O'Keeffe impressively emerges from hibernation to lead Irish in Cádiz
Peter O’Keeffe speaks to the media after his Flogas Irish Amateur Open win at The European Club. Picture © Brian Keogh
Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe showed few signs of rust after a four-month break and opened with a four-under 68 to share second place after the first qualifying round for the Copa del Rey at Sherry Golf Jerez in Cádiz.
The reigning AIG Irish Amateur Close champion has not played a competitive event since he completed a memorable double by capturing the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at The European Club last October.
But he fed off good memories of Sherry Golf, where he was second in a Second Stage Qualifier for the European Tour Q-School as an amateur in 2007, mixing five birdies with just one bogey to share second with England’s John Gough and the Netherlands’ Kiet Van Der Well, three strokes behind Germany’s Carl Siemens.
“I haven’t played any competitive golf since the Irish Amateur Open,” said O’Keeffe, who started with a birdie at the 10th and mixed further birdies at the 14th, 16th, third and fifth with a three-putt bogey at the fourth,
“I’ve been flat out working all winter, so I’m surprised not to be as rusty as I thought I would be.
“I played here in 2008 and was second in the Second Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School, so I was familiar with the course.
“I just drove the ball really well and holed a few putts. I was in position off the tee all day long, and I have to mention my coach,
“I had a great lesson with Noel Fox last week, who just corrected my set up and this is another golf course that suits a fade off the tee, so I really got that going during practice and I’ve stuck with it.”
Siemens was eight-under playing the 18th but finished with a bogey for a 65 in the race to make the top 64 who will contest the matchplay stages of a tournament that was captured by Royal County Down’s Reeve Whitson in 2013 and counts Romain Langasque, Danny Willett, Joost Luiten, Sergio García, Maarten Lafeber, José Manuel Lara and Gonzalo Fernandez Castaño among its past champions.
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley was tied seventh after a two-under 70 with Marc Boucher tied 20th after a 72, Jack McDonnell tied 38th after a 73 and Liam Nolan, Alan Fahy and Robert Moran joint 50th after 74s.
In the Copa de la Reina at Real Club Pineda de Sevilla, Spain-based Marina Joyce Moreno heads the Irish challenge, tied for 18th after a level-par 72, five strokes behind Spain’s Martina López-Lanchares.
Beth Coulter was inside the top 64 after a two, but Kate Lanigan (78) and Aideen Walsh (79) have work to do on Wednesday to qualify for the matchplay.
Copa del Rey, Sherry Golf Jerez, Cádiz
T2 OKEEFFE, Peter * -4 68
T7 FOLEY, Hugh * -2 70
T20 BOUCHER, Marc Par 72
T38 MCDONNELL, Jack +1 73
T50 NOLAN, Liam +2 74
T50 FAHY, Alan +2 74 F
T50 COUGHLAN, Paul +2 74
T80 MORAN, Robert +4 76
T85 KNIGHTLY, Richard +5 77
T107 FORD, TJ * +8 80
T118 KEELING, Patrick * +11 83
Copa de la Reina, Real Club Pineda de Sevilla
T18 JOYCE MORENO, Marina Par 72
T33 COULTER, Beth * +2 74
T74 LANIGAN, Kate +6 78
T86 WALSH, Aideen +7 79