Golf Ireland has seven hopefuls through to the Match Play stage of the Spanish Amateur where the top-64 qualifiers do battle as they look to play their way into the weekend finals.
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley and Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell led the Irish in men’s qualifying. Foley followed up a two-under par 70 with a three-over 75 to advance at plus-one, the same score as McDonnell who signed for an even par second round to add to his one-over 73.
The pair finished one ahead of Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan who traded two bogeys with two birdies to cruise to the clubhouse at even par and progress at two-over overall.
Galway’s Liam Nolan and Dun Laoghaire’s Alan Fahy were also comfortably through in a share of 47th at four-over while Carton House’s Marc Boucher was the last man in at five-over.
Peter O’Keeffe also finished at five-over but the Douglas man missed out on countback after a disastrous nine-over 81 having started so brightly with an opening 68.
In the Women’s event, Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter will carry Irish hopes into the last-64 after carding a classy even-par 72 that included four birdies to move into the knockouts from a tie for 31st at plus-two.
Coulter, whose brilliant play of last year that saw her finish runner-up at the Girls’ Amateur was rewarded yesterday with an initial Curtis Cup call-up, is a fierce match-play competitor and faces off against Spain’s Claudia Lara Miravitlles in her first round match.
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