Walker survives war of attrition out West
Simon Walker from Maynooth University - Photo Credit/ Oisin Keniry.jpg
Roscommon's Simon Walker overcame a windchill factor of minus two and rainswept winds gusting to 50kph to grab the first-round lead in the Connolly Motor Group-sponsored West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point.
The reigning Irish Intervarsity champion (23) carded a level par 71 in horrific conditions at County Sligo to lead by three shots from Dungannon's Dwayne Mallon, Grange's Sean Murphy and Swiss visitor Julius Sommer in the race to make the top 64 who qualify for Sunday's matchplay stages.
"I'm very happy," said Walker, who set off in the third group of the day at 7:20am. "It was a very early start this morning at about four o'clock, but coming here to the West, you always have to expect that you will face tough conditions.
"Luckily, I was with (links specialists) Aodhagan (Brady) and (Ryan Griffin) today, so that made it a bit easier."
Officials opted against cutting or rolling the greens overnight, but while they were running at just nine on the Stimpmeter due to the poor forecast, the 138-man field struggled mightily with just 49 players managing to break 80.
"It's playing very hard," said Walker, who birdied the third and fifth in a steady 30 kmph northwest wind to turn in two-under. "I was very happy to be bogey-free through nine."
Walker sandwiched a birdie at the 11th between bogeys at the 10th and 12th before running up a double-bogey at the par-three 13th after losing a ball.
But he steadied the ship and played the last five holes in one-under thanks to four pars and a birdie at the 15th.
"When the conditions are tough and so cold out there, it's easier to stay in the moment because all you are thinking about is staying warm and dry," he said.
"I took it hole by hole and enjoyed it coming in. In strokeplay, it's just about not taking on too much risk and just playing some pretty steady golf."
Veteran Eddie McCormack (52) described the conditions as the toughest he'd ever faced in 27 years playing the West, and he was suitably delighted with a 75 that left him seven-way tie for fifth.
"Never hit rescue to the first," he said the Galway Bay man, who famously lost to Rory McIlroy in the 2005 Irish Close final at Westport.
"Never hit a five iron to the second from 113 yards, two iron to the fourth... rescue to the ninth. But it was fun.
"It was a case of not making any major mistakes; don't make double bogeys and just take your punishment where you can and move on.
"I made two putts for bogeys that looked like being double bogeys. It was tough and very, very cold."
Defending champion Keith Egan shot 77 and revealed he had to lay up at the tough par-four seventh after a good drive left him 240 yards to the pin over the burn
"I hit six iron and planned on leaving myself 80 yards for my third," Egan said. "I ended up hitting six iron from 110 yards and missed a 10-footer for par."
Just four members of the national High Performance panel were in action but they were 30-over par collectively.
Connemara’s Luke O’Neill shot 75 to share fifth place and Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan a 77 for 16th.
While Ballybofey and Stranorlar’s Griffin and Millicent’s Brian Doran carded a brace of 10-over 81s, they were just a shot outside the projected cut mark in 65th place.
West of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC (Par 71)
Qualifying
Round 1
71 S Walker (Roscommon);
74 D Mallon (Dungannon), S Murphy (Grange), J Sommer (Golf & CC Zurich);
75 O Murphy (Royal Portrush), E McCormack (Galway Bay), L O’Neill (Connemara), E O’Carroll (St Anne’s), J Keane (Lahinch ), S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo), Q Carew (Castleknock);
76 P O’Hanlon (Carton House), T Abom (Edmondstown), R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), C Campbell (Warrenpoint);
77 R Cannon (Balbriggan), K Egan (Carton House), D Holmes (Greystones), S Nesbitt (Royal Portrush), P Coughlan, (Castleknock ), S Downes (Royal Dublin ), A Smith (Mullingar), S Ryan (The Royal Dublin);
78 L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), A Allahbachani (Powerscourt), H Gillivan (Portmarnock ), L Abom (Edmondstown), S Cullen (PGA National Slieve Russell ), S Dorman (Bangor), J Boles, (Charleville), L Gowdy (Bangor), C Hickey (Dooks ), S Grehan (Co. Louth), C Stapleton (Westport);
79 R Walsh (Douglas ), J Whelan (Grange), J Hewitt (Tandragee), P Curran (Edmondstown ), J O’Neill (Berehaven), R Latimer (Knock), G O’Mahony (Fota Island), E Sullivan (Portmarnock), D Reddan (Castleknock), D Flynn (Carton House), O Bach (Oslo GC), T O’Connor (Athlone), I Oliver (Glasson), D Kitt (Athenry ), A Brady (Co Sligo);
80 S Flanagan (Portmarnock), N Kennedy (Lahinch), W Walshe (Delgany ), M Cadden (Roganstown), D Brady (Straffan), C Clarke (Balmoral , D O’Reilly (Farnham Estate), K Robinson (Castlewarden), J Walsh (Douglas), C McCarthy, (Headfort), A Naughton (Hermitage),S Desmond (Monkstown), B. Anderson (Cork), TJ Ford (Co. Sligo), J Fox (Portmarnock);
81 R Lyons (Douglas), J Hall (Galgorm Castle), M O’Sullivan(Ballyneety), E Monaghan (Tullamore), S Barry (Fota Island), J McDonnell (Royal Dublin), D Kelleher (Blarney), R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), S Sweeney, (Gweedore), D Shiel (Enniscrone ), B Doran (Millicent), I O’Connell(Castleknock);
82 D Cleary (Tipperary), M Crowe (Elm Park), LM Martinsen (Miklagard, Nor) , G Lenehan (Portmarnock), R McCormack (Palmerstown House), R Nelson (Belvoir Park), H McArdle (Warrenpoint), R Galligan (Elm Park), R O’Connor (Co. Sligo), K Morris (Rosslare), A Marshall (Lisburn);
83 D Grehan (Carton House), D McCormack (Corrstown) C Kenny (Portmarnock), S McDermott(PGA National Slieve Russell);
84 WH Sundborn (Nor), D Howard (Fota island), C Harkin (Letterkenny), S Kelly, (The Island), E Farrell (Co. Louth), B Hanratty (Donabate), C McDonnell (Concra Wood);
85 EG Lisibach (Ned) , T Beaumont (Bangor), E Murphy (Dundalk), C Smyth (Ballinasloe), A Gavin (Black Bush), E O’Donnell (Tralee);
86 D McKenna (Co. Louth), F Eager (Royal Belfast), G McKenna (Ormeau), L Boyle, (Carton House), N Patterson (Baltinglass), M Doogue (Castleknock), A McCormack, (Castletroy), B. Lane(Muskerry);
87 A Kiernan (Forrest Little), P Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon), F Farhang (Oslo GC, Nor), D Harrington (Doneraile), D Beirne (Ballinamore ), L O’Connor (Edmondstown),C Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell), A McCormick (Scrabo);
88 C Ruddy. (Enniscrone ), J. Napier(Scrabo), B Howlin (The Heritage), S Cloonan. (Dunmore Demense), D Lyne (Lahinch), J Everard (Kilkenny ), C Smith(Co. Sligo);
89 W O’Riordan (Greystones);
90- R Carvill (Warrenpoint);
92 J O’Rourke (Naas),
93 J Mitten. (Castleknock), R Murray (Balmoral);
95 D O’Malley (Black Bush);
98 C Keenan (Belvoir Park);
WD J Boyce (Royal Portrush), N Conneely (Ballinasloe), D O’Riordan (Mitchelstown), J Kelly (Ardee).
