Maguire falls in Amateur semis; Leona in Michigan mix; Sugrue leads Irish
LYTHAM ST ANNES, ENGLAND - JUNE 17: Aldrich Potgieter of South Africa watches his putt on the 17th green during the Semi Finals on day five of the R&A Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on June 17, 2022 in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Alex Maguire battled back from three down after seven holes before falling 3&1 to new South African star Aldrich Potgieter in the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes.
The recently crowned East of Ireland champion from Laytown and Bettystown beat Australia’s Charles Max 2&1 in a tight quarter-final as Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe fell 2&1 to England’s John Gough.
Maguire (21) got back to one down with five to play against Potgieter who won the 15th and 17th in pars to secure a showdown with England’s Sam Bairstow, who beat Gough 5&4, in today’s final.
Sam Bairstow of Hallowes plays his second shot from the 18th fairway during the Quarter Finals on day five of the R&A Amateur Championship at Royal Lytham & St. Annes on June 17, 2022 in Lytham St Annes, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/R&A/R&A via Getty Images)
Two down after 10 holes, O’Keeffe (40) fought back to all square with four to play before Gough parred the 15th and birdied the 16th to go two-up before matching the Cork star’s birdie from 20 feet at the 17th with a clutch 12-footer from the fringe.
“A few matches short of the dream, but golf is a game where we soak up the positives and go again,” O’Keeffe said on Twitter after his dream of playing in The 150th Open and the Masters and US Open next year.
Meanwhile, Mallow’s James Sugrue birdied three of his last five holes to head the Irish posse in the Kaskáda Golf Challenge at Kaskáda Golf Resort in the Czech Republic.
The 2019 Amateur champion carded a second successive 69 to share 25th on four-under.
He was nine shots behind Denmark’s Martin Simonsen, who shot 65 to lead by one stroke on 13-under from Germany’s Freddy Schott.
Niall Kearney shot 69 and Tom McKibbin 71 to leave them tied 43rd on two-under with Conor Purcell a shot further back after a 73.
Paul Dunne followed his 66 with a disappointing 79 to miss the cut while Gavin Moynihan withdrew.
In Michigan, Leona Maguire made four birdies in a bogey-free 68 to move into the top 10 in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The Co Cavan star (27) was tied for 12th on seven-under-par, seven shots behind overnight leader Jennifer Kupcho who followed an opening 63 with a 67 to lead by two shots from Nelly Korda on 14-under.
Stephanie Meadow missed the cut after a two-over 74 left her on level par.
