How strong is the South of Ireland field? Can it be improved?
The draw for the two strokeplay qualifying rounds of South of Ireland Championship has been released and while every effort has been made to strengthen the field, few can argue that it is stronger than it was in previous years.
While the event has been brought forward a few days, starting on a Wednesday and finishing on Sunday and with the Interprovincial Matches finishing two weeks before it starts, it was hoped that more of our top players would take part.
It hasn't worked out that way with the elite players clearly .
Of the Top 100 Irish players in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), 48 have opted not to take part. The stay aways include Big Six — Cormac Sharvin, Gary Hurley, Jack Hume, Gavin Moynihan, Paul Dunne and Dermot McElroy — as well as 10 of the Top 16. (See list below)
The handicap cut off for entry was 1.1 (not all 1.1s getting in) with reserves up to 1.5. But while there will he disappointment that the change of format to stroke play qualifying followed by six rounds of match play has not born fruit this year in terms of attracting more of our better players, there are still places in the Irish team for September's Home Internationals up for grabs and some quality players taking part.
Leinster's Paul McBride and Eanna Griffin — the top two points scorers in the recent Interpros — with Robin Dawson, Colm Campbell Jnr, Gary McDermott, Richard Bridges, Geoff Lenehan, Conor O'Rourke and Pat Murray all gunning for that precious trophy.
Rosslare's Gary Collins, off plus four, is the low man in the field but the fact that world No 358 Stuart Grehan is the highest ranked player explains why all the top players have decided to stay away.
What can be done to improve the field? It's not an easy question to answer and while there are those who believe a change of date to late in the season might help, there is little appetite in Lahinch for a move just now.
What is clear is that the course remains one of the classic tests and while it deserves a champion commensurate with its history, maintaining its elite status is becoming more difficult every year.
SOUTH OF IRELAND AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Strokeplay qualifying 22-23 July 2015, Lahinch Golf Club
1 07.00 11.20 Eoghan Long (Monsktown) David McMahon (Tralee) James Monaghan (The Royal Dublin)
2 07.10 11.30 Paul O’Neill (Shannon) Dylan Brophy (Castle Knock) Scott Campbell (Ballyclare)
3 07.20 11.40 Conor Coyne (Yougal) Eoghan O’Donnell (Tralee) David Finn (Doneraile)
4 07.30 11.50 Robert Farrell (New Ross) Kevin Power (Kilkenny) Michael Reddan (Limerick)
5 07.40 12.00 Shane Whooley (Muskerry) Barry Reddan (Co Louth) Peter Meaney (Cahir Pk)
6 07.50 12.10 Sean Alley (Co Tipperary) Daniel Brennan (Shannon) William Hanna (Kilkeel)
7 08.00 12.30 Andrew McCormack (Newcastle West) Mark Morrisse (Mount Wolseley) Michael O’Kelly (Limerick)
8 08.10 12.40 John Greene (Portmarnock) Richard Knightly (The Royal Dublin) Kyle McCarron (North West)
9 08.20 12.50 Jamie Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) Simon Bryan (Delgany) Mathew Kane (Whitehead)
10 08.30 13.00 Michael Buggy (Castlecomer) Barry Daly (Edmondstown) Eddie Power (Kilkenny)
11 08.50 13.10 John Hickey (Cork) Dan Murphy (Portarlington) Karl Purcell (Dun Laoghaire)
12 09.00 13.20 Paul Buckley (Kanturk/Australia) Colm Crowley (Woodbrook) Gerard Dunne (Co Louth)
13 09.10 13.30 Ian Spillane (Mallow) Dean McMahon (Castletroy) Greg Mungoven (Headfort)
14 09.20 13.40 Alan Lowry (Esker Hills) John Conroy (Bray) Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park)
15 09.30 13.50 Gavin McKenna (Fortwilliam) Tiarnan McLarnon (Masserene) Conor O’Rourke (Naas)
16 09.40 14.00 Pat Murray (Limerick) Barry Anderson (The Royal Dublin) Michael Reid (Galgorm Castle)
17 09.50 14.20 Gareth Lappin (Belvoir Park) Paul McBride (The Island) Tony Cleary (Woodstock)
18 10.00 14.30 Eanna Griffin (Waterford) Geoffrey Lenehan (Portmarnock) Jeff Hopkins (The Royal Dublin)
19 10.10 14.40 Shaun Carter (The Royal Dublin) Keith Egan (Carton House) Rowan Lester (Hermitage)
20 10.20 14.50 Gavin Smyth (Clonmel) Ronan Mullarney (Galway) Des Morgan (New Forest)
21 10.40 15.00 Shane Hogan (Nenagh) Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) Mark Mullen (Rosslare)
22 10.50 15.10 Niall Gorey (Palmerstown Stud) Paul McCarthy (Mallow) Jack Pierse (Portmarnock)
23 11.00 15.20 Robert Cannon (Balbriggan) Ben Corfee (USA) Shane McGlynn (Carton House)
24 11.10 15.30 Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) Sean Ryan (The Royal Dublin) Stephen Watts (Cairndhu)
25 11.20 15.40 Keith Daniels (Loughrea) Ryan Long (Cairndhu) Mark MacGrath (Limerick)
26 11.30 15.50 Declan McInerney (Lahinch) James Sugrue (Mallow) David Ryan (Grange)
27 11.40 07.00 Jamie Fletcher (Warrenpoint) Daniel Hallissey (Muskerry) Liam Hutchinson (The Royal Dublin)
28 11.50 07.10 Keith Murphy (Charlesland) Philip Spratt (West Waterford) Pat Fitzpatrick (Kanturk)
29 12.00 07.20 Robert Brazill (Naas) Dale Jackson (Massereene) Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu)
30 12.10 07.30 Eoghan O’Loughlin (Spanish Pt) Paul O’Sullivan (Bray) Brian Doran (Palmerstown Stud)
31 12.30 07.40 Ross Dutton (Tandragee) Declan King (Tramore) Jamie O’Shea (Shannon)
32 12.40 07.50 Gary Collins (Rosslare) Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) Robin Dawson (Faithlegg)
33 12.50 08.00 Colm Campbell jnr (Warrenpoint) Gary McDermott (Carton House) Richard Bridges (Stackstown)
34 13.00 08.10 Daniel Holland (Castle) Thomas O’Connor (Athlone) Colin Fairweather (Knock)
35 13.10 08.20 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) Daniel Coyle (Portmarnock) Graham Nugent (Kilkenny)
36 13.20 08.30 Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe) Sean Doyle (Athlone) Darragh Hogan (Killeen Castle)
37 13.30 08.50 Stephen Healy (Carton House) Eugene Smith (Ardee) Liam Grehan (Mullingar/NUIM)
38 13.40 09.00 Jake Whelan (Newlands) Jonathon Breen (Kirkistown Castle) Robbie Pierse (Grange)
39 13.50 09.10 Justin Kehoe (Limerick) Steffan O’Hara (Co Sligo) Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion)
40 14.00 09.20 Cian Geraghty (Laytown/B’town) Tom Griffin (England) Aaron Moore (Adare Manor)
41 14.20 09.30 David Foy (Laytown/B’town) Paul Murphy (Rosslare) Rory Williamson (Holywood)
42 14.30 09.40 Stephen Barker (Mourne) Ted Collins (Dun Laoghaire) Fergal Deasy (Cork)
43 14.40 09.50 Matthew McClean (Balmoral) Kelan McDonagh (The Royal Dublin) Darragh Smith (Castle)
44 14.50 10.00 Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock) Tommy O’Driscoll (Killarney) Thomas Neenan (Lahinch)
45 15.00 10.10 Gary McGrane (The Royal Dublin) Marc Nolan (Delgany) David Reddan jnr (Nenagh)
46 15.10 10.20 John Reynolds (Dungarvan) Sean Walsh (Carton House/NUIM) Alexander Purdy (Ballyclare)
47 15.20 10.40 Ross Kenny (Millicent) Jason O’Leary (Dromoland Castle) Joe Lyons (Galway)
48 15.30 10.50 Owen O’Brien (Limerick) Eoin O’Connor (Ballybunion) Tony O’Leary (Wexford)
49 15.40 11.00 Paul Behan (St Annes) Adam Doran (Ardee) Jack Walsh (Castle)
50 15.50 11.10 Sean Poucher (Limerick) Edward Stack (Ballybunion) Evan Farrell (Ardee)
Reserves
1 Michael Horan (Birr)
2 Alan Purcell (Adare Manor)
3 Mark Timmins (Coollattin)
4 Ronan O’Grady (Tullamore)
5 Karl McCormack (Portarlington)
6 Ronan Mullane (Dromoland Castle)
7 Cathal Nolan (Galway)
8 Peter Kane (Ashbourne)
9 Nicholas Duggan (Dromoland Castle)
10 Tristan O’Rourke (Nenagh)
11 Eric Byrne (Birr)
12 Darragh Flynn (Carton House)
13 Stefan Greenberg (Tandragee)
14 Alastair McQuillian (Cushendall)
15 Ruairi O’Connor (Co Sligo)
16 Ryan O’Doherty (Enniscrone)
17 David O’Driscolll (Ballybunion)
18 Brian Gilligan (Woodstock)
19 Darren O’Sullivan (Tralee)
20 Jonathan Greer (Greenisland)
21 Bob Loftus (Lahinch)
22 John Richard (France)
23 Alan Harrington (Cork)
WAGR Check
Who’s staying away
20 19 -1 Cormac Sharvin 48 1181.25
28 29 +1 Gary Hurley 54 1112.50
48 47 -1 Jack Hume 51 1061.15
57 56 -1 Gavin Moynihan 49 1047.96
81 79 -2 Paul Dunne 54 993.06
139 143 +4 Dermot McElroy 51 931.70
441 445 +4 Kevin Leblanc 33 801.52
528 526 -2 John-Ross Galbraith 48 777.86
677 674 -3 Alexander Wilson 42 745.24
711 709 -2 Alex Gleeson 44 739.39
956 964 +8 Jonathan Yates 26 686.31
969 972 +3 Sean Flanagan 35 684.29
2068 2054 -14 Stuart Winsby 39 466.67
2042 2028 -14 Aaron Grant 20 471.43
2069 2055 -14 Eddie McCormack 18 466.07
2073 2059 -14 Jordan Hood 21 464.29
2084 2069 -15 Eoin Leonard 33 463.64
2140 2471 +331Owen Crooks 29 452.59
2453 2451 -2 Thomas Mulligan 18 385.71
2551 2548 -3 Declan Loftus 19 370.54
2631 2625 -6 Mark Shanahan 14 357.14
2814 2811 -3 Caolan Rafferty 12 325.00
2863 2851 -12 Maurice Kelly 12 318.75
2892 2882 -10 Adrian Morrow 15 314.29
2920 2905 -15 Eoin Arthurs 12 310.71
2960 2939 -21 Ben Best 12 304.91
3124 3117 -7 Joe Crangle 15 275.00
3451 3442 -9 Ryan McKinstry 17 228.57
3467 3459 -8 Eamonn Haugh 9 227.68
3467 3459 -8 Simon Miskelly 9 227.68
3550 3542 -8 James Fox 10 217.86
3612 3604 -8 Michael Sinclair 9 210.71
3631 3622 -9 Tony McClements 12 209.82
3659 4109 +450Alan Fahy 14 206.25
3669 3660 -9 Mark Collins 11 203.57
3753 3742 -11 Alan Condren 9 192.86
3854 3846 -8 Ryan Gribben 12 182.14
3991 3973 -18 Ian O’Rourke 7 167.86
3991 4126 +135Matthew Fitzsimons 16 167.86
4121 4109 -12 Jamie Dunne 10 156.25
4213 3884 -329 Jamie Knipe 21 146.43
4213 4204 -9 Timothy Jordan 10 146.43
4263 4252 -11 Darragh Coghlan 5 142.86
4388 4383 -5 Connor Doran 5 133.48
4565 4569 +4 Keagan Cummings 8 117.86
4667 4664 -3 William Russell 7 110.71
4708 4703 -5 David Mulholland 4 107.14
4757 - - Peter Kerr 4 103.57
Who’s playing
358 357 -1 Stuart Grehan 37 827.25
461 462 +1 Robin Dawson 47 797.34
479 482 +3 Richard Bridges 47 790.96
583 581 -2 Conor O'Rourke 30 765.83
596 592 -4 Colm Campbell 44 763.64
598 593 -5 Paul McBride 45 763.61
769 768 -1 Gareth Lappin 44 727.27
990 995 +5 Daniel Holland 36 677.20
1077 1081 +4 Eanna Griffin 30 660.00
1115 1117 +2 Geoff Lenehan 25 651.79
1323 1324 +1 Alan Lowry 28 610.71
1347 1353 +6 Ronan Mullarney 32 606.25
1382 1387 +5 Stephen Watts 34 600.49
1595 1593 -2 Tommy O'Driscoll 40 558.12
1846 1830 -16 Kyle McCarron 24 510.71
1868 1850 -18 Stuart Bleakley 23 507.14
1955 1945 -10 Joseph Lyons 21 488.39
2020 2007 -13 Shaun Carter 18 475.00
2073 2059 -14 Colin Fairweather 16 464.29
2073 2059 -14 Tiarnan McLarnon 21 464.29
2093 2084 -9 Eugene Smith 22 460.71
2168 2156 -12 Jack Pierse 18 446.43
2195 2186 -9 Matthew McClean 20 441.96
2341 2322 -19 Jeffrey Hopkins 15 411.31
2390 2380 -10 Gary Collins 15 399.11
2413 2406 -7 Rowan Lester 9 394.64
2535 2531 -4 Shane McGlynn 23 371.43
2535 2531 -4 William Hanna 17 371.43
2600 2598 -2 Gary O'Flaherty 13 360.71
2617 2612 -5 Stephen Healy 14 359.82
2756 2749 -7 Robert Cannon 15 338.39
2784 2777 -7 Sean Ryan 23 332.14
2844 2840 -4 John Hickey 13 321.43
2941 2923 -18 Paul McCarthy 11 308.04
2944 2926 -18 Richard Knightly 18 307.14
3005 2987 -18 Jack Walsh 16 296.43
3023 3006 -17 Simon Bryan 14 292.86
3171 3173 +2 Gary McDermott 10 266.96
3272 3274 +2 Matthew Kane 13 250.00
3353 3349 -4 Barry Anderson 8 241.96
3418 3414 -4 Pat Murray 8 232.14
3486 3478 -8 Daniel Brennan 19 225.00
3612 3604 -8 Niall Gorey 10 210.71
3631 3622 -9 Steffan O'Hara 11 209.82
3669 3660 -9 Conor Coyne 16 203.57
4298 4293 -5 Stephen Walsh 8 139.29
4347 4337 -10 Greg Mungovan 5 135.71
4610 4610 - Paul Murphy 6 116.07
4667 4664 -3 Des Morgan 5 110.71
4708 4703 -5 Kelan McDonagh 6 107.14
4757 4753 -4 Jamie Sutherland 3 103.57
4810 4801 -9 John Greene 6 100.00
