Six Cork golfers made it through the first test in Ballybunion this weekend, they’ve qualified for the matchplay stage of the AIG Irish Close Championship.  In testing weather conditions the Old Course played much tougher than Saturday.  Peter O’Keeffe ended up as the top Corkman, his level par round today saw him finish in 11^th, 21 places higher than yesterday.  Greg O’Mahony, Cathal Butler and John Murphy have all matched their Lahinch achievements in making the matchplay – although in Murphy’s case he had to qualify this time, doing so comfortably with three shots to spare.  Mel Deasy made it through to his first championship matchplay he was the best of the +8’s and is through to tomorrow’s draw.  South Champion Sean Desmond added a second 75 today to also finish on +8, he is through to the matchplay, hoping his form from Lahinch will continue.  For a while it looked like Deasy, and especially Desmond would miss out, but as the afternoon score came in, all the +8’s were safely through and there was even a few +9’s to qualify.  Overnight leader Ronan Mullarney added a three under par 68 to yesterday’s 65 to finish as top qualifier on -9.  Eoin Leonard shot a best of the day 67 to finish second and there were just five golfers under par after the 36 holes.

Paul Buckley and Gary Ward both had disappointing Sunday’s, they both finished in the 80’s today and missed out by two shots. Padraig O’Connor, Robbie Walsh, Mark Healy and Paul Tobin finished a few shots behind.

Selected First Round Matches:

08:10 Keith Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) v John Murphy (Kinsale)
08:18 Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock) v Mel Deasy (Lee Valley)
09:14 Greg O’Mahony (Fota Island) v William Russell (Clandeboye)
09:46 Cathal Butler (Kinsale) v Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle)
11:14 Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) v Sean Desmond (Monkstown)
11:30 Peter O’ Keeffe (Douglas) v Evan Farrell (Ardee)

AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship At Ballybunion (Old Course)

STOKE PLAY QUALIFYING – RESULTS

133 R Mullarney (Galway), 65, 68
139 E Leonard (Killiney), 72, 67
140 C Campbell (Warrenpoint), 71, 69
141 R Knightly (Royal Dublin), 70, 71; J Fox (Portmarnock), 70, 71
142 A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), 74, 68; D Morley (Oughterard), 71, 71
143 H Gillivan (Westport), 74, 69; S Flanagan (Portmarnock), 71, 72
144 H O’Hare (Fortwilliam), 75, 69; P O’ Keeffe (Douglas), 73, 71; C Denvir (Elm Park), 72, 72
145 G Dunne (Co. Louth), 74, 71; P Murray (Clontarf), 74, 71; A McCormack (Castletroy), 73, 72; C Nolan (Galway), 72, 73; H Duggan (Kilkenny), 71, 74; L Nolan (Galway), 71, 74
146 E Murphy (Dundalk), 75, 71; P Conroy (Enniscorthy), 71, 75; J Doherty (Carton House), 70, 76; L Grehan (Mullingar), 69, 77
147 R Black (Hilton Templepatrick), 78, 69; P Murphy (Rosslare), 76, 71; K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire), 75, 72; E Griffin (Waterford), 75, 72; B Best (Rathmore), 75, 72; G O’Mahony (Fota Island), 74, 73; C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), 74, 73; J Lyons (Galway), 73, 74; C Butler (Kinsale), 68, 79
148 A Lowry (Esker Hills), 78, 70; M Boucher (Carton House), 78, 70; J Hood (Galgorm Castle), 77, 71; R Moran (Castle), 77, 71; J McCarthy (Grange), 76, 72; W Russell (Clandeboye), 75, 73; D Brady (Co. Sligo), 74, 74; D Coyle (Portmarnock), 74, 74; J Murphy (Kinsale), 74, 74; J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), 74, 74; R Brazill (Naas), 72, 76; R Galligan (Elm Park), 72, 76; C Byrne (Woodbrook), 71, 77
149 M McClean (Malone), 77, 72; W Small (Tandragee), 75, 74; S Walsh (Portmarnock), 74, 75; P Sheehan (Ballybunion), 74, 75; N Hearns (Mountrath), 73, 76; S Hogan (Nenagh), 73, 76; K Stack (Dungarvan), 73, 76; E Stack (Ballybunion), 72, 77; E O’Brien (Clontarf), 71, 78; E Farrell (Ardee), 71, 78
150 A Doran (Co. Louth), 78, 72; M Deasy (Lee Valley), 77, 73; T Ford (Co. Sligo), 77, 73; P Coughlan (Castleknock), 76, 74; S Desmond (Monkstown), 75, 75; J Blake (The Island), 73, 77
151 R Williamson (Holywood), 79, 72; P McKeever (Castle), 78, 73; C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire), 76, 75; R O’Connor (Co. Sligo), 75, 76;

Non-Qualifiers

151 M Reid (Galgorm Castle), 75, 76; D McCormack (Roganstown), 75, 76; E Smith (The Links Portmarnock), 75, 76; T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown), 74, 77
152 J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little), 79, 73; T McLarnon (Massereene), 78, 74; N Crawford (Mourne), 78, 74; S Carroll (Ballybunion), 77, 75; S Murphy (Portumna), 77, 75; L Power (Galway), 76, 76; T Dowdall (Woodbrook), 75, 77; P Buckley (Memorial), 72, 80; G Ward (Kinsale), 70, 82
153 B Lenihan (Ballybunion), 82, 71; M McPartlin (Smurfit club ), 81, 72; F O’Sullivan (Tralee), 80, 73; T Higgins (Roscommon), 79, 74; I Lynch (Rosslare), 77, 76; B Murray (Waterford Castle), 77, 76; C Feeney (Co. Sligo), 77, 76; R Nelson (Belvoir Park), 76, 77; M McAlpin (Royal Portrush), 73, 80
154 D Flynn (Carton House), 83, 71; K Morrison (Holywood), 81, 73; P O’Connor (Macroom), 79, 75; M Young (Golf du Priéure), 78, 76; D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh), 77, 77; M McCormack  (Moss Creek), 76, 78; R Walsh Jr (Kinsale), 74, 80
155 R Latimer  (Knock), 83, 72; P O’Hara (Kilkenny), 81, 74; J Whelan (Newlands), 81, 74; R Milne (Faithlegg), 78, 77; R O’Doherty (Enniscrone), 78, 77; J Temple (Portmarnock), 72, 83
156 A Ryan (Thurles), 79, 77; J Keane (Lahinch), 79, 77; C Glennon (Glasson), 78, 78; M McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), 77, 79; B Shally (Dromoland), 76, 80; K McCormack (Portarlington), 76, 80
157 D Kitt (Athenry), 82, 75; C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), 79, 78
158 M Nolan (Dun Laoghaire), 84, 74; D Leufer (Athenry), 83, 75; P Brennan (Belvoir Park), 81, 77; M Healy (Kinsale), 80, 78; C Dunphy (Killeen Castle), 75, 83; D McAleenon (Edenmore), 71, 87
159 L O’Connor (Edmondstown), 80, 79; D O’Driscoll (Ballybunion), 79, 80; P Tobin (Douglas), 79, 80
160 C Hickey (Dooks), 81, 79; T Plunkett (Crover House), 80, 80; E Shipp (Headfort), 79, 81
161 A Hill (Athenry), 83, 78
164 P Connolly (Killeen Castle), 86, 78
165 R McCrudden (Royal Portrush), 80, 85
166 M OSullivan (The International), 86, 80
170 E Rumley (Kinsale), 85, 85
173 J Tuohy (Galway Bay), 89, 84
RTD  G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock); R Clarke (The Island); M McKinstry (Cairndhu); K Lynch (Skibbereen); R Cannon (Balbriggan)
NR  P Naughton (Limerick); S O’Connor (Castlebar)

MATCH PLAY

Monday 5 August 2019
07:30 Ronan Mullarney (Galway) v Ruairi O’Connor (Co. Sligo)
07:38 Alan Lowry (Esker Hills) v Marc Boucher (Carton House)
07:46 Cathal Nolan (Galway) v Niall Hearns (Mountrath)
07:54 Harry Duggan (Kilkenny) v Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion)
08:02 Harry Gillivan (Westport) v T J Ford (Co. Sligo)
08:10 Keith Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) v John Murphy (Kinsale)
08:18 Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock) v Mel Deasy (Lee Valley)
08:26 Paul Murphy (Rosslare) v Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle)
08:34 Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin) v Rory Williamson (Holywood)
08:42 Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) v John McCarthy (Grange)
08:50 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) v Edward Stack (Ballybunion)
08:58 Paul Conroy (Enniscorthy) v Matthew McClean (Malone)
09:06 James Fox (Portmarnock) v Jack Blake (The Island)
09:14 Greg O’Mahony (Fota Island) v William Russell (Clandeboye)
09:22 Charlie Denvir (Elm Park) v Eoin O’Brien (Clontarf)
09:30 Jack Doherty (Carton House) v Conor Byrne (Woodbrook)
09:38 Eoin Leonard (Killiney) v Conor Ryan (Dun Laoghaire)
09:46 Cathal Butler (Kinsale) v Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle)
09:54 Andrew McCormack (Castletroy) v Shane Hogan (Nenagh)
10:02 Liam Nolan (Galway) v Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock)
10:10 Devin Morley (Oughterard) v Paul Coughlan (Castleknock)
10:18 Eanna Griffin (Waterford) v Daniel Coyle (Portmarnock)
10:26 Hugh O’Hare (Fortwilliam) v Adam Doran (Co. Louth)
10:34 Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick) v Robert Brazill (Naas)
10:42 Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) v Peter McKeever (Castle)
10:50 Joe Lyons (Galway) v Robert Moran (Castle)
10:58 Pat Murray (Clontarf) v Kevin Stack (Dungarvan)
11:06 Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) v William Small (Tandragee)
11:14 Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) v Sean Desmond (Monkstown)
11:22 Ben Best (Rathmore) v David Brady (Co. Sligo)
11:30 Peter O’ Keeffe (Douglas) v Evan Farrell (Ardee)
11:38 Liam Grehan (Mullingar) v Robert Galligan (Elm Park)