Colm Campbell remains on course to defend his title in the Pierse Motors VW-sponsored South of Ireland Championship but Lahinch is also hopeful of getting its first home winner since 1968.

Such is the level of amateur golf these days that not even squally showers and westerly whipping over 25 mph could stop 42 players from firing sub-par scores in the opening round of the Pierse Motors-sponsored 122nd South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

Lahinch is gearing up for the 122nd staging of the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship from July 24-28.

Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell overcame a two-hole deficit with three to play and “horrendous” conditions of wind and rain to claim the 121st South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch.

Peter O'Keeffe is gunning for victory in Lahinch after being told he likely needs to win the 121st South of Ireland Amateur Championship to claim his place in the Irish team for the Home Internationals next month.

Peter O’Keeffe would dearly have loved to win the 120th South of Ireland Championship but the Douglas man had few complaints as he went down 3&1 to Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley in a stiff southwesterly breeze at Lahinch.

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe came back from four down after 10 holes to beat Galway’s Liam Nolan on the 19th and secure a showdown with Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley in the 120th South of Ireland final at Lahinch.

Liam Nolan, Peter O’Keeffe and Keith Egan produced late rallies to win on the 19th and make the star-studded quarter-finals in the Pierse Motors-sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

Douglas star Peter O’Keeffe is hoping it will be a case of fifth time lucky after he played superbly on the first day of matchplay combat to ease his way into the last 16 in the Pierse Motors sponsored South of Ireland Championship for the fifth year running.

Leading qualifier Joshua Hill and defending champion TJ Ford fell at the first hurdle in the Pierse Motors sponsored South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill emerged as the big favourite for the Pierse Motors-sponsored South of Ireland Championship when he carded an incredible 10-under 62 to top the qualifiers at a flat calm Lahinch.

Peter O’Keeffe won three events - the AIG Irish Close, the Munster Strokeplay and the Flogas Irish Amateur Open — and claimed the Bridgestone Order of Merit after a tremendous 2021. But who topped the stroke averages in Irish amateur golf?

TJ FORD got in the zone and made history by becoming the first player from County Sligo Golf Club to win the prestigious South of Ireland Championship at sun-drenched Lahinch.

TJ Ford will be bidding to become the first County Sligo winner of the Pierse Motors Volkswagen sponsored South of Ireland title when he faces Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy in this afternoon’s final at Lahinch.

Dun Laoghaire's Alan Fahy survived a marathon 42-hole day to battle his way into Sunday's semi-finals of the Pierse Motors Volkswagen sponsored South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Richard Knightly claimed the scalp of another Royal Dublin man for the second match running when he finished birdie-birdie to clinch a dramatic one-hole win over leading qualifier Max Kennedy to reach the quarter-finals of the Pierse Motors Volkswagen sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

The open draw threw up its share of juicy encounters but it was bittersweet for Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightly as he ousted one clubmate only to face another in today’s third round of the weather-delayed South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch.

A call to coach Noel Fox worked like a dream as Douglas' Peter O'Keeffe kept his dream of winning the Pierse Motors Volkswagen sponsored South of Ireland Amateur Championship alive with a super second round 66.

Amateur golf is a young man’s game these days but Athlone’s Thomas O’Connor was pleased to “buck the trend” and open with a nine-under 63 that matched the scorching weather to lead after the first qualifying round for the 119th South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

The South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship will return to the world-famous links at Lahinch Golf Club from July 21-25 after a break of 24 months due to the cancellation of the tournament last year.