Links specialists McGrane and Kelleher top "West" pre-qualifiers
Rosses Point on a fine day. Picture via countysligogolfclub.ie
Royal Dublin's Gary McGrane fired a superb 72 in the worst of the rain squalls to edge out Portmarnock's David Kelleher on countback to lead the nine pre-qualifiers for the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.
McGrane, the 2007 Irish Boys champion and the son of 1987 West of Ireland winner Noel McGrane, came home in one under 34 to edge out 47-year old Kelleher for top spot.
Shannon's Danny Brennan, author of a popular self-help book, took third with a 73 in the race to make the 120-strong field for the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying rounds on Friday and Saturday.
Withdrawals from the championship field meant there were nine rather than seven places up for grabs and Westport's Harry Gillivan, the 15 year old who received a special invitation into the qualifiers, took advantage and shot a 74 to match 17-year old Shane McDermott from Co Cavan and qualify with ease.
Lee Valley's Greg O'Mahony cruised in with a 75 and the final places in Friday's 36-hole strokeplay qualifier going to 76 shooters Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone), Dale Jackson (Massereene) and Warrenpoint's Jamie Fletcher, who came home in the last group of the day to kill off the chances of the 77s waiting for a possible playoff.
Roscommon's David Hill is first reserve in the event of withdrawals.
West of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Sligo (Par 71) sponsored by Radisson Blu
18 hole strokeplay qualifier, April 1
Qualifiers
(Click here for detailed scorecards)
1st Gary McGrane (1) The Royal Dublin 72
2nd David Kelleher (1) Portmarnock 72
3rd Daniel Brennan (0) Shannon 73
4th Harry Gillivan (3) Westport GC 74
5th Shane McDermott (1) Co. Cavan GC 74
6th Greg O'Mahony (1) Lee Valley 75
7th Ryan O'Doherty (2) Enniscrone GC 76
8th Dale Jackson (1) Massereene GC 76
9th Jamie Fletcher (1) Warrenpoint GC 76
Non-qualifiers
10th David Hill (2) Roscommon GC 77
11th Mark MacGrath (0) Limerick 77
12th Cian Feeney (2) Co. Sligo GC 77
13th Brian O'Reilly (2) Athenry GC 77
14th Bryan McSweeney (1) The Royal Dublin 77
15th James Rodgers (3) Knock 77
16th Stephen McCabe (3) Headfort GC 78
17th Eric Byrne (1) Birr GC 78
18th Serryth Heavey (1) Co. Sligo GC 78
19th Thomas Neenan (0) Lahinch GC 78
20th Michael J Kennelly (3) Athenry GC 78
21st David Scully (3) Galway 78
22nd Stuart Bleakley (1) Shandon Park GC 78
23rd Alan Duffy (1) Royal Tara GC 78
24th Blane Lynch (2) Ballinrobe GC 78
25th Max Thallon (3) Bangor GC 78
26th Bob Loftus (1) Lahinch GC 78
27th Dessie Timbs (2) Strandhill GC 79
28th David Stapleton (2) Castlebar GC 79
29th Conor McCaughey (3) Dungannon GC 79
30th James Monaghan (1) The Royal Dublin 79
31st Keith Daniels (2) Loughrea GC 79
32nd Damien Glynn (2) Galway 79
33rd Stephen Dixon (2) Island 79
34th James McVicker (1) Knock 79
35th Mark Rooney (1) Co. Sligo GC 79
36th Eoin Gaughan (3) Co. Sligo GC 79
37th Fergal Kennedy (1) Island 79
38th Neil McKinstry (0) Cairndhu GC 80
39th Anton Brennan (2) Athenry GC 80
40th Karl McCormack (3) Portarlington GC 80
41st Tommy Malone (1) Co. Cavan GC 80
42nd Jamie Foley (3) Letterkenny GC 80
43rd Peter Kane (1) Ashbourne 80
44th Oisin Devereux (2) Carton House GC 80
45th Martin Hynes (1) Athenry GC 80
46th Gareth Mann (3) Tullamore GC 81
47th Sean Burns (1) Dromoland GC 81
48th Peter Henry (3) Fintona GC 81
49th Rory O'Connor (3) Strandhill GC 81
50th Steven Hughes (1) Killymoon GC 81
51st Andrew Mulholland (0) Castlerock GC 81
52nd Colm Hughes (3) Galway 81
53rd Adrian Wynne (1) Strandhill GC 81
54th Dominic Pollock (2) Belvoir Park GC 81
55th Peter Hennessy (3) Lahinch GC 82
56th Sean Ross (1) Kilkeel GC 82
57th Ruairi O'Connor (1) Co. Sligo GC 82
58th Michael Hennelly (3) Galway 82
59th Robbie Pierse (1) Grange 82
60th Patrick Brennan (2) Belvoir Park GC 82
61st Robert Fitzpatrick (2) Dunmurry Springs GC 82
62nd Colin Wilton (1) Banbridge GC 83
63rd Alan Gaynor (3) Co. Sligo GC 83
64th Andrew Harte (1) Carlow GC 83
65th Mark McKenna (3) Fortwilliam GC 83
66th Ronan O'Grady (1) Tullamore GC 83
67th Edward O'Keeffe (1) Corrstown GC 83
68th Marc Boucher (1) Carton House GC 84
69th Daniel O'Connor (3) Athlone GC 84
70th Jack Healy (2) Westport GC 84
71st Darragh Fitzgerald (2) Limerick 85
72nd Jason McLynn (1) Galway Bay GC 85
73rd Scott Campbell (1) Greenacres GC 85
74th Liam Hutchinson (1) The Royal Dublin 85
75th Fergal Dunne (3) Co. Cavan GC 85
76th Lloyd O'Rourke (3) Naas GC 86
77th Paddy Culhane (4) Galway 86
78th Jack Blake (2) Island 86
79th Alan Craven (3) Roscommon GC 87
80th Nicholas Duggan (2) Dromoland GC 87
81st Louis O'Hara (4) Athenry GC 87
82nd Brian Timlin (3) Galway 87
83rd Kenneth Irwin (2) Castlebar GC 87
84th Mark Doogue (3) Baltinglass GC 87
85th Donal O'Reilly (3) Clones GC 87
86th Gus J. Fitzpatrick (3) Naas GC 88
87th Conor Harte (3) Castle 88
88th Darragh Conlon (2) Athenry GC 88
89th David McAleenon (2) Edenmore GC 89
90th Liam Bresnahan (3) Omagh GC 89
91st Glen Mowat (2) Enniskillen GC 90
92nd Peter McKeever (2) Castle 90
93rd Colin Rayfus (2) Knightsbrook 91
94th Declan Kelly (1) Hermitage GC NR
95th Stuart Carter (2) Mountrath GC
Championship draw, 36 hole qualifier April 3-4
1 07.30 11.10 Gary McGrane (Royal Dublin) David Kelleher (Portmarnock) Daniel Brennan (Shannon)
2 07.41 11.21 Harry Gillivan (Westport) Shane McDermott (Co Cavan) Greg O'Mahony (Lee Valley)
3 07.52 11.32 Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone) Ian Lynch (Rosslare) Edward Ryan (Lucan)
4 08.03 11.43 Sean Alley (Co Tipperary) Barry Anderson (The Royal Dublin) Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little)
5 08.14 11.54 Stephen Barker (Mourne) Seanie Barry (Fota Island) Ben Best (Rathmore)
6 08.25 12.05 Gareth Bohill (Co Louth) David Brady (Co Sligo) Jamie Fletcher (Warrenpoint)
7 08.36 12.16 Stephen Brady (Galway) * Richard Bridges (Stackstown) Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint)
8 08.47 12.27 Michael Buggy (Castlecomer) Robert J Cannon (Balbriggan) Shaun Carter (Stackstown)
9 08.58 12.38 Tony Cleary (Dromoland) Theo Coffey (Slieve Russell) Gary Collins (Rosslare)
10 09.09 12.49 Roy Connolly (Palmerstown Stud) Paul Coughlan (Moate) Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint)
11 08.20 13.00 Keith Crowley (Fota Island) Colm Crowley (Woodbrook) Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell)
12 09.31 13.11 Barry Daly (Edmondstown) Jamie Dick (England) Colin Fairweather (Knock)
13 09.42 13.22 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) Gerard Dunne (Co Louth) Evan Farrell (Ardee)
14 09.53 13.33 Jimmy Feeney (England) Alex Gleeson (Castle) Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo)
15 10.04 13.44 Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) James Fox (Portmarnock) Cian Geraghty (L’town & B’town)
16 10.15 13.55 Jonathan Gourley (Shandon Park) Aaron Grant (Dundalk) John Greene (Portmarnock)
17 10.26 14.06 Eanna Griffin (Waterford) William Hanna (Warrenpoint) Edwin Hannon (Kanturk)
18 10.37 14.17 Kyle (Harmon (Wales) Stephen Healy (Carton House) John Hickey (Cork)
19 10.48 14.28 Ken Andre Wright (Norway) Shane Hogan (Nenagh) Daniel Holland (Castle)
20 10.59 14.39 Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle) Jeff Hopkins (The Royal Dublin) Mathew Kane (Whitehead)
21 11.10 07.30 Dale Jackson (Massereene) Joe Lyons (Galway) Ian Kettyle (Rathmore)
22 11.21 07.41 Stephen Kinch (Hollystown) Mark King (Cregmore Park) Richard Knightly (The Royal Dublin)
23 11.32 07.52 Kevin Le Blanc (The Island) Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) Eoin Leonard (Wentworth)
24 11.43 08.03 James Lindsay (North West) Simon McConnell (Ballyclare) Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay)
25 11.54 08.14 Andrew McCormack (Newcastlewest) Gary McDermott (Carton House) Kelan McDonagh (The Royal Dublin)
26 12.05 08.25 Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) Shane McGlynn (Hollystown) Thomas Mulligan (Co Louth)
27 12.16 08.36 Gavin McKenna (Fortwilliam) Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) James McLoughin (Portumna)
28 12.27 08.47 Mathew McPartlin (Carton House) Des Morgan (New Forrest) Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolesly)
29 12.38 08.58 Paul Murphy (Rosslare) Robert Neville (Links Portmarnock) Patrick Neville (Bearna)
30 12.49 09.09 Pat Murray (Limerick) Steffan O’Hara (Co Sligo) Shaun O’Connor (Carton House)
31 13.00 08.20 Thomas O’Connor (Athlone) Marc Nolan (Delgany) Conor O’Rourke (Naas)
32 13.11 09.31 Jason O’Leary (Dromoland) Jack Pierse (Portmarnock) Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk)
33 13.22 09.42 David Reddan (Nenagh) Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle) Declan Reidy (Co. Sligo)
34 13.33 09.53 John Reynolds (Dungarvan) William Russell (Clandeboye) Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin)
35 13.44 10.04 Paul Flynn (Tramore) Niall Gorey (Palmerstown Stud) Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr)
36 13.55 10.15 Michael Sinclair (Knock) Tom Sloman (Knock) Eugene Smith (Ardee)
37 14.06 10.26 Kevin Stack (Dungarvan) Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) David Sutton (Lurgan)
38 14.17 10.37 Alan Thomas (Dungarvan) Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock) Jake Whelan (Newlands)
39 14.28 10.48 Devin Morley (Oughterard) * Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen) Ian Spillane (Mallow)
40 14.39 10.59 Ian O’Rourke (The Royal Dublin) Jonathan Yates (Naas) Gavin Young (Birr)
