High quality quarter-finals at South of Ireland
Liam Nolan. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Liam Nolan, Peter O’Keeffe and Keith Egan produced late rallies to win on the 19th and make the star-studded quarter-finals in the Pierse Motors-sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.
O’Keeffe was one down to Tramore’s Jack Hearn playing the 18th but hit a 244-yard three wood to 10 feet and two-putted for birdie as Hearn was bunkered left and missed from eight feet for the match.
On the 19th, Hearn was right off the tee and after watching his approach roll back into sand, he failed to get up and down for par.
O’Keeffe now plays 2019 runner-up Egan, who also came from behind to beat Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan on the 19th.
Nolan also had to perform a miracle to edge out Jack Doherty at the first extra hole.
“I ripped one down the middle and pulled a two-iron left near the wall and chopped it on the green to 20 feet and holed the putt and Jack missed from 15 feet for the win,” Nolan said. “Then on 19, I hit the green in two and Jack missed the green and didn’t get up and down.”
Nolan now faces 2009 champion Robbie Cannon (43), who lost the first to a chip-in birdie by Westport’s Harry Gillivan but turned all square, then won with 10th to go one-up before he birdied the 12th and 15th to build a three-up advantage en route to a 3&2 win.
In the bottom half of the draw, Max Kennedy cruised to a 4&3 win over Nenagh’s David Reddan Jnr and now takes on Robert Brazill, who had to work hard before eventually defeating the lone Lahinch survivor, Aaron McNulty 3&2.
North of Ireland champion Hugh Foley was also impressive as he beat Dundalk’s Eoin Murphy 3&2.
Foley now takes on the experienced Colm Campbell (35), who had to use all his experience to beat Portmarnock’s Séan Flanagan by one hole.
The Warrrenpoint man birdied the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th to be two-up but he had to dig deep to get over the line.
The Rosses Point man made a 15-footer for a great par save after missing the 15th well right.
Campbell three-putted the 16th to hand Flanagan a hole but while the Co Sligo man made a 20-footer for birdie at the 17th after Campbell had shaved the hole, he couldn’t match the reigning Flogas Irish Amateur Open champion’s birdie at the 18th.
“It was good,” Flanagan said, admitting Campbell’s clutch play down the stretch was no surprise.
“He birdied 10, 12, 13, 14 and missed a little putt on 16 but even on 17, he matched me shot for shot into the green. We both had 15-20 footers and his slipped by and I holed to go to the last all square.
“It was all to play for but again, he hit a good drive down the last and a decent second. He left himself in a tricky position short right but if I could have a shot back it would be my second to the last.
“I left myself in a poor position and did as good a job as I could do with the chip (to 12 feet) but he made birdie. There is a reason why he plays in the anchor position every year whenever he plays Homes.”
South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen, Lahinch GC
Third round
Robbie 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
Rob 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
Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan) v Liam Nolan (Galway)
Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) v Keith Egan (Carton House)
Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) v Rob Brazill (Naas)
Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin) v Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint).
