West will be a test despite slew of absentees
There was a time when every Irish amateur worth his salt would be steeling himself to battle the elements in the West of Ireland Amateur Championship at Rosses Point today.
Sadly, those days appear to be over.
It's not all bad news as many of our leading players are absent because they are competing overseas at Boys or Student level, or on golf scholarships in the US.
Our leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, Max Kennedy from Royal Dublin, has won this year with Louisville and secured a PGA TOUR start in May.
Four of our top Boys — Mark Gazi, John Doyle, Fionn Dobbin and Donnacha Cleary — are competing in the French Under 18 Boys, while another 13 players, including High-Performance panellist Jack Hearn from Tramore, are also missing as they play the R&A Student Series at St Andrews early next week.
With the final of the 'West' set for next Tuesday, Junior Ryder Cup player Sean Keeling is also a non-runner as he will be teeing it up in the first round of the Flogas Irish Boys Amateur Open at Ballybunion.
The 120-man field includes multiple championship winner Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint, reigning North of Ireland winner James Fox of Portmarnock and former Irish Amateur Open and Close champion Peter O'Keeffe from Douglas.
While Cork Golf Club does not have any players in the field, Douglas Golf Club is well represented with five: O'Keeffe, Ryan Lyons, Robert Walsh, James Walsh, and Sean Deasy.
O'Keeffe has the game to conquer all weathers and with a 20 kmph southwest wind set to gust to 30 kmph and freezing temperatures (and some rain) expected, the cream is likely to come to the top.
Royal Dublin's Hugh Foley is seeking his fifth amateur "major" at the scene of one of his greatest triumphs.
The 26-year-old won a strokeplay edition of the West in 2021, but after enjoying a stellar 2022, when he became the first man since Darren Clarke in 1990 to win the North and South of Ireland titles and was runner-up in both the Irish Close and the US Mid-Amateur, he's looking to bounce back to form this week after a forgettable 2023.
"My confidence definitely did take a knock at times," said Foley, who put himself under too much pressure and failed to win a place in the Walker Cup team for St Andrews.
"Last year was just too results-driven. I was thinking, I need this to get on the team, so I need top fives and top threes, or I need to win, rather than just playing golf getting better."
After rededicating himself over the winter, he can't wait to see how his game holds up in the traditional curtain-raiser to the amateur season here.
"I've had great times at Rosses Point, which is where I played my first Championship," he said. "So I'm really gunning to get going because I feel like I've improved over the last month or two and I want to test it out."
The Connolly Motor Group-sponsored event has reverted to its traditional format after a two-year experiment with three qualifying rounds and just 16 qualifiers.
There will be a round of strokeplay today and tomorrow with the top 64 going through to the matchplay stages from Sunday.
Foley is drawn with TJ Ford, a former South of Ireland winner from Co Sligo, and Walker Cup player Matt McClean from Malone.
Ford also arrives at Rosses Point with form, having shot 64 in the second round to finish third in the Laytown and Bettystown 36-hole Scratch Cup last Sunday.
However, the winner, former Walker Cup star Caolan Rafferty, is another absentee in Sligo due to work commitments.
Co Sligo's Barry Anderson, who lost in the final to England's James Claridge last year, will be looking for a repeat of his 2017 win.
Overseas raiders include Sunningdale’s Freddy Dortmans, the plus-three handicap grandson of two-time Major champion Tony Jacklin.
But Fermoy's Eoghan McCarthy, who injured his wrist in winning Wednesday's pre-qualifier, withdrew yesterday and he's replaced in the draw by Carrick-on-Shannon's Dylan Beirne.
West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, County Sligo GC
Qualifying (Today/tomorrow)
(06:45/10:25) J Hall (Whitehead), T McLarnon (Massereene), L O’Connor (Edmondstown);
(06:56/10:36) J Hewitt (Tandragee), C Stapleton (Connemara), T McGowan (Edmondstown);
(07:07/10:47) D Brady (Straffan), D O’Keeffe (Hermitage), L Flynn (Dun Laoghaire);
(07:18/10:58) C Davis (Bray), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), D Basquill (Enniscrone);
(07:29/11:09) J Lyons (Galway), D Gwilliam (Coventry), F Dortmans (Sunningdale);
(07:40/11:20) D Beirne (Carrick-on-Shannon), R Lyons (Douglas), P O’Keeffe (Douglas);
(07:51/11:31) H Foley (Royal Dublin), TJ Ford (Co Sligo), M McClean (Malone);
(08:02/11:42) D Shiel (Enniscrone), P Curran (Edmondstown), E Farrell (Co Louth);
(08:13/11:53) D Mallon (Dungannon), C Ward (Carton House), T Cafferky (Ballinasloe);
(08:24/12:04) J Foley (Elm Park), A Dooley (Carton House), R O’Connor (Co Sligo);
(08:35/12:15) P Coughlan (Castleknock), C Keenan (Belvoir Park), D O’Reilly (Farnham Estate);
(08:46/12:26) H Gillivan (Portmarnock), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), J Fox (Portmarnock);
(08:57/12:37) G Collins (Rosslare), K Egan (Carton House), L Gowdy (Bangor);
(09:08/12:48) A Scott (Lochmaben, Scot), A Benson (West Lothian, Scot), A Brady (Co Sligo);
(09:19/12:59) C Murphy (Grange), B Doran (Millicent), T Abom (Edmondstown);
(09:30/13:10) L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), I Lynch (Rosslare), D O’Riordan (Fermoy);
(09:41/13:21) P O’Hanlon (Carton House), K Robinson (Castlewarden), S Dorman (Bangor);
(09:52/13:32) V Hundeboll (Silkeborg, Den), E McCormack (Galway Bay), J McDonnell (Forrest Little);
(10:03/13:43) R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), D Howard (Fota Island), J Whelan (Grange);
(10:14/13:54) T O’Connor (Athlone), R Walsh (Douglas), L O’Meara (Tullamore);
(10:25/06:45) R Gallagher (Galway Bay), L Lynch (Naas), L Mitchell (Portmarnock);
(10:36/06:56) J Keane (Lahinch), M Doogue (Castleknock), S McDermott (Slieve Russell);
(10:47/07:07) C Smith (Co Sligo), J O’Callaghan (Ballybunion), S Cullen (Slieve Russell);
(10:58/07:18) R Latimer (Clandeboye), A Kiernan (Forrest Little), R McCormack (Palmerstown House);
(11:09/(07:29) E Rogers (Ardee), J O’Neill (Berehaven), C Hickey (Dooks);
(11:20/07:40) A Buchanan (Royal Portrush), C Kelly (Naas), S O’Neill (Malahide);
(11:31/07:51) O Murphy (Royal Portrush), A Smith (Mullingar), D Flynn (Carton House);
(11:42/08:02) A Mulholland (Castlerock), C Harkin (Letterkenny), L Harris (Hermitage);
(11:53/08:13) L Curran (Castleknock), R Lonergan (Kilkenny), R Carvill (Warrenpoint);
(12:04/08:24) T Finnegan (Co Sligo), F Eager (Royal Belfast), J Adler (Nenagh);
(12:15/08:35) D Keenaghan (Mullingar), J Cunningham (Carton House), J Walsh (Douglas);
(12:26/08:46) P Carey (Nenagh), E Magill (East Clare), S Deasy (Douglas);
(12:37/08:57) G Callaghan (Co Louth), R Fitzpatrick (Naas), J McCarthy (Grange);
(12:48/09:08) C Mooney (Ballinasloe), B Anderson (Co Sligo), S Flanagan (Portmarnock);
(12:59/09:19) R Thompson (Galgorm Castle), R Murray (Balmoral), S Allister (Belvoir Park);
(13:10/09:30) N Patterson (Baltinglass), J Stenson (The Island), A Allahbachani (Powerscourt);
(13:21/09:41) C Duane (Naas), M Green (Greenore), J McIlhatton (Massereene);
(13:32/09:52) R Galligan (Elm Park), R Nelson (Belvoir Park), G Sillett (Ballykisteen);
(13:43/10:03) C Ó’Muirithe (Belmullet), S Kavanagh (St Anne’s), J Temple (Portmarnock);
(13:54/10:14) C Smyth (Slieve Russell), M Cadden (Roganstown), L McKeen (Co Louth).
