High quality field set for 116th South of Ireland at Lahinch
The 11th green at Lahinch
Nine of the 11 men who helped Ireland win a third successive Home Internationals crown last season will tee it up in the 116th South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch next week.
While Paul McBride has accepted an invitation to play in the Porsche European Open on the European Tour and Co Sligo's Sean Flanagan is doing exams, the field features the cream of Irish amateur golf with the cut off falling at 0.2, the lowest in living memory.
Defending champion Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) is joined by recently crowned North of Ireland champion Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Colin Fairweather (Knock), Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Robin Dawson (Tramore), JR Galbraith (Whitehead), 2014 winner Stuart Grehan (Tullamore), Irish Close champion Alex Gleeson (Castle) and Conor O’Rourke (Naas).
Add to that the presence of Irish Amateur Open winner Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas), West of Ireland champion Barry Anderson (Royal Dublin), two-time Irish Boys champion Mark Power (Kilkenny) and the in-form Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) — the leading qualifier in the Amateur Championship and the North of Ireland — and it is arguably the strongest South of Ireland field for a decade.
Former champions Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), Stephen Walsh (Portmarnock) and John Greene (Portmarnock) will be formidable rivals in matchplay, should they make the top 64 after two rounds of strokeplay on July 26 and 27.
Royal Portrush's Tyrone Clarke, the son of 1990 champion Darren Clarke, will also be making his debut in the South having reached the second round of the North earlier this month.
116th South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen
Strokeplay qualifying, Lahinch GC, July 26-27
(07:00/11:20) S Walsh (Portmarnock), M Morrissey (Co. Sligo), P Kelly (Co. Armagh)
(07:10/11:30) P Flynn (Tramore), P Connolly (Killeen Castle), C Cunningham (Carton House)
(07:20/11:40) G Carr (Mullingar), M McKinstry (Cairndhu), J Blake (The Island),
(07:30/11:50) W Small (Tandragee), R McKinstry (Cairndhu), P Gribben (Warrenpoint),
(07:40/12:00) M Grehan (Tullamore), A Lynch (Bray), TJ Ford (Co Sligo),
(07:50/12:10) L Grehan (Mullingar), K Bornemann (Douglas), J Fletcher (Warrenpoint),
(08:00/12:30) H Foley (The Royal Dublin), T Clarke (Royal Portrush), C Nolan (Galway),
(08:10/12:40) J Rackard (Enniscorthy), G Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick), E Smith (Laytown & Bettystown),
(08:20/12:50) M Shiel (Galway Bay), J Kehoe (Limerick), A McDaid (Palmerstown Stud),
(08:30/13:00) S McGlynn (Portmarnock), M MacGrath (Lahinch), P Carey (Nenagh)
(08:50/13:10) D Crawford (Bundoran), M Reddan (Limerick), P O’Hara (Kilkenny),
(09:00/13:20) A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), T Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown), G Lappin (Belvoir Park),
(09:10/13:30) J Whelan (Newlands), C Fairweather (Knock), J Pierse (Portmarnock)
(09:20/13:40) E Griffin (Waterford), D Murphy (Portarlington), J McVicker (Knock)
(09:30/13:50) G Collins (Rosslare), P Murray (Clontarf), T McLarnon (Massereene),
(09:40/14:00) M Power (Kilkenny), C Rafferty (Dundalk), J Hood (Galgorm Castle),
(09:50/14:20) R Cannon (Balbriggan), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), G Ward (Kinsale),
(10:00/14:30) C Purcell (Portmarnock), R Mullarney (Galway), G O’Connor-Brooks (Lake Bluff Golf Club, USA)
(10:10/14:40) P Murphy (Rosslare), J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle), S Ryan (The Royal Dublin)
(10:20/14:50) E Power (Kilkenny), K Murphy (Charlesland), S Desmond (Monkstown)
(10:40/15:00) D Brennan (Shannon), T Cleary (Woodstock), M Horan (Birr)
(10:50/15:10) T Collins (Dun Laoghaire), R Steedman (Courtown), A Ryan (Thurles
(11:00/15:20) H O’Hare (Fortwilliam), G Nugent (Kilkenny), S Carter (The Royal Dublin)
(11:10/15:30) M Ryan Jnr (New Ross), D Brophy (Castleknock), C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire
(11:20/15:40) B Murray (Waterford Castle), B McGarry (Nenagh), D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown)
(11:30/15:50) G Young (Nenagh), K McCarron (North West), L Donnelly (Kilkenny)
(11:40/07:00) O O’Brien (Limerick), S Loftus (Yas Links, UAE), S Hogan (Nenagh)
(11:50/07:10) B Doran (Baltinglass), K Connolly (The Heritage), J Lyons (Galway)
(12:00/07:20) D McMahon (Castletroy), S Poucher (Limerick), D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh)
(12:10/07:30) M Buggy (Castlecomer), G McGrane (The Royal Dublin), D Coghlan (Portmarnock)
(12:30/07:40) E Long (Monkstown), M Boucher (Carton House), D Lowry (Corrstown)
(12:40/07:50) R Knightly (The Royal Dublin), R Williamson (Holywood), B Shally (Dromoland)
(12:50/08:00) J Greene (Portmarnock), D McInerney (Lahinch), G O’Flaherty (Cork)
(13:00/08:10) S Healy (The Royal Dublin), J Hickey (Cork), S Sweeney (Vista Valencia, USA)
(13:10/08:20) C Butler (Kinsale), B Anderson (The Royal Dublin), J Sugrue (Mallow
(13:20/08:30) J McDonnell (Forrest Little), R Lester (Hermitage), R Pierse (Grange)
(13:30/08:50) T O’Connor (Athlone), M Kennelly (Galway Bay), J Murphy (Kinsale)
(13:40/09:00) P Coughlan (Castleknock), P O’Keeffe (Douglas), E Leonard (Wentworth/Killiney)
(13:50/09:10) J Yates (Naas), R Dawson (Tramore), JR Galbraith (Whitehead)
(14:00/09:20) S Grehan (Tullamore), A Gleeson (Castle), C O’Rourke (Naas)
(14:20/09:30) R Dutton (Tandragee), P Kerr (Royal Portrush), D Morley (Oughterard
(14:30/09:40) B Tolsma (Apple Valley, USA), S Greenberg (Tandragee), G Smyth (Clonmel
(14:40/09:50) M Nolan (Delgany), A McCormack (Castletroy), R Brazill (Naas)
(14:50/10:00) C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire), W Russell (Clandeboye), C Kelly (Fort Lauderdale CC, USA)
(15:00/10:10) P Sheehan (Ballybunion), D Sheedy (California GC, USA), T Neenan (Lahinch)
(15:10/10:20) C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown), M Looby (Greystones), G Lenehan (Portmarnock)
(15:20/10:40) R O’Connor (Co. Sligo), J Walsh (Castle), M Norton (Belvoir Park
(15:30/10:50) P Fitzpatrick (Kanturk), J Ryan (Castletroy), J Knipe (Royal Portrush
(15:40/11:00) C Dowling (Mallow), E Stack (Ballybunion), T Hackett (The Royal Dublin)
(15:50/11:10) A Mulhall (Ardglass), M O’Kelly (Limerick), S Ledbury (GC De Louvain La Neuve, Bel).
