Rafferty makes perfect start in bid for provincial 'Grand Slam' at North
Caolan Rafferty. Picture: Niall O'Shea
Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty took a giant step towards becoming the first man to complete the provincial career Grand Slam when he opened with a three-under 68 to claim a share of the lead in the North of Ireland Championship at Portstewart.
While Raymie Burns (1989) and Jack Hume (2010) won the Boys Provincial Calendar Grand Slam, even completing the Career Slam in the men's provincial championships has proved mission impossible for Irish golf's historic figures.
Of the players to win three of the four titles, Rafferty can become the first to complete the set since the introduction of the ‘North’ in 1947.
He's one of nine men to claim three of the four legs. But just as it was for Joe Carr, Barry Reddan and Mark Gannon, the 'North' has proved elusive, just as the 'South' eluded Garth McGimpsey, David Long and Arthur Pierse, the 'West' Darren Clarke and the 'East' Hugh Foley.
Rafferty's 68 left him tied with Carton House’s Cathal MacCanna, a shot clear of Athenry’s David Kitt with the top 36 and ties after Thursday’s second round set to contest the final 36 holes on Friday.
Just 16 players broke par while the provisional cut mark was three-over, leaving players like Keith Egan (75) and defending champion Thomas Abom (78) with work to do in round two.
Q-School reaches halfway
At the First Stage of the DP World Tour Q-School, David Carey's three-under 69 pushed him into the crucial top 17 and ties at Donnington Grove at halfway.
He was tied 10th on four-under with Tom Dowdall (71) 15th on three-under while Paul McBride (69) and Cormac Sharvin (72) were two shots outside the mark on one under.
Mark Boucher (1-over), Niall Kearney (2-over) and Michael Young (5-over) have work to do, as does John Murphy, who was 50th on five over at Arlandastad in Sweden.
North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Portstewart (Strand, Par 71)
68 T1: Cathal MacCanna (Carton House), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk);
69 3: David Kitt (Athenry);
70 T4: David Shiel (Enniscrone), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey/Stranorlar & Royal Dublin), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore), David O’Malley (Black Bush);
71 T9: Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock), Ollie McEvoy (Ballycastle), Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield), James Hewitt (Tandragee), Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle), Paddy Quill (Cork), Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle), Ryan Symington (Lisburn);
72 17: Lewis Gowdy (Bangor);
73 T18: Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), Sam Murphy (Portumna), Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate), Adam Christie (Castlerock), Harry Fanagan (Milltown), Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet), Conor Byers (Langley Park), Charlie Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell), David Howard (Fota Island), Dylan Holmes (Greystones), Dwayne Mallon (Dungannon), James Marriott (West Surrey), Adam Barr (Ballymena), Conor McCarthy (Headfort);
74 T32: Conor Madigan (Kanturk), Mark Cadden (Roganstown), Luka Rogers (Royal Portrush), Harry O’Hara (Clandeboye), Edward Farr (Monkstown), James Temple (Portmarnock), Dylan Keating (Seapoint), David Reddan (Castleknock), Jack McIlhatton (Massereene), Sean Reddy (Douglas Golf), Ted Harman (Balmoral);
75 T43: Ross King (Castlerock), John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Niklas Scharbauer (Am Habsberg e.V.), Keith Egan (Carton House), Freddie Bracken (Portmarnock), James O’Rourke (Naas), Brendan McKenna (Pollok), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), Patrick Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon), William Walshe (Delgany);
76 T54: Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little), Jordan Boles (Charleville), Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), William O’Riordan (Greystones), Patrick Burke (Foxrock), Barry O’Connell (Douglas), Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Isaac Oliver (Glasson), Thomas Beaumont (Bangor), Andrew Gavin (Black Bush), Fergal Coyle (Athenry);
77 T66: Johnny Heaslip (Ballyclare), Patrick Jordan (Lurgan), Sean Sweeney (Gweedore), David Brady (Straffan), Matthew Dodd (St Anne’s), AJ McCabe (Malahide), Felix Haubenschild (AM Habsberg), Ben Willis (Hunstanton), Sean Downes (Royal Dublin), Brendan Mulgrew (Galgorm Castle), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), Ben Best (Rathmore), Harry Morgan (Donabate), William Small (Tandragee), Ross Latimer (Knock), Sean Murphy (Grange);
78 T82: Conor Hickey (Dooks), Lee Carew (Chelsfield Lakes), Conor Clarke (Balmoral), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Florian Dittrich (AM Habsberg), Matthew Kane (Larne), Ross Nelson (Belvoir Park), Daniel McKenna (Co. Louth), Conor McErlane (Fortwilliam), Cian Harkin (Letterkenny), Conor O’Reilly (Athenry);
79 T94: Gareth Strain (Loughgall), Conor Stapleton (Westport), Jamie Anderson (Greystones), Eanna Mulhare (Birr), Cormac Pearson (Faithlegg), Jonny Hall (Galgorm Castle), Glenn McAuley (Dunmurry);
80 T101: Alex Kerins (Carton House), Barra Lupton Smith (Bray), Darragh Grehan (Carton House Golf), Samuel Gammell (Naas);
81 T105: Eoin Rogers (Ardee), Owen Tweed (Willesley Park), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Gavin Duffy (Edenderry);
82 T109: Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown), Benn Napier (Castlerock), Timothy Jordan (Dungannon), James McMaster (Holywood);
83 114: Sean Rooney (Fortwilliam);
84 T115: Ben Cahill (Dundalk), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush), William Beatty (Royal Portrush);
86 118: Sam Kelly (The Island);
88 119: James Park (County Sligo);
NS: Ronan O’Reilly (Co Louth).
