Rafferty in Power struggle for maiden title at Lahinch
Mark Power. Picure: Niall O'Shea
Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty is determined to play the bad guy when he faces Kilkenny’s Mark Power in today’s semi-finals of the South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.
The 25-year old international is seeking his maiden Championship victory and he knows he will be battling a local favourite in dual Kilkenny and Lahinch member Power, who produced a magical clutch putting display on the back nine to beat Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy 2 and 1 in an electric quarter-final hit by a 25 mph west wind that gusted to 30 mph in exposed corners of the classic Co Clare links.
Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty. Picture: Niall O'Shea
“I have to get over this line at some stage so hopefully this is the week to do it,” said Rafferty, who beat Ross Dutton 2 and 1 in the morning before outlasting Rosslare’s Paul Murphy by the same score in the quarter-finals.
"I am looking forward to the match against Mark. He'll be the local hero so I will have to take him down. We'll have a good ding-dong battle. All I can keep doing is keep knocking on the door.”
Power hit Castletroy’s Andrew McCormack with an early birdie barrage to set up a 6 and 5 third round win before remaining patient to put on a brilliant putting display on the back nine to beat Fahy on the 17th.
He holed a 15 footer for an unlikely half in par at the 10th and remained level after holing a clutch 15 footer for par on the 13th.
He then broke Fahy's heart when he made a 40 footer from off the green for a birdie at the 14th and a 25 footer from the back fringe for a par at the 15th to go two up.
He almost won the match on the 16th, where his 30 footer for a two rimmed the cup and stopped on the edge, before closing out the match by slotting home a seven-footer for a winning par at the 17th, where the new championship tee — built last winter for the Palmer Cup and the Home Internationals — added 35 yards to the hole, requiring as much as a mid-iron to get home.
Here’s @MarkPower68 in action @LahinchGolfClub where he faces @Raff_1992 in tomorrow’s semi-finals of the #south2018 pic.twitter.com/i3DaE4YgJX
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) July 28, 2018
“I am really happy with that,” Power said. “It was amazing, the golf we played in those conditions was mad. In the end, I think I had an eagle and five birdies."
Power (18) won back to back Irish Boys titles last year and while he's happy with his performances in men's golf this season, he'd love to put some silverware on the mantelpiece at home go with the multiple championship titles won by his father Eddie and mother Eileen-Rose (nee McDaid).
"This was the year I wanted to put myself on the men’s team," said Power, who will be hoping to make the side for the Men's Home Internationals when it is named after the AIG Irish Amateur Close at The European Club next month.
"I haven’t been putting it together but after a good run in the matchplay in the West, a decent Irish Amateur, and second in the East, this could be the week.”
Forrest Little's Jack McDonnell. Picture: Niall O'Shea
Whoever wins the Power-Rafferty clash will face a tough opponent in former North of Ireland champion Rowan Lester or Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell.
McDonnell superbly beat defending champion James Sugrue 4 and 3 in the morning, overcoming an early deficit before surging clear on the back nine.
The Dubliner, who also plays club golf for Laytown and Bettystown, edged out his teammate Eugene Smith by one hole in the afternoon in another dog-eat-dog battle in the wind.
As for Lester, who was beaten by Conor Purcell in the final two years ago and fell to eventual runner-up Conor O’Rourke in the quarter-finals last year, he believes he could be due a win in Co Clare.
“I think it’s my time,” said Lester (22), who beat The Island’s Jack Blake 4 and 3 before a win at the 14th and four solid pars saw him sneak past Reece Black by one hole in a tight quarter-final.
Some putt by Lester on 8. Black lips out for birdie, Black remain 1 up pic.twitter.com/JiPjesTSSA
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) July 28, 2018
"It's my fourth time here and I've been close before. I was just solid today. I holed a couple of good putts at the right time but it was just so hard out there with that wind."
It's the first time Lester has been tested this week and he needed all his experience, and a sure putting touch to come through against 2017 East of Ireland winner Black (19).
"He was up all the way and I got it back on 11, halved 12 in birdies, and I won 14 in par and I just played steady coming in against the wind," said the Dubliner, who has flourished at Texas Wesleyan University near Dallas over the past two seasons.
"The new 17th tee is 35 yards back and so is the 18th and that favoured me because of the longer shots in and I knew pars were going to be good. The new tees make a big difference. On 18 it brings the two bunkers into play on the right and it makes it tough. If it's this windy for the Irish Open, I'd say the pros would complain if they had to play them from back there."
Some hole now #ddfirishopen https://t.co/rstSAhcErG
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) July 28, 2018
117th South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors Volkswagen
Semi-finals - Sunday, July 29
- 0830 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) v Rowan Lester (Hermitage)
- 0845 Mark Power (Kilkenny) v Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk)
Quarter-finals - Saturday, July 28
- Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) bt Eugene Smith (Laytown/B’town) 1 hole;
- Rowan Lester (Hermitage) bt Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 1 holes
- Mark Power (Kilkenny) bt Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 2/1
- Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) bt Paul Murphy (Rosslare) 2/1
Round three - Saturday, July 28
- Eugene Smith (Laytown/B’town) bt Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) 2 holes;
- Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) bt James Sugrue (Mallow) 4/3;
- Reece Black (Hilton Templepatrick) bt John Hickey (Cork) 1 hole;
- Rowan Lester (Hermitage) bt Jack Blake (The Island) 4/3;
- Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) bt Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) 3/1;
- Mark Power (Kilkenny) bt Andrew McCormack (Castletroy) 6/5;
- Paul Murphy (Rosslare) bt Keith Egan (Carton House) 3/1;
- Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) bt Ross Dutton (Tandragee) 2/1.
