Bogey time for Irish

By Brian Keogh

Michael Hoey and David Higgins suffered the triple bogey blues at The K Club.

While Hoey took a disastrous six at the par-three second, Waterville man Higgins ran up a costly seven at the 16th.

In the end, Hoey signed for a six-over par 76 with Higgins still in with a chance of making the cut after a 73.

Describing his disaster, Hoey said: "I just hit a four-iron way left into the rough, couldn't move the next shot and took two more to get it on the green.

"That was bad enough but I just drove the ball terribly. If you are not on the fairway you just can't play golf, especially on a course like this.

"Luckily my short game was good today or I would have shot about nine over!"

Higgins was desperately disappointed to let a solid round slip away at the end with that body blow at the water-protected 16th.

Just one-over par for his round with three to play, he chunked a three-iron in the water at the 16th and then spun his fourth shot back into sand.

A birdie at the 17th eased his pain, but Higgins was still frustrated at the finish, explaining: "It is a tough course off the wet ground but that is no excuse.

"I will battle on though. I don't know what the cut is going to be but I know I can shoot under par out there.

"I just didn't play well enough today and then hit one bad shot at the wrong time. But that's golf."

Royal Co Down's Simon Thornton also had triple bogey trouble with a seven at the 13th in a six-over 76.