Dawson, Hume, Hurley and Moynihan make matchplay in Spain
Jack Hume watches Spain's Ivan Cantero tee off. Picture RFEG.es
Top players produce top scores under pressure and Gavin Moynihan showed his great mental when he recovered from his opening 78 with a solid 70 to squeak into the matchplay stages of the Spanish Amateur Open at Sherry Golf.
His two under round helped Ireland A (Moynihan 70, Gary Hurley 75, Jack Hume 72) win the Nations Cup by four strokes from England A (Ashley Chesters, Ben Stow and Mick Marsh) as Faithlegg's Robin Dawson led the Irish qualifiers on one under par.
The Waterford golfer added a 70 to his opening 73, closing with a cautious bogey to finish in a four-way tie for fifth on 143.
He was three shots behind the leading quartet of Norway's Viktor Hovland, Spain's Ivan Cantero and England's Michael Saunders and Jonathan Thomson, who finished on four under 140.
Hume and Hurley tied for 12th spot on one-over 145 with Moynihan one of six players in 26th on 148. England's Marco Pengo was the only player on five over 149 to qualify, shooting 70 to claim the 32nd and final spot in the matchplay draw.
Sadly for Irish hopes, Dawson's closing bogey means he now face Irish team mate Moynihan in round one. Unlucky for Dawson, or out of the frying pan into the pan for Moynihan? Time will tell.
Portmarnock's Geoff Lenehan produced a fine 72 on Thursday for 149 but lost out on a count back to Penge's 70 for a place in the matchplay.
As for he rest of the Irish contingent, Eugene Smith (74) 151, Richard Bridges (77) 153, Colm Campbell (78) 154, Dermot McElroy (75) 156 and John-Ross Galbraith (82) 164, missed out.