Abernethy tops West of Ireland qualifiers to claim Pat Ruddy Cup at Rosses Point
Bare Ben Bulben's head emerges from the clouds during the second qualifying round for the West of Ireland Championship at County. Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point.
Leading qualifier Robert Abernethy has a full set of clothes with him this time as he dreams of going all the way in the Connolly Motor Group-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at a rain-soaked Rosses Point.
Eight years after he came through the pre-qualifier as a 17-year-old and dumped out leading qualifier Conor O'Rourke in the second round en route to the last 16, the 25-year-old Dun Laoghaire talent shot a best-of-the-day, three-under 68 in a cold, persistent drizzle to win the Pat Ruddy Cup on two-over 144.
After the carnage of the opening qualifying round at County Sligo, the wind abated for round two, but the rain made the Harry Colt masterpiece a major test once more.
Nobody was more impressive than Abernethy, who has so little confidence in his changes, he only had one change of clothes when he made headlines in 2017.
He comes fully kitted out this time to make a title run and feels confident he can go well.
"I'm fully packed and well prepared this time," joked Abernethy, who topped the qualifiers by a shot from Castleknock's Quentin Carew and Dungannon's Dwayne Mallon.
"I got to the last 16 in 2017, which is my best finish here, but I want to be here later on in the week this time, so we'll see. I'm probably a better golfer now than I was back then."
Six feet-plus and built to match, Abernethy birdied the fifth, sixth and ninth to turn in 33.
Dun Laoghaire's Robert Abernethy in action at Rosses Point
The rain fell more heavily as he hit the back nine but doing jumping jacks to keep warm between shots, he followed a three-putt bogey at the 10th with a fine birdie at the 11th before parring his way home.
"I'm delighted with that," said Abernethy, who all but assured himself of the leading qualifier honour when he drilled a two-iron to 20 feet at the 17th before two-putting for a valuable par four.
"I was happy to come in and play very solidly today. Obviously, after yesterday, the conditions were a little bit easier. Today was still tough. We got a bit of rain for the last few holes, but I'm delighted now.
"The rain was properly coming down on 17. So I was just happy to see the two-iron stay up on top of the hill and not roll back. I was happy with the two-putt, too, because the greens got a bit trickier as they got wetter."
Carew reached the quarter-finals in 2023 and after missing last year's West due to the birth of his daughter, he was pleased to add a 70 to his opening 75 and share second with Mallon, who shot 71.
Just eight players broke par in the conditions and the cut for the top 64 who qualified for the matchplay fell at 14-over 156, the highest under the traditional format since 2013.
Abernethy was one of just three players to break 70 alongside Grange's Jake Whelan and The Island's Sam Kelly, who both shot 69.
Defending champion Keith Egan from Carton House qualified with ease on eight-over after a 73 alongside Slieve Russell's Seamus Cullen, who aced the iconic fourth with a seven-iron en route to a 72.
While TJ Ford missed the cut by a shot, County Sligo has a smattering of title contenders after Sean McLoughlin, Aodhagan Brady, David Brady (Straffan), Barry Anderson (Cork) and Sean Flanagan (Portmarnock) all safely made the top 64.
West of Ireland Amateur Open (sponsored by Connolly Motor Group), County Sligo GC (Par 71)
First round
7:00 R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) v G O’Mahony (Fota Island);
7:09 D Holmes (Greystones) v A Smith (Mullingar);
7:18 O Murphy (Royal Portrush) v L Gowdy (Bangor);
7:27 D Kitt (Athenry) v C Stapleton (Westport);
7:36. S Nesbitt (Royal Portrush) v R Walsh (Douglas);
7:45 J Keane (Lahinch) v S Dorman (Bangor);
7:54 L O’Neill (Connemara) v S Desmond (Monkstown);
8:03 E Sullivan (Portmarnock) v P Coughlan (Castleknock);
8:12 S Murphy (Grange) v B Anderson (Cork);
8:21 O Bach (Oslo GC) v R Nelson (Belvoir Park);
8:30 D Reddan (Castleknock) v D Howard (Fota island);
8:39 S Cullen (PGA National Slieve Russell) v A Marshall (Lisburn);
8:48 S Downes, (Royal Dublin) v J Walsh (Douglas);
8:57 R Latimer (Knock) v E Monaghan (Tullamore);
9:06 A Brady (Co Sligo) v M Crowe (Elm Park);
9:15 K Egan (Carton House) v G Lenehan (Portmarnock);
9:24 Q Carew (Castleknock) v D Flynn (Carton House);
9:33 A Allahbachani (Powerscourt) v R Cannon (Balbriggan);
9:42 E McCormack (Galway Bay) v S Grehan (Co Louth);
9:51 J Boles (Charleville) v C Clarke (Balmoral);
10:00 J Whelan (Grange) v H McArdle (Warrenpoint);
10:09 J Sommer (Golf & CC Zurich, SWI) v A Naughton (Hermitage);
10:18 S Walker (Roscommon) v J Fox (Portmarnock);
10:27 E O’Carroll (St Anne’s) v P O’Hanlon (Carton House);
10:36 D Mallon (Dungannon) v S Flanagan (Portmarnock);
10:45 H Gillivan (Portmarnock) v S Kelly (The Island);
10:54 L Abom (Edmondstown) v L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin);
11:03 C Hickey (Dooks) v D Brady (Straffan);
11:12 S McLoughlin (Co Sligo) v D Kelleher (Blarney);
11:21 J McDonnell (Royal Dublin) v I O’Connell (Castleknock);
11:30 P Curran (Edmondstown) v S Sweeney (Gweedore);
11:39 T Abom (Edmondstown) v C Campbell, (Warrenpoint).
Qualifiers
142 R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 76 68 (Winner Pat Ruddy. Cup);
144 Q Carew (Castleknock) 75 70, D Mallon (Dungannon) 74 71;
146 S Murphy (Grange) 74 72, S Downes (Royal Dublin) 77 70;
147 S McLoughlin (County Sligo) 75 72;
148 J Whelan (Grange) 79 69, S Nesbitt (Royal Portrush) 77 71, L O’Neill (Connemara) 75 73, S Walker (Roscommon) 71 77;
149 P Curran (Edmondstown) 79 70, A Brady (Co Sligo) 79 70 , D Reddan (Castleknock) 79 70, L Abom (Edmondstown) 78 7, E McCormack (Galway Bay) 75 74, O Murphy (Royal Portrush) 75 74;
150 D Kitt (Athenry) 79 71, J Boles (Charleville ) 78 72, C Hickey (Dooks) 78 72, S Cullen (PGA National Slieve Russell) 78 72, K Egan (Carton House) 77 73, T Abom (Edmondstown) 76 74, E O’Carroll (St Anne’s) 75 75;
151 E Sullivan (Portmarnock) 79 72 J Keane (Lahinch) 75 76, J Sommer (Golf & CC Zurich, SWI) 74 77 ;
152 J McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 81 71, R Latimer (Knock) 79 73, O Bach (Oslo GC) 79 73, H Gillivan (Portmarnock) 78 74, A Allahbachani (Powerscourt) 78 74, D Holmes (Greystones) 77 75, A Smith (Mullingar) 77 75, R Cannon (Balbriggan). 77 75;
153 S Kelly (The Island) 84 69, R Nelson (Belvoir Park), E Monaghan (Tullamore) 81 72, I O’Connell (Castleknock) 81 72, A Naughton (Hermitage) 80 73, S Dorman (Bangor) 78 75, P Coughlan (Castleknock) 77 76, P O’Hanlon (Carton House) 76 77, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 76 77;
154 G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 82 72, A Marshall (Lisburn) 82 72, D Brady (Straffan) , C Clarke (Balmoral) 80 74, C Stapleton (Westport) 78 76, L Gowdy (Bangor) 78 76, S Grehan ( Co Louth) 78 76, L Hutchinson (Royal Dublin) 78 76;
155 D Howard (Fota Island) 84 71, M Crowe (Elm Park), S Sweeney (Gweedore) 81 74, J Fox (Portmarnock), S Desmond (Monkstown), R Walsh (Douglas) 79 76;
156 H McArdle (Warrenpoint), D Kelleher (Blarney), J Walsh (Douglas), B Anderson (Cork), S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 80 76, D Flynn (Carton House) 79 77 79 77, G O’Mahony (Fota Island) 79 77.
Non qualifiers
157 E Murphy (Dundalk) 85 72, B Hanratty (Donabate) 84 73, R Galligan (Elm Park) 82 75, B Doran (Millicent) 81 76, TJ Ford ( Co Sligo) 80 77, J Hewitt (Tandragee) 79 78;
158 D Harkin (Letterkenny) 84 74, R McCormack (Palmerstown House) 82 76, K Robinson (Castlewarden) 80 78, C McCarthy (Headfort) 80 78, J O’Neill (Berehaven) 79 79, S Ryan (Royal Dublin) 77 81;
159 L O’Connor (Edmondstown) 87 72, C Smyth (PGA National Slieve Russell) 87 72, F Farhang (Oslo GC, NOR) 87 72, E O’Donnell (Tralee) 85 74, LM Martinsen (Miklagard, NOR) 82 77, R O’Connor ( Co Sligo) 82 77, M O’Sullivan (Ballyneety) 81 78, W Walshe (Delgany) 80 79;
160 A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 87 73, L Boyle (Carton House) 86 74, A McCormack (Castletroy). 86 74, W Sundborn (Haga, NOR) 84 76, C Kenny (Portmarnock) 83 77, D Shiel (Enniscrone) 81 79, I Oliver (Glasson) 79 81;
161 R Carvill (Warrenpoint) 90 71, T Beaumont (Bangor) 85 76, D McCormack (Corrstown) 83 78, S McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell) 83 78, K Morris, (Rosslare) 82 79, S Barry (Fota Island) 81 80, R Lyons (Douglas) 81 80, D D O’Reilly (Farnham Estate) 80 81, N Kennedy (Lahinch) 80 81, T O’Connor (Athlone) 79 82;
162 P Martin (Carrick-On-Shannon) 87 75, N Patterson (Baltinglass) 86 76, A Gavin (Black Bush) 85 77, E Farrell ( Co Louth) 84 78;
163 F Eager (Royal Belfast) 86 77, C Smyth (Ballinasloe) 85 78, C McDonnell (Concra Wood) 84 79;
164 R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 81 82, W O’Riordan (Greystones) 89 75, J- Everard (Kilkenny) 88 76, D Beirne (Ballinamore) 87 77, D Harrington (Doneraile) 87 77, G McKenna (Ormeau) 86 78, J Hall (Galgorm Castle) 81 83, M Cadden (Roganstown) 80 84;
165 C Ruddy (Enniscrone) 88 77, E Lisibach (Goyer, NL) 85 80;
166 D Grehan (Carton House) 83 83, D Cleary (Tipperary) 82 84;
167 A McCormick (Scrabo) 87 80;
168 S Cloonan (Dunmore Demense) 88 80, B Lane (Muskerry) 86 82, D McKenna ( Co Louth) 86 82;
169 J O’Rourke (Naas) 92 77, M Doogue (Castleknock) 86 83;
170 C Smith ( Co Sligo) 88 82;
172 R Murray (Balmoral) 93 79;
174 B Howlin (The Heritage) 88 86;
182 J Mitten (Castleknock) 93 89;
183 C Keenan (Belvoir Park) 98 85;
189 D O’Malley (Black Bush) 95 94;
WD D Lyne (Lahinch) 88 WD, J. Boyce (Royal Portrush) WD, N Conneely (Ballinasloe) WD, D O’Riordan (Mitchelstown). WD, J Kelly (Ardee);
NS J Napier (Scrabo) 88 NS.
