Past champions and future stars line up in 123rd South of Ireland at “special” Lahinch
Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion) will make his 40th consecutive appearance at the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship this week
Photo: Inpho | Tom Maher
Peter Sheehan tees it up in his 40th Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship today but he's not the only former champion enamoured of the annual matchplay classic at Lahinch.
As 58-year-old Sheehan goes off with fellow veterans Karl Bornemann and Sean Barry at 2:30pm, two former champions and a former runner-up will be on the back nine at the west Clare links reliving their past glories and enjoying the unique atmosphere of what is arguably Irish golf's most popular provincial championship.
A 46-year-old Robbie Cannon, champion in 2009, joins last year's beaten semi-finalist, 54-year-old Pat Murray (winner in 2012) and the 53-year-old 2007 runner up Joe Lyons in a threeball that will be as much a trip down memory lane as another opportunity to defy the odds and frighten a few young guns by making the top 64 after 36 holes who qualify for the matchplay stages on Friday.
"The minute you drive into the car park in Lahinch, you can almost smell golf," said Lyons, a former West of
Ireland champion, who has become a prolific winner on the seniors circuit with seven championship wins to his name. "There is just something special about the place.
"Lahinch has a charm to it, really. There's something magical about it and I love the design and holes such as the Dell or the Klondyke because they are unique in world golf."
The Alastair Mackenzie-designed course will host the Walker Cup next year, and not only is Lyons keen to make the trip, but he will likely bump into old rivals like Murray and Cannon, who have a special "grá" for the course, the town and the championship.
Murray finally ended his quest for South of Ireland glory in 2012 after multiple appearances in the quarter and semi-finals.
"I just love the buzz there," said Tipperary native, who made a surprise appearance in the semi-finals 12 months ago, where he was beaten by eventual champion Patrick Adler of the US.
"There's so much to be said for a golf course in the middle of the town. It's a great test when the wind blows and the atmosphere on the first tee box, right in front of the clubhouse, is second to none."
Cannon can hardly believe it's been 16 years since he beat Cork's Gary O'Flaherty in the final and while he'll be hoping to capture lightning in a bottle and pulling for all his strength and conditioning clients, he'll be making sure to smell the wildflowers along the way.
"The views on the golf course are fantastic, the people and all the members are lovely, and it's just a great place to play golf," Cannon said. "It's just one of my favourite places in golf.
Adler is not defending his title, but there is still a quality field in action, diminished only by the absence of Amateur Championship runner-up Gavin Tiernan and 2015 winner Stuart Grehan, who are hoping to boost
their chances of Walker Cup selection when they. Play for Great Britain and Ireland in this week's St Andrews Trophy at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid.
Players of the calibre of former champions Caolan Rafferty and Colm Campbell, Roscommon's Thomas Higgins, Malahide's Gavin O'Neill and Galgorm's Joshua Hill, not to mention Connemara's Luke O'Neill, last year's runner up Brian Doran of Millicent, West of Ireland winner Dylan Holmes and East of Ireland champion David Howard from Fota Island will be keen to make their mark.
The 1985 champion, Sheehan, will be making his 40th appearance, and the memory of his victory remains vivid.
"I played against Michael O'Kelly (Limerick) in the final. There must have been 5,000 people there," he told Golf Ireland this week.
"The abiding memory was watching Padraig Harrington and his girlfriend, wife now, Caroline, strolling around watching us in the final, which is nice to see years later."
Like Cannon, Murray and Lyons, there's nowhere he'd rather be this week.
"They look after me every year, they make me feel so welcome as a past champion, and they make me feel as if I'm the winner coming back every year," said Sheehan, whose goal is to make the cut and take a few matchplay scalps.
"They look after me so well, treat you so well, and it's just a really, really special place."
South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch (Old Course)
Qualifying
Today/Tomorrow
7:00/12:00 Danny Lyne (Lahinch), Morgan O'Sullivan (Ballyneety) Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk);
7:10/12:10 John Dillon (Lahinch), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Eoin O'Carroll (St Anne's);
7:20/12:30 Jamal Sabir (Moate), Conor Stapleton (Westport), Senan Carroll (Ballybunion);
7:30/12:40 Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House), Luke O'Neill (Connemara), Thomas O'Connor (Athlone);
7:40/12:50 Adam Smith (Mullingar), James Marriott (West Surrey), Mark Cadden (Roganstown);
7:50/1:00 Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown), Darren McCormack (Corrstown);
8:00/1:10 Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Aaron McNulty (Lahinch), Barry Howlin (The Heritage);
8:10/1:20 David Kitt (Athenry), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Luke O'Dwyer (Forrest Little);
8:20/1:30 Tony Scroope (Nenagh), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Fionn Dobbin (Malone);
8:30/1:40 Niall Hearns (Mountrath), Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint), Calum Ward (Carton House);
8:50/1:50 Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), David Reddan (Castleknock), David Lally (Blainroe);
9:00/2:00 Ross Latimer (Knock), Andrew McCormack (Castletroy), Darren O'Sullivan (Tralee);
9:10/2:20 Dylan Holmes (Greystones), Gavin O'Neill (Malahide), Keith Egan (Carton House);
9:20/2:30 Mark Gazi (Tralee), Luke Cunningham (Galway) Bay), John McCarthy (Grange);
9:30/2:40 Robert Galligan (Elm Park), Colum Kenny (Portmarnock), Morgan Crowe (Elm Park);
9:40/2:50 Jake Whelan (Grange), Quentin Carew (Castleknock), Seán McLoughlin (Co Sligo);
9:50/3:00 David Howard (Fota Island), Jonathan Kelly (Athy), Dylan Keating (Seapoint);
10:00/3:10 Ciaran Murphy (Grange), Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin), Gary Collins (Rosslare);
10:10/3:20 Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle), Morgan Cain (Cork), Ben Cahill (Dundalk);
10:20/3:30 Conor Hickey (Dooks), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Adam Challoner (Galway Bay);
10:40/3:40 Steven Gormley (Blainroe), David Kelly (Millicent), Andrew Barker (Corrstown);
10:50/3:50 Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park), Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy), Andrew Gavin (Black Bush);
11:00/7:00 Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Joe O'Neill (Berehaven), Jamie Butler (Naas);
11:10/7:10 Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park), Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate);
11:20/7:20 Julius Sommer (Zurich), Niall Conneely (Ballinasloe), Dan Byrne (The Els Club Dubai);
11:30/7:30 Stephen Loftus (Lahinch), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Jamie Larkin (Palmerstown House Estate);
11:40/7:40 Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), Sean Murphy (Grange), Seán Desmond (Monkstown);
11:50/7:50 Pat Murray (Adare Manor), Joe Lyons (Galway), Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan);
12:00/8:00 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Brian Doran (Millicent), James Walsh (Douglas);
12:10/8:10 Greg O'Mahony (Fota Island), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), Brian Thompson (Olympic Club);
12:30/8:20 Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo), Cathal Penney (Athenry);
12:40/8:30 Cole Haygood (Heathrow), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Simon Walker (Roscommon);
12:50/8:50 Cian O’Connor (Roscommon), Jake Foley (Elm Park), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);
1:00/9:00 Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire), Adam Buchanan (Royal Portrush), Niels Knudsen (Lyngbygaard);
1:10/9:10 Samuel Gammell (Naas), Jack Murphy (Douglas), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock);
1:20/9:20 TJ Ford (Co Sligo), Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock), Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin);
1:30/9:30 Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle);
1:40/9:40 Luke Furlong (Wexford), Sam Kelly (The Island), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore);
1:50/9:50 Jason Rackard (Bunclody), Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park), Robert Walsh (Douglas);
2:00/10:00 Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle), David Shiel Enniscrone, Darren Kelleher (Blarney);
2:20/10:10 Adrian Hiney (Moate), Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy), Joseph Stevenson (Portadown);
2:30/10:20 Karl Bornemann (Douglas), Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion), Sean Barry (Fota Island);
2:40/10:40 Eoin Magill (East Clare), Shea Dorman (Bangor), David O'Malley (Black Bush);
2:50/10:50 Conor Dean (Dun Laoghaire), Aaron Naughton (Hermitage), Sean Gallagher (Castleknock);
3:00/11:00 Matthew Giles (Greenore), Barry O’Connell (Douglas), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore);
3:10/11:10 Eoin Rogers (Killeen Castle), Dylan Harbourne (Grange), Colin Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire);
3:20/11:20 Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Cathal MacCanna (Carton House), Neil Patterson (Baltinglass);
3:30/11:30 Jack Doherty (Carton House), Cian Poland (Elm Park), Ryan Murray (Balmoral);
3:40/11:40 William Josh Nicholl (Galgorm Castle), Ryan Lyons (Blarney), James Maginn (Mourne);
3:50/11:50 Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden).
