Heroic Hume weathers Royal Dublin storm to lead by two
Keeping dry......Robin Dawson (Faitlegg) smiling despite the weather on the 13th fairway in the second round of the 2015 Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
If the Walker Cup selectors are looking for hardy, weatherproof youngsters with the stubbornness of Seve and the recovery powers of Houdini, there were a few likely lads in action in the second round of the Irish Amateur Open at The Royal Dublin.
Top of the class by a mile was 21-year old Naas star Jack Hume, who defied afternoon wind, rain and cold that was more akin to January than May to post an extraordinary two under par 70 for a two stroke lead over Welshman Evan Griffith (72) on five under par at halfway.
Tramore’s Michael Burns, the R&A selector on duty, dragged himself onto the clubhouse deck with a smile worthy of Captain Ahab after spotting Moby Dick.
The former South of Ireland champion was clearly hugely impressed, not just by Hume’s brilliance, but also by the fighting qualities shown by 16-year old English star Marco Penge, who is tied for 10th on level par after a 73, and The Island’s Gavin Moynihan, who came back from seven over after 10 holes in the afternoon weather carnage to salvage a 76 that left him well in contention on one over par.
Aiming High.....Kevin Le Blanc (The Island) on the 3rd tee in the second round of the 2015 Irish Amateur Open Championship. Picture by Pat Cashman
There were other impressive performances throughout the day with 17-year old Kevin LeBlanc from The Island looking likely to lead one two under after a brace of 71s before the storm-defying heroics of Hume and Co in the afternoon left him three shots off the pace.
Ardglass’ Cormac Sharvin and Naas’ Jonathan Yates shot 71s before the elements deteriorated badly and share fourth spot with the Isle of Man’s Tom Gandy (72), Scotland’s Craig Ross (72), Austrian Lukas Lipold (73) and Welshman Richard James (74) on one under.
But the real hero of the day was last year’s West of Ireland champion Hume, who first came to prominence in 2010 when he matched Raymie Burns’ feat and claimed all four provincial Boys titles in the same season.
This was a man-sized effort, however, and he knows that a victory on the Bull Island on Sunday would be a giant step towards a Walker Cup cap at Royal Lytham in September.
FORE......Seve Prins (Netherlands) with Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo) on the 3rd tee in the second round of the 2015 Irish Amateur Open Championship. Picture by Pat Cashman
“I’m just delighted,” said a shivering Hume at the finish. “Anything under 76 this afternoon was a good score to be honest. It was just awful. It felt like January. It has to be one of the best rounds I’ve ever played — probably the best.
“I was two over after three holes and to play the rest in four under from there was pretty good going because it was freezing and my hands were numb from the fifth or sixth onwards.”
The wind switched from south to north for the afternoon starters, who were battered mercilessly by 25 mph gusts and incessant, heavy rain.
Unsurprisingly, Hume bogeyed the first and third but he played superbly for the rest of the round, mixing brilliant birdies with incredible par saves.
After holing an 18 footer for a two at the fourth, he saved par at the fifth, birdied the par-five sixth from 12 feet and bogeyed the eighth to turn in one over 36.
Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) with his caddy Paul Vaughan (Professional, Ardglass Golf Club) driving on the 3rd tee in the second round of the 2015 Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Royal Dublin Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
The stocky, plus four handicap international then navigated the largely downwind back nine in three under 34 thanks to birdies at the 14th (six feet), 16th (six feet) and 17th (18ft) and a great pitch and putt par from 50 yards at the 15th.
Earlier in the day, Hume’s fellow Naas clubman Jonathan Yates added a 71 to his opening 72 to share fourth place on one under 143 with a string of title favourites including Ardglass’ Sharvin, who was beaming despite missing a few chances in his 71.
“I actually putted really nice just didn’t hole anything,” Sharvin said after his 71. “I hit 15 greens and have it under control but while I’m putting a good roll on it, they are not dropping. It’s still tricky out there but definitely got he best of the weather.”
Like Hume, former winner Gavin Moynihan from The Island also produced an afternoon miracle, battling back from seven over after 10 holes to post a 76 that leaves him just six off the pace on one over alongside Slieve Russell’s Seamus Cullen (74) and Knock’s Colin Fairweather (76).
Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) driving at the 3rd tee in the second round. Picture by Pat Cashman
Massereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon is tied 20th with Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy (76) and Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell (77) on two over after taking just 26 putts in a best of the day 68 before the weather turned nasty.
McElroy was eight over after four bogeys and a two doubles in an outward 43 but he came home in 33 with a solitary bogey at the 15th erased by birdies at the 11th, 16th and 17th and an eagle three at the 14th.
A former Irish Youths champion, McLarnon was six under for his round playing the 18th but “leaked” a 185-yard five iron into the Garden and out of bounds, running up a six.
The top 50 and ties tonight will qualify for tomorrow’s fourth and final round.
Craig Ross (Scotland) driving at the 3rd. Picture by Pat Cashman
********** URGENT UPDATE *************
Please note that rolling road closures will be in place on the Clontarf Road outside the Royal Dublin Golf Club on Saturday between 11am and 12.30pm approx. During this time the wooden bridge entrance to the golf club will be closed. Access to the course can be gained through the back gate (ie at the rear of the 10th tee) which will be open on Saturday. Competitors are advised to leave ample time to account for this diversion
Irish Amateur Open, Royal Dublin
Today’s third round tee times
- 07:00 Hackett, Loetscher;
- 07:11 Lube, Szmidt;
- 07:22 Simberg, McGlynn, Hirmer;
- 07:33 Trinchero, Fitzmaurice, O’Connor;
- 07:44 MacLean. Connolly, Dedek;
- 07:55 McGinn, Bryan, O’Rourke;
- 08:06 Lopez, McCarron, Ludwig;
- 08:17 McDermott, Leonard, Knightly;
- 08:28 Smedley, Bush, Coughlan;
- 08:39 Richardson, Cannon, O’Neill;
- 08:50 Hegemann, Ilic, Morrissey;
- 09:01 Lopes, Wilson, Mullarney;
- 09:12 Mason, Dawson, Savage;
- 09:34 Blaney, Coulter, Consul;
- 09:45 Borg, Reid, Stevenson;
- 09:56 Habeler, McDonnell, Griffin;
- 10:07 Cea, Fox, Naysmith;
- 10:18 Enefer, Gibson, Sinclair
- 10:29 Baird, Healy, Galbraith;
- 10:40 Syme, Symington, Arnoy;
- 10:51 Arthurs, Prins, Roberts;
- 11:02 MacAndrew, Eggenberger, Smith;
- 11:13 Carter, Bridges, Zillekens;
- 11:24 Rafferty, Reints, Marchbank;
- 11:35 Jordan, Gleeson, Best;
- 11:46 Loftus, Poppleton, Trocado;
- 11:57 Iten, O’Rourke, Bleakley;
- 12:19 Pierse, Whelan, Collins;
- 12:30 Hurley, McDonald, Braeunig;
- 12:41 Hickey, Grant, Coulson;
- 12:52 Flanagan, Boasson, Campbell;
- 13:03 Hopkins, McElroy, Grehan;
- 13:14 Anderson, Allan, Ferguson;
- 13:25 Ryan, McLarnon, Fairweather;
- 13:36 Culverwell, Moynihan, Cullen;
- 13:47 Harry, Lester, Mulligan;
- 13:58 Penge, Bessa, Nolan;
- 14:09 James, Lipold, Gandy;
- 14:20 Ross, Yates, Sharvin ;
- 14:31 LeBlanc, Griffith, Hume.
rish Amateur Open, The Royal Dublin (Par 72)
After 36 holes
139 Jack Hume (Naas) 69 70
141 Evan Griffith (Wales) 69 72
142 Kevin LeBlanc (The Island) 71 71
143 Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 71, Jonathan Yates (Naas) 72 71, Craig Ross (Scotland) 71 72, Tom Gandy (Isle of Man) 71 72, Lukas Lipold (Austria) 70 73, Richard James (Wales) 69 74
144 Marc Nolan (Delgany) 72 72, Tomas Bessa (Portugal) 72 72, Marco Penge (England) 71 73, Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth) 69 75
145 Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 72 73, Tim Harry (Wales) 71 74, Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) 71 74, Gavin Moynihan (The Island) 69 76, Alexander Culverwell (Scotland) 69 76, Colin Fairweather (Knock) 69 76
146 Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 78 68, Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 76 70, Ewen Ferguson (Scotland) 76 70, James Allan (England) 74 72, Barry Anderson (The Royal Dublin) 74 72, Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) 72 74, Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) 70 76, Jeff Hopkins (The Royal Dublin) 70 76, Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) 69 77
147 Axel Boasson (Iceland) 77 70, Sean Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 76 71, Damon Coulson (England) 75 72, Aaron Grant (Dundalk) 75 72, John Hickey (Cork) 72 75, Christian Braeunig (Germany) 72 75, Jack McDonald (Scotland) 72 75, Gary Hurley (West Waterford) 71 76, Gary Collins (Rosslare) 70 77,
148 Jake Whelan (Newlands) 76 72, Jack Pierse (Portmarnock) 74 74, Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park) 74 74, Conor O'Rourke (Naas) 73 75, Marco Iten (Switzerland) 72 76, Luke Trocado (South Africa) 69 79
149 Nicholas Poppleton (England) 77 72, Declan Loftus (Castlebar) 77 72, Ben Best (Rathmore) 77 72, Alex Gleeson (Castle) 76 73, Matthew Jordan (England) 74 75, Greig Marchbank (Scotland) 72 77
150 Kevin Reints (Netherlands) 74 76, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 76, Marcel Zillekens (Germany) 74 76, Richard Bridges (Stackstown) 73 77, Shaun Carter (The Royal Dublin) 73 77
(Potential cut line.... Top 50 and ties after 54 holes qualify...)
151 Eugene Smith (Ardee) 77 74, Mathias Eggenberger (Switzerland) 77 74, Nick MacAndrew (Scotland) 77 74, Ollie Roberts (Hong Kong) 71 80
152 Seve Prins (Netherlands) 83 69, Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little.) 75 77, Jarand Ekeland Arnoy (Norway) 75 77, Ryan Symington (Lisburn) 74 78, Connor Syme (Scotland) 71 81, John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) 70 82
153 Stephen Healy (Carton House) 77 76, Colin Baird (Scotland) 77 76, Michael Sinclair (Knock) 74 79, Scott Gibson (Scotland) 73 80, William Enefer (England) 70 83
154 Murray Naysmith (Scotland) 82 72, James Fox (Portmarnock) 79 75, Michele Cea (Italy) 78 76, Eanna Griffin (Waterford) 74 80, Jack Mc Donnell (Forrest Little.) 73 81, Markus Habeler (Austria) 72 82
155 Gordon Stevenson (Scotland) 78 77, Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle) 78 77, Andy Borg (Malta) 75 80, Claudio Consul (Germany) 75 80, Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 80, Anthony Blaney (Scotland) 75 80, Jamie Savage (Scotland) 73 82, Robin Dawson (Faithlegg) 70 85
156 Ashley Mason (England) 82 74, Ronan Mullarney (Galway) 76 80, Adam Wilson (Wales) 75 81, Vitor Lopes (Portugal) 72 84, Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 72 84
157 Cedomir Ilic (Serbia) 80 77, Michael Hegemann (Germany) 78 79, Declan O'Neill (Carton House) 77 80, Robert Cannon (Balbriggan) 76 81, Edward Richardson (England) 76 81
158 Paul Coughlan (Moate) 83 75, Jack Bush (Wales) 79 79, James Smedley (England) 78 80, Richard Knightly (The Royal Dublin) 78 80, Eoin Leonard (Wentworth) 77 81, Gary McDermott (Carton House) 76 82, Michael Ludwig (Austria) 74 84, Kyle McCarron (North West) 72 86
159 Sigot Lopez (Spain) 77 82, Ian O'Rourke (The Royal Dublin) 76 83, Simon Bryan (Delgany) 75 84
160 John McGinn (Laytown & Bettystown) 82 78, Petr Dedek (Czech Republic) 81 79, Roy Connolly (Palmerstown Stud) 80 80, Christopher MacLean (Scotland) 75 85, Shaun O'Connor (Carton House) 75 85
161 Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 79 82, Gianmaria Rean Trinchero (Italy) 77 84, Michael Hirmer (Germany) 73 88
163 Shane McGlynn (Carton House) 81 82
165 Casper Simberg (Finland) 85 80
167 Jan Szmidt (Poland) 76 91
168 Johannes Lube (Germany) 79 89
171 Mel Loetscher (Switzerland) 81 90
174 Thomas Hackett (USA) 84 90
WD John Morris (Rosslare) 76 WD, Mark Shanahan (Castlemartyr) 79 WD.
