Purcell and Dawson on form; Connacht shock Leinster

Conor Purcell. Picture: Pat Cashman

Portmarnock's Conor Purcell and Tramore's Robin Dawson warmed up for next week's Eisenhower Trophy with top-10 finishes in the Carrick Neill Scottish Men's Open Championship at Gleneagles

Purcell closed with rounds of 67 and 68 to finish as runner-up to France’s Victor Veyret, six behind on six-under-par on The King’s Course at Gleneagles in Perthshire.

But it was also a good event for Irish Amateur Open champion Dawson, who made eight birdies in a seven-under 63 in the third round before closing with a rollercoaster 75 to finish tied for eighth on level par.

Dun Laoghaire’s Colin Woodroofe was joint13th on two over after closing rounds of 73 and 68 but Kinsale’s John Murphy, the other member of the Irish team that will tee it up in the World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House next week, remains on college duty in the US and will travel home to join Purcell and Dawson at the weekend.

In the Interprovincial Championship, Leinster's bid for a fourth successive win suffered a serious blow when they lost 6.5-4.5 to hosts Connacht at Athenry.

While the foursomes were shared 2-2, only Caolan Rafferty could win his singles as Connacht won three and halved three of the remaining six with Alan Hill, Ronan Mullarney and Joe Lyons all securing their points at the bottom of the order.

Ulster edged out Munster 6-5 in the other match as the selectors finalise the 11-man Irish team that will be seeking a fifth consecutive win in the Home Internationals at Conwy in Wales from September 12-14.

Men’s Interprovincial Championship, Athenry

Detailed scores

Day One

Leinster 4.5, Connacht 6.5 (Leinster names first)

1. C Rafferty & E Smith beat A Gleeson & S Flanagan 6&5;
2. J Yates & R Brazill lost to A Hill & D Kitt 1H;
3. A Fahy & C Denvir beat J Lyons & TJ Ford 2&1;
4. R Cannon & R Moran lost to R Mullarney & J McDonnell 3&2;
5. C Rafferty beat S Flanagan 4&3;
6. R Cannon halved with J McDonnell;
7. J Yates halved with D Kitt;
8. R Brazill halved with A Gleeson;
9. R Moran lost to A Hill 2&1;
10. A Fahy lost to R Mullarney 1H;
11. E Smith lost to J Lyons 1H

Ulster 6 Munster 5 (Ulster names first)

1. R Black & R Dutton beat J Sugrue & E Griffin 1H;
2. M Norton & M McKinstry halved with A McCormack & C Butler;
3. T McLarnon & M McClean beat P O'Keeffe & J Hickey 3&1;
4. R Williamson & P Kerr lost to G O'Flaherty & G Lenehan 7&6;
5. T McLarnon halved with J Sugrue;
6. M McClean beat P O'Keeffe 5&4;
7. M McKinstry lost to E Griffin 3&2;
8. R Black beat J Hickey 4&3;
9. R Dutton lost to A McCormack 2&1;
10. R Williamson lost to G O’Flaherty 1H;
11. M Norton beat G Lenehan retired injured

Today:

(0800) Connacht v Munster (Connacht names first)

Foursomes:

1. A Gleeson & S Flanagan v A McCormack & C Butler;
2. A Hill & D Kitt v J Sugrue & E Griffin;
3. R Mullarney & J McDonnell v G O’Flaherty & P O'Keeffe;
4. J Lyons & TJ Ford v J Hickey & G Lenehan.

(0840) Ulster v Leinster (Ulster names first)

Foursomes

1. R Black & R Dutton v C Rafferty & E Smith;
2. M McKinstry & M Norton v J Yates & R Brazill;
3. T McLarnon & M McClean v A Fahey & C Denvir;
4. P Kerr & R Williamson v R Cannon & R Moran.