Leading qualifier Hill and defending champion Ford ousted in first round at Lahinch

The Dell on a picture perfect Friday at Lahinch

Leading qualifier Joshua Hill and defending champion TJ Ford fell at the first hurdle in the Pierse Motors sponsored South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Galgorm Castle star Hill (18) shot a 10-under 62 on the white course in the second round to win the qualifying by two shots on 12-under par from Ford.

But he fell 3&2 to Westport’s Harry Gillivan in the first round as Ford lost on the 20th to Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill (17), last year’s Irish Under 18 Boys champion on a perfect day for links golf.

“I was two-up with two to play and happy enough and TJ birdied the 17th and 18th,” O’Neill reported. “I hit it to 10 feet on 17 and he rolled his in from 15 feet and I shaved the edge. Then on 18 he was on in two and I didn’t get up and down from the right side of the green.

“Down 19 we go and they way we were playing it could have gone 23 or 24 holes but I birdied the 20th to win.

“I nearly it the clubhouse with my drive, it went that far left and then I hit a great shot just over the back of the green, chipped to eight feet and made it and he missed from just inside me.”

O’Neill is making his debut at Lahinch and he’s loving the experience.

Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill drives off the first in the second round of the 120th Pierse Motors sponsored South of Ireland at Lahinch

“It’s my first time here and it’s fabulous. All the lads are saying it’s the one they look forward to the most and I can 100pc see why. Even in the evenings, the craic you have with your mates and how central the course is to everything and a lot of people out watching, it’s great.”

Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell beat Co Sligo’s S McLoughlin at the 19th to set up an interesting second round clash with 2009 champion Robbie Cannon while Galway’s Liam Nolan beat last year’s runner-up, West of Ireland champion Alan Fahy to clinch a last 32 meeting with Shane Hogan from The Heritage.

East of Ireland winner Alex Maguire cruised through the first round but faces multiple championship winner Peter O’Keeffe for a place in the last 16.

Harry Fanagan, son of 1995 champion Jody, made a clutch par save from 15 feet on the 17th to remain one-up before closing out Tandragee’s James Hewitt and now faces the fancied Jack Hearn from Tramore.

There will be a Lahinch man in the last 16 tomorrow after Aaron McNulty birdied the 17th and 18th to defeat 2018 champion, Caolan Rafferty, by two holes on his championship debut.

Two down after 10, he won the 11th and 15th to level the match, lipped out on the 16th but then holed for birdie from semi-rough just off the back of the green at the 17th to go one-up and claimed the last by getting his third close from the front left bunker as Rafferty’s second finished against the wall and after bunting the ball a few yards forward, failed to chip in.

“I am very happy, I played very well“, said McNulty (26), who was an estimated four-under par for the holes played. “This is my first year playing championships and it is all a learning curve.

He now faces clubmate Stephen Loftus, who beat Boys international Darcy Hogg from Belvoir Park 2&1.

Connacht Stroke Play champion Robert Brazill got a walkover from Carton House’s Paul O’Hanlon, who had an eye problem and could not see well enough to tee it up.

North of Ireland champion Hugh Foley beat Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty 3&1.

South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC

Draw

H Gillivan (Westport) bt J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 3&2;

R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) bt A Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 2&1;

J McDonnell (Forrest Little) bt S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo) 19th;

R Cannon (Balbriggan) bt D Keating (Seapoint) 3&2:

L Nolan (Galway) bt A Fahy (Bray) 3&1;

S Hogan (The Heritage) bt R Latimer (Clandeboye) 19th;

C Denvir (Elm Park) bt S O’Brien (Nenagh) 3&2;

J Doherty (Carton House) bt M Dodd (St. Anne’s) 3&2;

A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) bt C Harkin (Letterkenny) 6&5;

P O’Keeffe (Douglas) bt M Boucher (Carton House) 2 holes;

H Fanagan (Milltown) bt J Hewitt (Tandragee) 1 hole;

J Hearn (Tramore) bt A McCormack (Castletroy) 2 hole;

R Knightly (Royal Dublin) bt D Flynn (Carton House) 2&1;

P Coughlan (Castleknock) bt J Rackard (Enniscorthy) 5&3;

K Egan (Carton House) bt M Mullen (Rosslare) 6&5;

A Riordan (Blarney) bt J Cleary (Elm Park) 1 hole;

G O’Neill (Malahide) bt TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 20th;

D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) bt B St. John (Portmarnock) 4&3;

D Kelleher (Blarney) bt J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 2 holes;

M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) bt P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 4&3;

A McNulty (Lahinch) bt C Rafferty (Dundalk) 2 holes;

S Loftus (Lahinch) bt D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 2&1;

D Kitt (Athenry) bt P Adler (North Shore Country Club, USA) 2&1;

R Brazill (Naas) w/o P O’Hanlon (Carton House);

H Foley (Royal Dublin) bt G O’Flaherty (Cork) 3&1;

J McCabe (Roganstown) bt J Whelan (Grange) 19th;

E Murphy (Dundalk) bt J Foley (Elm Park) 4&3;

J Madden (Royal Portrush) bt D O’Sullivan (Tralee) 2&1;

C Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) bt E Farrell (Ardee) 1 hole;

A King (Faithlegg) bt K Morris (Wexford) 2&1;

S Flanagan (Portmarnock) bt E Sullivan (Carton House) 4&3;

D O’Riordan (Fermoy) bt J Robinson (Lisburn) 2&1.

2nd rd.

Gillivan bt Abernethy 3&2;

Cannon bt McDonnell 2&1;

Nolan bt Hogan 4&2;

Doherty bt Denvir 20th;

O’Keeffe bt Maguire 3&2;

Hearn bt Fanagan 4&3;

Coughlan bt Knightly 1 hole;

Egan bt Riordan 4&3;

Reddan Jnr bt O’ Neill 2 holes ;

Kennedy bt Kelleher 5&4;

McNulty bt Loftus 4&3

Brazill bt Kitt 2&1;

Foley bt McCabe 2&1;

Murphy bt Madden 4&3;

Campbell bt King 7&6;

Flanagan bt O’Riordan 22nd.

Today

3rd rd.

1. (08:00) Gillivan v Cannon;

2. (08:12) Nolan v Doherty;

3. (08:24) O’Keeffe v Hearn;

4. (08:36) Coughlan v Egan;

5. (08:48) Reddan Jnr v Kennedy;

6. (09:00) McNulty v Brazill;

7. (09:12) Foley v Murphy;

8. (09:24) Campbell v Flanagan.