Cutler tops West qualifiers after brilliant 65

Co Sligo’s Gary McDermott hits off the new first tee in the second qualifying round at the West of Ireland Championship.Walker Cup hopeful Paul Cutler took advantage of idyllic conditions to fire a course record, six under par 65 and top the qualifiers for the matchplay stages of the West of Ireland Amateur Open at a sun-kissed Rosses Point.

The 22-year old Portstewart international, the beaten finalist in 2007, carded seven birdies and dropped his only shot of the day on the eighth at the newly lengthened links to take the medal by four strokes from Co Sligo’s Barry Anderson (70), Forrest Little’s Eoin Arthurs (70) and Kilkenny’s Craig Martin (71) with a five under par total of 137.

“I’m very happy with that,” said Cutler, who birdied the third, fifth, sixth, 12th, 13th, 16th and 18th. “I didn’t drive it that well on the front nine but I got away with it because there isn’t much rough and then I played very well coming in.”

The cut fell at nine-over par 151 with Greenore’s Keith Shannon making it with a shot to spare as he followed his opening 82 in Friday’s high winds with a heroic 68 that featured an eagle, seven birdies, two bogeys and two double bogeys.

Athlone’s Kelan McDonagh made it into the matchplay draw for the top 64 on the mark as he followed his windblown 82 on Friday with a fine 69.

However, The Island’s Brendan Walton, unsettled by a socket on the 13th tee, followed his 71 with an 81 to miss out by a shot while defending champion Rory Leonard from Banbridge had little to celebrate on his 35th birthday after rounds of 76 and 77 left him two shots outside the mark.

Cutler’s longest birdie putt of the day was a 15 footer at the 16th in a stellar game alongside Headfort’s Rory McNamara, who shot a four under 67 to erase the damage caused by an opening 79 in Friday’s high winds.

West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Co Sligo GC (Par 71)

First rd draw (Sunday)
(7.00) S McConnell (Ballyclare) v D Sweeney (Westmanstown);
(7.08) G McDermott (Co Sligo) v C Boggan (Co Meath);
(7.16) J Lyons (Birr) v K Lovelock (Hindhead, UK);
(7.24) L Lennox (Moyola Park) v J Greene (Carlow);
(7.32) R Cannon (L’town & B’town) v K Shannon (Greenore);
(7.40) P Murray (Limerick) v A Kelly (Charleville);
(7.48) H Diamond (Belvoir Park) v D Crowe (Dunmurry);
(7.56) P Dunne (Greystones) v S Barry (Lee Valley);
(8.04) D King (Tramore) v D Coyle (Co Louth);
(8.12) B Anderson (Co Sligo) v E Haugh (Castletroy);
(8.20) C Campbell (Warrenpoint) v D O’Donovan (Muskerry);
(8.28) R Whitson (Mourne) v B Fennelly (Royal Dublin/NUIM);
(8.36) R Walsh (Kilkenny) v J Hopkins (Skerries);
(8.44) S O’Hara (Co Sligo) v S Miskelly (Knock);
(8.52) S Morrison (City of Derry) v R McNamara (Headfort);
(9.00) P Cutler (Portstewart) v W Telford (Rathmore);
(9.08) D McElroy (Ballymena) v B Ronan (Co Louth);
(9.16) E Stack (Ballybunion) v G Moynihan (The Island);
(9.24) A Kearney (Castlerock) v G Dunne (Seapoint);
(9.32) N Gorey (Muskerry) v P O’Leary (Lucan);
(9.40) C Doran (Banbridge) v I Brennan (Greenore);
(9.48) A Hogan (Newlands) v S Brady (Co Sligo/NUIM);
(9.56) K McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM) v C Martin (Kilkenny);
(10.04) J Dillon (Headfort) v D Kelleher (Portmarnock);
(10.12) A Dunbar (Rathmore) v D Sutton (Lurgan);
(10.20) B Churchill (Galgorm Castle) v G Carew (Edenderry);
(10.28) J Hume (Rathsallagh) v E Arthurs (Forrest Little);
(10.36) D Murphy (Portarlington) v J Monaghan (Royal Dublin);
(10.44) E McCormack (Galway) v C Selfridge (Moyola Park);
(10.52) S Cannon (Loughrea) v C Fairweather (Knock);
(11.00) R O’Donovan (Lucan) v D Downie (Sutton);
(11.08) S Walsh (Baltinglass/UCD) v W Hanna (Kilkeel)

36-hole qualifying (Par 71)

Qualifiers:

137 P Cutler (Portstewart) 72 65 (Leading Qualifier);

141 E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 70, B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 71 70, C Martin (Kilkenny) 70 71;

143 G Moynihan (The Island) 75 68, A Kearney (Castlerock) 75 68, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 73 70, S Brady ( Co. Sligo/NUIM) 70 73;

144 B Churchill ( Galgorm Castle) 73 71, D Sweeney (Westmanstown) 73 71, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 72 72, I Brennan (Greenore) 72 72;

145 P Murray (Limerick) 77 68, S Morrison (City of Derry) 77 68, R O’Donovan (Lucan) 76 69, E McCormack (Galway) 75 70, D O’Donovan (Muskerry) 73 72, S O’Hara (Co. Sligo) 72 73, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 72 73;

146 R McNamara (Headfort) 79 67, J Greene (Carlow) 76 70, P Dunne (Greystones) 76 70, N Gorey (Muskerry) 76 70, A Hogan (Newlands) 75 71, D Coyle ( Co. Louth) 75 71, R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown) 75 71, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 74 72, J Dillon (Headfort) 72 74;

147 D Murphy (Portarlington) 79 68, S Cannon (Loughrea) 76 71, S Walsh (Baltinglass/UCD) 76 71, A Kelly (Charleville) 75 72, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 74 73, A Dunbar (Rathmore) 73 74, S Barry ( Lee Valley) 73 74;

148 W Telford (Rathmore) 77 71, K Lovelock ( Hindhead, UK) 76 72, D Downie (Sutton) 76 72, C Doran (Banbridge) 75 73, E Stack (Ballybunion) 75 73, JLyons (Birr) 73 75;

149 P O’Leary (Lucan) 78 71, S McConnell (Ballyclare) 77 72, W Hanna (Kilkeel) 77 72, D Sutton (Lurgan) 76 73, J Monaghan (The Royal Dublin) 76 73, C Boggan (Co. Meath) 76 73, R Walsh (Kilkenny) 76 73, J Hopkins (Skerries) 75 74, D McElroy (Ballymena) 74 75;

150 K Shannon (Greenore) 82 68, L Lennox ( Moyola Park) 79 71, R Whitson (Mourne) 78 72, D King (Tramore) 77 73, C Selfridge ( Moyola Park) 77 73, S Miskelly (Knock) 77 73, C Fairweather (Knock) 77 73, B Ronan ( Co.Louth) 77 73, D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 76 74, G Dunne (Seapoint) 73 77, G Carew (Edenderry) 72 78;

151 K McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM) 82 69, E Haugh (Castletroy) 79 72, B Fennelly (Royal Dublin/NUIM) 78 73;

Non-qualifiers

151 S Loftus (Lahinch) 77 74, C Daly (Castletroy) 77 74, M Sinclair (Knock) 76 75, B Casey (Headfort) 76 75, P Sheehy ( Newcastle West) 74 77, M Hammond ( Moyola Park) 73 78;

152 M Shanahan (West Waterford) 82 70, S Barry (Laytown & Bettystown) 80 72, S McGlynn (South County) 79 73, R Kenny (Woodlands/NUIM) 78 74, M O’Sullivan (Stow Acres, USA) 77 75, A Gleeson (Castle) 77 75, K Crowley (Lee Valley) 75 77, B Walton (The Island) 71 81;

153 D O’Sullivan (Strandhill) 81 72, G Bohill (Co. Louth) 78 75, K Lynch (Skibbereen) 78 75, P Delaney (Arklow) 78 75, J Pierse (Grange) 77 76, E Murphy (Cork) 77 76, M Mcalpin (Royal Portrush) 77 76, D Morgan (Mullingar) 77 76, D Murray (Skerries) 77 76, N Grant (Knock) 77 76, J Leacy (Dungarvan) 76 77, R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 77, P Cullen (Royal Tara) 76 77, E Smith (Ardee) 75 78, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 75 78;

154 K Stack (Dungarvan) 82 72, S Bryan (Delgany) 79 75, C Glynn (Carton House) 78 76, C Molloy (Ardee) 78 76, R Twomey (Muskerry) 75 79, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 75 79;

155 G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 83 72, D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin) 81 74, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 80 75, A McCormick (Scrabo) 79 76, T McLarnon (Massereene) 79 76, E O’Sullivan (The Island) 78 77, D Holland (Castle) 78 77, J Foran (Thurles) 77 78, S Ward (Co. Louth) 75 80, S McCarthy (Black Bush) 75 80, D O’Neill (Carton House) 75 80, P O’Hara (Kilkenny) 74 81;

156 Q Carew (Edenderry) 84 72, B Reddan (Co. Louth) 82 74, M Ryan (Grange) 81 75, D Barry (Mahon) 80 76, K Nolan (Dun Laoghaire) 80 76, G Kelly (Co. Louth/UCD) 80 76, M McGinley (Grange) 79 77, S O’Connor (Skerries) 78 78, J Richardson (Royal Portrush) 77 79, R Bridges (Stackstown) 76 80;

157 S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 79 78, D Loftus (Swinford) 77 80, N O’Hare (Castleknock) 74 83;

158 B Corcoran (Roganstown) 83 75, R Weldon ( Killeen Castle) 82 76, G Lawlor (Newbridge) 81 77, D Dunne (Co. Sligo) 81 77, A Wynne (Strandhill) 79 79;

159 D Reilly (Westmanstown) 85 74, C Sharvin (Ardglass) 84 75, C O’Sullivan (Fota Island) 81 78, A Doran (Ardee) 80 79, G McKenna (Fortwilliam) 79 80;

160 N Kearns (Omagh) 84 76;

161 R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 85 76, T O’Connor (Athlone) 81 80, B Kennedy ( South County) 81 80, D Lally (Mullingar) 81 80;

163 D Mallon (Dungannon) 84 79;

164 A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 80 84;

165 R McCormack (Naas) 86 79, E O’Connor (Ballybunion) 84 81;

166 M O’Toole (Lucan) 81 85;

167 D McKenna (Foyle) 83 84, G Collins (Rosslare) 83 84;

168 D O’Connor (Athlone) 84 84;

169 A Lynch (Royal Tara) 84 85;

NR T Cleary (Dromoland) 84 NR.