Bridges can reap rewards
Stackstown's Richard Bridges during the Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush. Picture: David Lloyd / www.golffile.ie
Named on the Leinster team for next week's Interpros at The Island, Stackstown's Richard Bridges will be bidding to go at least one better than he did in the "Close" when he takes on Faithlegg's Robin Dawson in the semi-finals of the Cathedral Eye sponsored North of Ireland Amateur Open at Royal Portrush.
Beaten by eventual winner John-Ross Galbraith in the Irish Close semis at Seapoint, the left-hander took a notable scalp when he beat Dermot McElroy by one hole on the third round and then came through on the 19th to see off East of Ireland winner Colm Campbell of Warrenpoint.
Disappointed not to have reached the final day but it was a good tournament considering I was +5 on the Valley after 12 holes on day 1!
— D-Cock (@gingerredman) July 17, 2014
Dawson beat Alexander Wilson 4 and 3 before romping to an impressive 5 and 3 victory over Cormac Sharvin, who was one of the leading Irish players in the recent European Amateur Team Championship.
The winner of the Dawson-Bridges clash will face Castlerock's David Mulholland or the defending champion Chris Selfridge, who beat Matt McClean and Portmarnock's Darragh Coghlan to take his place in the last four.
Selfridge is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the title since Warrenpoint's Paddy Gribben in 1999.
North of Ireland Amateur Open, Royal Portrush
Semi-finals
08.30 David Mulholland v Chris Selfridge
08.45 Robin Dawson v Richard Bridges
Quarter-finals
| Match | Competitor | Score / Tee Time | Competitor |
| 1 | Reeve Whitson | 2&1 | David Mulholland |
| 2 | Darragh Coghlan | 3&2 | Chris Selfridge |
| 3 | Cormac Sharvin | 5&3 | Robin Dawson |
| 4 | Richard Bridges | 19th | Colm Campbell |
Third round
| Match | Competitor | Score / Tee Time | Competitor |
| 1 | William Hanna | 7&6 | Reeve Whitson |
| 2 | David Mulholland | 1 Hole | Jordan Hood |
| 3 | Simon Bryan | 3&1 | Darragh Coghlan |
| 4 | Matthew McClean | 3&2 | Chris Selfridge |
| 5 | Cormac Sharvin | 1 Hole | Tom Harris |
| 6 | Robin Dawson | 4&3 | Alexander Wilson |
| 7 | Dermot McElroy | 1 Hole | Richard Bridges |
| 8 | Tom Gandy | 1 Hole | Colm Campbell |
