Keane tops West qualifiers as second round is abandoned due to Storm Dave

High winds caused moving balls, forcing officials to abandon round two of the West of Ireland at Rosses Point

Lahinch’s Jonathan Keane topped the qualifiers as Storm Dave swept across Rosses Point and the second strokeplay qualifying round for the West of Ireland Championship was abandoned due to high winds.

While officials had hoped to complete the second qualifying round before the worst of the wind, it proved mission impossible.

With balls moving on some of the more exposed greens, the round was abandoned, and the top 64 after round one declared the qualifiers for the first round of matchplay combat on Easter Sunday.

“The events today unfolded, unfortunately, as predicted by our colleagues in Met Éireann,” tournament director Enda Lonergan explained on Ocean FM’s In The Clubhouse podcast.

“It was a great disappointment, I must admit, to the championship team, because I was the eternal optimist at the start of the day, and I genuinely believed we'd get it done.

“It wasn't pleasant. Admittedly, I think the wind chill factor was the biggest obstacle for players out there today. The wind and the rain were not anything they're unused to playing in Irish golf, and certainly playing golf in the west of Ireland.

“We were left with probably no other option, really, and at around three o'clock, when the wind amped up considerably, and I had positioned referees on the second, the fourth, the ninth and the 12th greens in anticipation, almost in sequence simultaneously, my phone was beeping from all four.

“Balls were moving everywhere, and we were just at the beginning of the storm, so we had no option, as predicted or as advertised to the players on Thursday evening, and abandonment ensued, and we are where we are now.”

The first round has thrown up some fascinating clashes with Robbie Cannon taking on Matthew McClean after carding an outstanding but ultimately non-counting 75 in the worst of the wind and rain.

Co Sligo’s highly fancied Aodhagan Brady will face East of Ireland champion, David Howard while defending champion Dylan Holmes takes on Paul O'Hanlon, who lost in the final to Rory McIlroy 20 years ago.

West of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC (Par 71)

First round. - Sunday, 5 April

07:30 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) v Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock);

07:39 Maximilian Pieck (Essen-Heidhausen, GER) v David Reddan (Castleknock);

07:48 Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) v Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo);

07:57 Quentin Carew (The Heritage) v Jamal Sabir (Moate);

08:06 Dylan Keating (Seapoint) v Thomas Abom (Edmondstown);

08:15 Darragh Flynn (Carton House) v Alex Kerins (Carton House);

08:24 Conor Stapleton (Westport) v Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay);

08:33 Harley Phipps (Co. Louth) v Gary Collins (Rosslare);

08:42 Matthew McClean (Malone) v Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan);

08:51 Ross Latimer (Knock) v Mark Cadden (Roganstown);

09:00 Barry Anderson (Cork) v Edward Reed (Royal Birkdale);

09:09 Conor Hickey (Dooks) v Evan Farrell (Co. Louth);

09:18 Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) v Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell);

09:27 James Hewitt (Tandragee) v James Walsh (Douglas);

09:36 Martin Shone (Bossey, SUI) v Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn);

09:45 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) v Evan Monaghan (Tullamore);

09:54 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) v David Howard (Fota Island);

10:03 Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin) v Padraig O'Dochartaigh (Gweedore);

10:12 TJ Ford (County Sligo) v Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush);

10:21 Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) v Paul Coughlan (Castleknock);

10:30 Dylan Holmes (Greystones) v Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House);

10:39 Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) v Jordan Boles (Carton House);

10:48 Shea Dorman (Bangor) v Ian Lynch (Rosslare);

10:57 Cian Harkin (Island) v Ben Cahill (Dundalk);

11:06 Cormac O'Muirithe (Belmullet) v Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay);

11:15 Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) v James Fox (Portmarnock);

11:24 Keith Egan (Carton House) v Louis Goodman (Co. Louth);

11:33 Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone) v Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint);

11:42 Edward Farr (Monkstown) v David Kitt (Athenry);

11:51 Kyle McCarron (North West) v Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);

12:00 Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood) v Gordon Sillett (Ballykisteen);

12:09 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) v David Shiel (Enniscrone).

Qualifiers

The second round (Saturday, April 4) was abandoned due to high winds (Storm Dave)

66 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) leading qualifier;

71 Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo);

72 Cormac O'Muirithe (Belmullet), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Edward Farr (Monkstown), Dylan Holmes (Greystones);

73 Dylan Keating (Seapoint), Conor Stapleton (Westport), Shea Dorman (Bangor), Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood), Martin Shone (Bossey, SUI), Barry Anderson (Cork), Keith Egan (Carton House);

74 TJ Ford (County Sligo), Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), Quentin Carew (The Heritage), Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint), Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone), Conor Hickey (Dooks);

75 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock), Aaron Marshall (Lisburn), Cian Harkin (Island), Harley Phipps (Co. Louth), Darragh Flynn (Carton House), Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), Kyle McCarron (North West), James Hewitt (Tandragee), Ross Latimer (Knock), Patrick Curran (Edmondstown);

76 Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin), Maximilian Pieck (Essen-Heidhausen, GER), David Reddan (Castleknock), Padraig O'Dochartaigh (Gweedore), James Fox (Portmarnock), Mark Cadden (Roganstown), James Walsh (Douglas), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint);

77 Jordan Boles (Carton House), Alex Kerins (Carton House), Gary Collins (Rosslare), Ben Cahill (Dundalk), David Shiel (Enniscrone), Evan Monaghan (Tullamore), Evan Farrell (Co. Louth), Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint), Paul Coughlan (Castleknock), Jamal Sabir (Moate);

78 Seán McLoughlin (County Sligo), Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush), Louis Goodman (Co. Louth), Edward Reed (Royal Birkdale), Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn), Gordon Sillett (Ballykisteen), Ian Lynch (Rosslare), Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay), Thomas Abom (Edmondstown), Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House);

79 David Kitt (Athenry), Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell), Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay), David Howard (Fota Island), Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock).

Non‑qualifiers

79 Paddy Quill (Cork), Fergal Coyle (Athenry), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Mikkel Bergum Johansen (Drøbak GK, NOR), Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill), Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt), David O'Malley (Black Bush), Harry Fanagan (Milltown), Conor Clarke (Balmoral);

80 Conor McCarthy (Headfort), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Padraig Curry (Castlecomer), Jonathan Hayden (The Royal Dublin), Niall Conneely (Ballinasloe), James O’Rourke (Naas), Ryan Lyons (Blarney), Joe Lyons (Galway), William O’Riordan (Greystones), Cian Poland (Elm Park), Freddie Bracken (Portmarnock), Jack Moffett (Fortwilliam);

81 Matthew Dodd (St Anne’s), Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin), James Temple (Portmarnock), Sean Reddy (Douglas), Ian O’Connell (Castleknock), Darren Kelleher (Blarney), Greg O'Mahony (Fota Island), Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock), Conor Madigan (Kanturk), Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock), Barry Howlin (The Heritage), Adam Smith (Mullingar), Ruairi O'Connor (Co Sligo), Patrick Greene (Holywood), Shane McGlynn (Portmarnock);

82 Jamie Anderson (Greystones), Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden), Frederik Richardson (Byneset GK, NOR), Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay), Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park);

83 Liam Abom (Edmondstown), Mark McKenna (Dun Laoghaire), Joe O'Neill (Berehaven), James Everard (Kilkenny), Brian Doran (Millicent), Ryan Murray (Balmoral), Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin), Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire), Tommy McGowan (Woodbrook), Jonny Hall (Galgorm Castle);

84 David Brady (Straffan), Finley Gastrau (Ostschweizerischer, SUI), John Dillon (Lahinch);

85 Oscar Cuthbert (Harpenden Common), Andrew Gavin (Black Bush), Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell), Samuel Gammell (Naas);

86 Bob Casey (Lahinch);

87 Gavin McKenna (Ormeau), Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay);

88 Roy O'Riordan (Fermoy).