Stellar semi-final line up as stars emerge from wind and rain at Lahinch
Robbie Brazill (Naas) in action in the quarter-finals at the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch Golf Club. Picture: Niall O'Shea
Robert Brazill remains on course for what would be a dream comeback from a career-threatening injury after he battled his way into Sunday's semi-finals in the Pierse Motors sponsored South of Ireland Championship at a wet and windy Lahinch.
A prodigious hitter, the 25-year-old Naas man won the West of Ireland on 2018 and was runner-up in the AIG Irish Close at Ballybunion in 2019 before his world fall apart when he broke the scaphoid bone in his right wrist in March 2020.
His recovery has been a slow one but after losing more than 10 kg while working with fitness consultant Peter O'Keeffe and honing his swing with former Walker Cup star Noel Fox, he is slowly getting back to his best.
Runner-up to Jack Hearn in the North of Ireland Strokeplay at Belvoir Park, he was tied fourth in the East of Ireland before winning the Connacht Stroke Play title in June.
Now, after beating Lahinch's Aaron McNulty 3&2 and Royal Dublin's Max Kennedy 2&1 to reach the last four at Lahinch, he looks to have secured an automatic recall to the Irish team via the top-three in the Bridgestone Order of Merit and hopes to cap a great season with what would be his second "Major" win.
"To get where I am today is massive," said Brazill, who made clutch putts at the 14th and 15th to edge in front against Kennedy before closing out the match with a seven-footer for a winning par in a horrific squall at the 17th.
Rob Brazill makes his par putt to beat Max Kennedy 2&1. He’s faces Hugh Foley tomorrow as Liam Nolan takes on Peter O’Keeffe pic.twitter.com/RYoxX6MgUx
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) July 23, 2022
"It's a nice reward for my parents who have backed me all the way since I came back. Sure I thought I was never going to play golf again."
He faces a tough task against Royal Dublin's Hugh Foley, who is bidding to become the first man since Darren Clarke in 1990 to win the North of Ireland and South of Ireland titles in the same season.
"Hugh has been playing serious golf and he's in fantastic form," Brazill added. "But you want to play someone like that and test yourself."
Foley beat Dundalk's Eoin Murphy 3&2 in the morning before defeating Warrenpoint's Colm Campbell 4&3 in the afternoon wind and rain, playing the 15 holes in an estimated four-under-par.
"Considering the conditions, that was the best I've played," said Foley, who is looking for his fourth "Major" win after triumphs in the Irish Close (2020), the West of Ireland (2021) and the "North" just eight days ago.
"I think Collie was probably level par and I was four-under. With the clutch putts that he makes, to be honest, I nearly had to beat him twice to really beat him because he is brilliant under pressure and when he really needs to make putts, he does.
Hugh Foley makes it to beat @ColmCampbell87 4&3 Mc pic.twitter.com/zTJwUKMQNv
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) July 23, 2022
"I just putted better today and that's the key to matchplay, just putting people under pressure with good putts."
At the top of the draw, Galway international Liam Nolan came back from one down with one to play to beat Carton House's Jack Doherty at the 19th in the third round, then cruised to a 6&5 win over 2009 champion Robbie Cannon to set up a semi-final clash with reigning Irish Close champion O’Keeffe, Brazill’s trainer.
"I was very solid this evening," said Nolan, who avenged his defeat in this year's West of Ireland final with a first-round win over Bray's Alan Fahy. "I only bogeyed the one hole and that was the sixth which was a monster."
Nolan chipped for an eagle at the par-five fourth, where he rebounded off the wall, to go one-up against Cannon before cruising six-up with five wins in six holes from the eighth.
He now takes on 40-year-old O'Keeffe in the semi-finals and the Douglas man is ready for another tough battle after seeing off four top-class players in Carton House's Marc Boucher, East of Ireland champion Alex Maguire from Laytown and Bettystown, Tramore's Jack Hearn and Carton House's Keith Egan over the first two days.
A three-time “Major” winner, he was one down to Hearn playing the 18th in his third round match but hit a 244-yard three wood to 10 feet and two-putted for birdie to force extra holes before winning on the 19th with a par.
In the quarter-finals, he raced four up after four holes against Irish international Egan before edging the match by one hole.
"Keith is a tough competitor but that's the way the draw has been for me," said the powerfully built strength and conditioning coach O'Keeffe, who lost to Nolan in the semi-finals of the West on the 18th in April.
"All my matches have been tough matches so I suppose it's good if I can get through them, which I am doing. Everyone has been an international so far. I owe Liam one from the West, where I was never behind until he birdied the last to win one up.
"I am looking forward to playing him tomorrow. I'd love to win the South. I am always last 16 or better here it seems and it's a family holiday. It's a place I really enjoy so hopefully I can close it out.”
South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC
Third round
Robert Cannon (Balbriggan) bt Harry Gillivan (Westport) 3&2
Liam Nolan (Galway) bt Jack Doherty (Carton House) 19th
Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) bt Jack Hearn (Tramore) 19th
Keith Egan (Carton House) bt Paul Coughlan (Castleknock)19th
Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) bt David Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 4&3
Robert Brazill (Naas) bt Aaron McNulty (Lahinch) 3&2
Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin) bt Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 3&2
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo) 1 hole
Quarter-finals
Liam Nolan bt Robert Cannon 6&5
Peter O'Keeffe bt Keith Egan 1 hole
Robert Brazill bt Max Kennedy 2&1
Hugh Foley bt Colm Campbell Jnr 4&3
Sunday
Semi Finals
8.30 Liam Nolan (Galway) v Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas)
8.45 Robert Brazill (Naas) v Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin)
Final (2 pm)
