Bloodbath in Lahinch

Five Irish internationals made their exit on day of shocks in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Lahinch Golf ClubDefending champion Niall Kearney lost 2 and 1 to Lucan's Richard O'Donovan in Monday morning's third round before he was joined on the road home by 2006 champion Simon Ward, Newlands pair Cian Curley and Andrew Hogan and the Castle's Dara Lernihan in the afternoon.

Baltray ace Ward lost 4 and 2 to Lee Valley's Keith Crowley with the Castle's Lernihan ousted 2 and 1 by Mallow's David Finn. Curley lost to Castletroy's Eamonn Haugh 2 down with Hogan was also beaten on the 18th by Laytown and Bettystown's Robert Cannon.

Headfort's Rory McNamara, a member of the Irish international panel, lost to Cork's Gary O'Flaherty on the sixth tie hole of an epic battle.

Irish Close champion Pat Murray of Limerick, now the favourite to take the title, faces the in-form James Fox of Portmarnock in the last 16 with the winner of that one taking on Lee Valley's Sean Barry or Brendan Walton, nephew of Ryder Cup hero Philip.

South of Ireland Amateur Open, Lahinch
Fifth round draw (Tuesday, 28th July)

08:00 Robert Cannon (Laytown/Bettystown v Michael Brett (Portmarnock)
08:15 Daniel Holland (Castle/UCD) v Gavin O’Connor (Malahide)
08:30 Eamonn Haugh (Castletroy) v Des Morgan (Mullingar)
08:45 Edward Stack (Ballybunion) v David Finn (Mallow)
09:00 Keith Crowley (Lee Valley) v Joe Lyons (Galway)
09:15 Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) v Shane Walsh (Killeen)
09:30 Sean Barry (Lee Valley) v Brendan Walton (The Island)
09:45 James Fox (Portmarnock) v Patrick Murray (Limerick)


Fourth rd.
R Cannon bt A Hogan 1up,
M Brett bt M Feane 4/3 ,
D Holland bt T Conron 3/2,
G O’Connor bt R O’Donovan 2/1,
E Haugh bt C Curley 2up,
D Morgan bt M Buggy 3/2,
E Stack bt J Monaghan 21st,
D Finn bt D Lernihan 2/1,
K Crowley bt S Ward 4/2,
J Lyons bt A Wynne 2/1,
G O’Flaherty bt R McNamara 24th,
S Walsh bt K McDonagh 19th,
S Barry bt D Scully 2/1,
B Walton bt L Brady 3/2,
J Fox bt S Webster 1up,
P Murray bt T O’Mahony 2up


Third rd.
A Hogan bt C Dowling 1H,
R Cannon bt D Ryan 2/1,
M Feane bt E Cambell 4/3,
M Brett bt N Grant 1up,
D Holland bt S Healy 3/2,
T Conron bt B O’Donovan 4/3,
G O’Connor bt P Sheehy 2H,
R O’Donovan bt N Kearney 2/1,
C Curley bt K Lewis 4/3,
E Haugh bt M Shanahan 20th,
M Buggy bt P Wallace 4/3,
D Morgan bt J D Guiney 6/5,
J Monaghan bt N Gorey 19th,
E Stack bt T Cleary 3/2,
D Finn bt D Coughlan 19th,
D Lernihan bt G Donaghy (Island USA) 4/2,
S Ward bt G Carew 5/3,
K Crowley bt D O’Rourke 2H,
A Wynne bt M Ryan 1up,
J Lyons bt P Collier 4/3,
R McNamara bt C Martin 2/1,
G O’Flaherty bt D McCusker 2/1,
S Walsh bt I Brennan 3/1,
K McDonagh bt C Molloy 1up,
S Barry bt J G Kavanagh 3/2,
D Scully bt S Morrison 4/3,
L Brady bt K J McGarry 6/5,
B Walton bt A O’Callaghan 5/4,
J Fox bt J Pierse 4/3,
S Webster bt G Dillon 5/4,
T O’Mahony bt I O’Rourke 4/3,
P Murray bt P Sheehan 1up.