David Brady. Picture David Lloyd/Golffile

Hopes of a home winner remain intact after a day when some big names fell and several stalwarts advanced to join some perennial hopefuls in the West of Ireland Amateur Championship at Rosses Point.

Reigning South of Ireland champion Colm Campbell put the 2021 South winner TJ Ford to the sword in the last match of the day, winning 2 and 1 to set up a last 16 clash with Coventry’s Darryl Gwilliam, a 42-year-old ex-mini tour professional now based in Kildare, who beat Forrest Little’s Allan Kiernan one up.

Ford’s combative exit was not the end of the County Sligo challenge on a day when a cold easterly breeze and overcast conditions gave way to brilliant afternoon sunshine and for the numerous local supporters who took to the great links.

That’s because cousins David and Aodhagan Brady will go head to head for a place in the quarter-finals today after a day of several shocks out west.

One of the two County Sligo men is guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals, which means a nervous morning for their Dads, brothers Hugh and Terry, in the Connolly Motor Group-sponsored season opener.

Eighteen-year-old boys international and Connacht interprovincial Aodhagan beat Royal Portrush's Adam Buchanan on the 19th in the first round before seeing off leading qualifier Mark Doogue from Castleknock 2 and 1 in the afternoon.

“It should be good craic,” said Aodhagan. “We’ve never played each other in a Championship but it will be a good match.”

Aodhagan Brady. Picture David Lloyd/Golffile

First cousin David is now 27, working for Bank of America in Dublin and playing out of Straffan Golf Club at The K Club.

But he is still very much a Co. Sligo man and he was fortunate to make the matchplay at all after being handed a two-stroke penalty for arriving late on the first tee for Saturday’s second qualifying round, where Dad Terry was the embarrassed starter.

Despite the penalty and an opening triple bogey seven, he shot 79 to qualify with two shots to spare and took full advantage yesterday, beating Royal Dublin's Irish international, and 2021 champion, Hugh Foley 3 and 2 in figures around level par before edging out Bangor's Shay Dorman with a birdie from 15 feet at the 19th.

"It should be fun," said David, who once held the Rosses Point course record with a 64. "How often does something like this happen?

"After being told yesterday I had a two-shot penalty standing on the first tee, I'll definitely take it. I'm over the moon. Delighted."

David played superbly to beat Foley on the 16th, and after hitting a stellar shot to the 19th against Dorman to close out a match he might have won several holes earlier, he's hoping to go at least one better than in 2017, when he lost to eventual champion Barry Anderson in the quarter-finals.

Eddie McCormack is the oldest man left in the field. Picture David Lloyd/Golffile

The winner of the Brady clash will take on Walker Cup player Matt McClean from Malone or Grange’s Jake Whelan.

Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan and North of Ireland champion James Fox are the other big names in the top half of the draw.

In the bottom half, there is a Carton House derby between Keith Egan and 2007 runner-up Paul O’Hanlon, who impressed as he defeated Peter O’Keeffe 3 and 2 and Portmarnock’s Luke Mitchell 6 and 5.

The winner will play Co Louth’s Evan Farrell or Fota Island’s David Howard, who beat Joe Lyons at the 20th before seeing off up-and-coming Roganstown star Mark. Cadden 3 and 1.

The evergreen Cavan man Eddie McCormack remains in the hunt after playing just 30 holes yesterday but faces a test against Clandeboye’s Ross Latimer, who beat Powerscourt’s Adam Allahbachani 6 and 5 after the youngster had sprung a surprise with a 4 and 2 win over the reigning Bridgestone Order of Merit champion, international David Shiel.

West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by Connolly Motor Group, Co Sligo GC

First round

M Doogue (Castleknock) bt O Murphy (Royal Portrush) 5/4;

A Brady (Co Sligo) bt A Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 19th;

D Brady (Straffan) bt H Foley (Royal Dublin) 3/2;

S Dorman (Bangor) bt F Dortmans (Sunningdale, Eng) 20th;

M McClean (Malone) bt C Ó Muirithe (Belmullet) 2/1;

D Mallon (Dungannon) bt H Gillivan (Portmarnock) 3/1;

G Collins (Rosslare) bt E Magill (East Clare) 6/5;

J Whelan (Grange) bt J McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 19th;

P Coughlan (Castleknock) bt S McDermott (Slieve Russell) 2/1;

L Gowdy (Bangor) bt D O’Riordan (Fermoy) 5/3;

J O’Neill (Berehaven) bt R Nelson (Belvoir Park) 5/3;

T Abom (Edmondstown) bt J Keane (Lahinch) 20th;

R Galligan (Elm Park) bt S Kavanagh (St Anne’s) 7/6;

S Cullen (Slieve Russell) bt A Benson (West Lothian, Sco) 5/4;

J Fox (Portmarnock) bt D Keenaghan (Mullingar) 5/4;

L O’Meara (Tullamore) bt L Lynch (Naas) 3/2;

K Egan (Carton House) bt P Curran (Edmondstown) 5/3;

R Carvill (Warrenpoint) bt D Flynn (Carton House) 21st;

P O’Hanlon (Carton House) v P O’Keeffe (Douglas) 3/2;

L Mitchell (Portmarnock) bt A Smith (Mullingar) 3/2;

D Howard (Fota Island) bt J Lyons (Galway) 20th;

M Cadden (Roganstown) bt R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 3/1;

J Foley (Elm Park) bt R Gallagher (Galway Bay) 1 up;

E Farrell (Co Louth) bt V Hundeboll (Silkeborg, Den) 2/1;

A Allahbachani (Powerscourt) bt D Shiel (Enniscrone) 4/2;

R Latimer (Clandeboye) bt C Stapleton (Connemara) 3/2;

E McCormack (Galway Bay) bt D O’Keeffe (Hermitage) 5/4;

J Stenson (The Island) bt R O’Connor (Co Sligo) 3/2;

D Gwilliam (Coventry, Eng) bt J Temple (Portmarnock) 1up;

A Kiernan (Forrest Little) bt J Walsh (Douglas) 1 up;

C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt L Flynn (Dun Laoghaire) 4/2;

TJ Ford (Co Sligo) bt T McLarnon (Massereene) 2/1.

Second round

A Brady (Co Sligo) bt M Doogue (Castleknock) 2/1;

D Brady (Straffan) bt S Dorman (Bangor) 19th;

M McClean (Malone) bt D Mallon (Dungannon) 2/1;

J Whelan (Grange) bt G Collins (Rosslare) 3/2;

P Coughlan (Castleknock) bt L Gowdy (Bangor) 5/4;

J O’Neill (Berehaven) bt T Abom (Edmondstown) 2/1;

R Galligan (Elm Park) bt S Cullen (Slieve Russell) 4/3;

J Fox (Portmarnock) bt L O’Meara (Tullamore) 2/1;

K Egan (Carton House) bt R Carvill (Warrenpoint) 2/1;

P O’Hanlon (Carton House) bt L Mitchell (Portmarnock) 6/5;

D Howard (Fota Island) bt M Cadden (Roganstown) 3/1;

E Farrell (Co Louth) bt J Foley (Elm Park) 2/1

R Latimer (Clandeboye) bt A Allahbachani (Powerscourt) 6/5;

E McCormack (Galway Bay) bt J Stenson (The Island) 3/2;

D Gwilliam (Coventry, Eng) bt A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 1up;

C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 2/1.

Third round

0800 A Brady (Co Sligo) v D Brady (Straffan)

0810 M McClean (Malone) v J Whelan (Grange)

0820 P Coughlan (Castleknock) v J O’Neill (Berehaven);

0830 R Galligan (Elm Park) v J Fox (Portmarnock)

0840 K Egan (Carton House) v P O’Hanlon (Carton House);

0850 D Howard (Fota Island) v E Farrell (Co Louth);

0900 R Latimer (Clandeboye) v E McCormack (Galway Bay);

0910 D Gwilliam (Coventry, Eng) v C Campbell (Warrenpoint).