Eight Irish qualify in Spanish amateur tests
Liam Nolan in action at Sherry Golf. Picture courtesy RFEG
Sherry Golf Jerez took its share of victims in the second qualifying round for the Copa del Rey and Peter O’Keeffe certainly won’t forget it in a hurry.
After surprising himself by opening with a four-under 68 in his first start since completing the Irish Close - Irish Amateur Open double four months ago, the Douglas golfer bogeyed the last and carded a nine-over 81 to miss out on qualification for the matchplay stages by one spot.
The Irish international finished a frustating 65th on the leaderboard but there was plenty of good news for many other Irish players.
Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell carded a 72 and Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley a 75 to tie for 19th on one-over, seven strokes behind leading qualifier Carl Siemens of Germany.
Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan was tied 30th after a 72, Bray’s Alan Fahy (74) and Galway’s Liam Nolan (74) tied 47th on four-over and Carton House’s Marc Boucher (77) 57th on five-over.
In the Copa de la Reina at Real Club de Golf Pineda in Seville, Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter celebrated her call up to the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup squad by carding four birdies in a level par 72 to qualify in joint 31st on two-over.
Spain-based Marina Joyce Moreno was tied 44th on five-over but with just one player on eight-over making the cut, Kate Lanigan and Aideen Walsh narrowly missed out on nine-over.
Copa S.M. El Rey 2022, Sherry Golf Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera (Par 72, (Index 73.2, Slope 131)
Irish qualifiers
T19 MCDONNELL, Jack * +1 18 Par 73 72 145
T19 FOLEY, Hugh +1 18 +3 70 75 145
T30 COUGHLAN, Paul * +2 18 Par 74 72 146
T47 FAHY, Alan * +4 18 +2 74 74 148
T47 NOLAN, Liam * +4 18 +2 74 74 148
T57 BOUCHER, Marc * +5 18 +5 72 77 149
Non-qualifiers
T57 OKEEFFE, Peter +5 18 +9 68 81 149
T66 MORAN, Robert +6 18 +2 76 74 150
T86 KITT, David * +9 18 +3 78 75 153
T86 KNIGHTLY, Richard * +9 18 +4 77 76 153
116 KEELING, Patrick +19 18 +8 83 80 163
T117 FORD, Tj +20 18 +12 80 84 164
Copa S.M. La Reina 2022, RCG Pineda, Sevilla
Irish quaifiers
T31 COULTER, Beth +2 18 Par 74 72 146
T44 JOYCE MORENO, Marina +5 18 +5 72 77 149
Non-qualifiers
T68 LANIGAN, Kate +9 18 +3 78 75 153
T68 WALSH, Aideen +9 18 +2 79 74 153
