TJ Ford and Alan Fahy through to South of Ireland final at Lahinch
Lahinch Golf Club
TJ Ford will be bidding to become the first County Sligo winner of the Pierse Motors Volkswagen sponsored South of Ireland title when he faces Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy in this afternoon’s final at Lahinch.
The 24-year old, who works full time in golf marketing, beat Fortwilliam’s Hugh O’Hare 2 and 1 in scorching conditions in the first of this morning’s semi-final as 23-year old Bray native Fahy birdied the 16th to complete a 3 and 2 win over Enniscorthy’s Paul Conroy.
Ford was two-up through 12 holes but couldn’t match O’Hare’s two-putt birdie at the 13th. He remained one up through 14 but lost the 15th after he was forced to lay up follow a pushed tee shot and O’Hare got up and down for par after a going long with his third.
Ford replied by stiffing his tee shot at the 16th to go one-up and it all ended at the 17th where after finding trouble right off the tee O’Hare three-putted for a double bogey.
Ford had bunkered his tee shott but after splashing out, he had just a few feet for par after hitting a stellar eight-iron from 150 yards.
Fahy was a more clear-cut winner in the other semi-final and was approximately four-under-par as he birdied the ninth from three feet to turn three-up.
He then made a six-footer for birdie at the 10th to extend his lead to four-under but lost the 11th to a par and the 12th to Conroy’s birdie before the 13th was halved in birdie.
Conroy did well to chip and putt for birdie there but after losing the 14th, he birdied the 15th from 18 feet to get back to two down, only to lose at the next.
He was bunkered right and with Fahy just less than 10 feet away, he hit great bunker shot that finished just inches short before the Dun Laoghaire man applied the coup de grace.
Fahy had a tough route to the final in that he was three over after eight holes of his opening round but remaining 28 holes in four-under to qualify on one-under after rounds of 74 and 69
He then beat Dooks’ Conor Hickey (6&4), Marc Boucher (20th), Aaron Marshall (4&3) and Joshua Hill (1 hole) before defeating Conroy 3&2.
Ford also opened with a 74 but shot 67 to qualify on three-under before going to beat Fintona’s Ryan McNelis (1 hole), Castletroy’s Dean McMahon (4&3), Arklow’s Keith Murphy (3&2) and Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly (20th) before his 2 and 1 win over O’Hare.
County Sligo Golf Club has never had a winner of the South. See past winners
Cecil Ewing lost 4 and 3 to John Burke in 1945 while there was also defeat for Sean McTernan to Colm Moriarty in 2002. Ken Kearney lost to Liam MacNamara playing out of Galway in 1992 and to Graeme McDowell as a Roscommon player in 2000.
South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC
Sunday - Final 2 pm
TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) v Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire)
Semi-finals
TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) bt Hugh O’Hare (Fortwilliam) 2&1
Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) bt Paul Conroy (Enniscorthy) 3&2
