandragee); J Blake (The Island); D Mc Inerney (Lahinch); G McGrane (The Royal Dublin)
88	G O’Connor-Brooks (Lake Bluff Golf Club, USA); S Ledbury (GC de Louvain La Neuve, Belgium); S McGlynn (Portmarnock); A Ryan (Thurles)
89	P Flynn (Tramore); A McDaid (Palmerstown Stud); C Dowling (Mallow); B Tolsma (Apple Valley Golf Club, USA); P Gribben (Warrenpoint); D Sheedy (California GC USA)
90	G Carr (Mullingar); D Crawford (Bundoran)
91	P Fitzpatrick (Kanturk); M Buggy (Castlecomer)
93	C Nolan (Galway)
98	K Connolly (The Heritage)
RTD	S Healy (The Royal Dublin)