Leading qualifier Griffin withdraws injured as big names fall in South of Ireland
Ryan Griffin was forced to withdraw injured
The curse of the leading qualifier struck once again when Ballybofey and Stranorlar’s Ryan Griffin suffered a fall in the shower and was forced to pull out of the Pierse Motors VW-sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Open with a back injury.
Griffin (24) had a hard-fought, 1-up win over Ballybunion’s Senan Carroll in the first match of the day after returning to his accommodation to shower and get ready for his second-round clash with Douglas’ James Walsh; his fall caused a recurrence of his back problems on a day when Jack McDonnell, Keith Egan, Hugh Foley, TJ Ford and Jack Hearn also lost.
“I’ve had bother with my back since March and then after this morning, I came back for a shower and ended up slipping in the bathroom,” Griffin explained. “I wasn’t really able to turn at all then once I got up, so sadly, I didn’t have any chance. Hopefully, I didn’t do anything too damaging.”
Griffin’s loss is a blow to the championship but there was good news for the host club Lahinch.
Jonathan Keane held off a fightback from Dundalk’s Eoin Murphy to win on the 19th and join Stephen Lotus, a 3 and 2 winner over Dane Niels Knudsen, in round two.
Keane was 3-up with four holes to play in a strong westerly wind before Murphy won the 15th, 16th and 17th with pars to take the match to the 18th.
The Dundalk man looked likely to lose when he left himself a difficult third from right of the green, where Keane had a long-range eagle chance.
But while Murphy chipped conservatively to the front edge and made an unlikely 50-footer for birdie and an eventual half in fours, he bogeyed the first to bow out.
Veteran Pat Murray (53) was under par as he saw off Roscommon’s Simon Walker 5 and 4 and now faces Roganstown’s Patrick Keeling, who showed a resurgence in form with a 4 and 3 win over Castleknock’s Mark Doogue, who was the leading qualifier in the West.
South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motors VW, Lahinch GC
Round two - Live Scores
J Walsh (Douglas) w/o R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) scr;
Gerard Dunne (Co Louth) v Stephen Loftus (Lahinch); `
Pat Murray (Tramore) v Patrick Keeling (Roganstown);
Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) v Luke O'Neill (Connemara);
Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) v Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House);
Joe O'Neill (Berehaven) v Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell);
Patrick Adler (North Shore, USA) v Jonathan Keane (Lahinch);
Thomas Higgins (Roscommon) v David Kitt (Athenry);
Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little) v Finlay Eager (Royal Belfast);
Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) v Brian Doran (Millicent);
Evan Farrell (Co Louth) v Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay);
Lewis Gowdy (Bangor) v Darragh Flynn (Carton House);
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) v Gavin O’Neill (Malahide);
Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park) v Seán McLoughlin (Co Sligo);
Quentin Carew (Castleknock) v Aaron Naughton (Hermitage);
Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) v Seán Desmond (Monkstown).
Round one
Ryan Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) bt Senan Carroll (Ballybunion) 1 up;
James Walsh (Douglas) bt Jordan Boles (Charleville) 1 up;
Gerard Dunne (Co Louth) bt David Reddan (Nenagh) 1 up
Stephen Loftus (Lahinch) bt Niels Knudsen (Lyngbygaard, Den) 3/2;
Pat Murray (Tramore) bt Simon Walker (Roscommon) 5/4;
Patrick Keeling (Roganstown) bt Mark Doogue (Castleknock) 4/3;
Aodhagan Brady (Co Sligo) bt Evan Monaghan (Tullamore) 3/2
Luke O’Neill (Connemara) bt Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle) 1 up;
Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) bt William Hemauer (Bluemound, USA) 3/2
Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House) bt Ian O’Connell (Castleknock) 7/5
Joe O’Neill (Berehaven) bt Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park) 2 up;
Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell) bt Tomás Pepper (Ardee) 6/5;
Patrick Adler (North Shore, USA) bt David Lally (Blainroe) 6/4;
Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) bt Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 19th
Thomas Higgins (Roscommon) bt TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 4/3;
David Kitt (Athenry) bt Jack Hearn (Tramore) 1 up;
Allan Kiernan (Forrest Little) bt Keith Egan (Carton House) 3/1;
Finlay Eager (Royal Belfast) bt Conor Dean (Blainroe) 2 up;
Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) bt Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) 2/1;
Brian Doran (Millicent) bt Jamie Butler (Naas) 5/4;
Evan Farrell (Co Louth) bt Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) 4/3;
Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) bt Ross McKeever (Castle) 1 up;
Lewis Gowdy (Bangor) bt Cathal Penney (Athenry) 1 up;
Darragh Flynn (Carton House) bt James Marriott (West Surrey) 1 up;
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt Robert Walsh (Douglas) 2/1;
Gavin O’Neill (Malahide) bt Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin) 5/4;
Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park) bt Jack Blake (The Island) 2/1;
Seán McLoughlin (Co Sligo) bt Darren McCormack (Corrstown) 1 up;
Quentin Carew (Castleknock) bt Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay) 4/2;
Aaron Naughton Hermitage bt Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 2/1;
Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) bt Dean O’ Riordan (Fermoy) 1 up;
Seán Desmond (Monkstown) bt Mads Jensen (Odense Eventyr, Den) 2/1
