Six Irish have progressed to the matchplay stages both the Men’s and Women’s Spanish Amateur Championships.
Olivia Costello has shone the brightest over the first 36 holes of stroke play at Real Club de Golf el Prat and she will move onto the knockout rounds after qualifying in eighth place on three-over.
The Roscommon teenager carded rounds of 73 and 74 with just two bogeys and sixteen pars in her second round.
Hermitage star Kate Lanigan also safely made it through to the top-64 after back to back rounds of 74 gave her a four-under total and a very respectable position of thirteenth.
Lahinch’s Aideen Walsh was unable to progress and make it a full house for the Irish women but two out of three ain’t bad.
On the men’s side Brian Doran, Paul Coughlan, John Doyle and Luke O’Neill are all through to the last-64 at Guadalhorce Golf Club.
The Irish team this week is O’Neill, Doran and Coughlan. They are supplemented by Doyle, Louis Goodman and West of Ireland champion Keith Egan.
Connemara man O’Neill and Fota Island’s Doyle finished as best of the Irish overall as they shared 21st place on one-over-par after 36-holes of qualifying.
O’Neill carded the joint low Irish round of the day with a fine round of 71.
O’Neill was very steady for the most part, birdieing the third and tenth holes while a birdie on 16 was sandwiched between bogeys on 15 and 17.
Doyle, who was the leading Irishman after the first round endured a rollercoaster second round but it all added up to a respectable 73.
The Cork man opened with six straight pars but would have to wait until the 16th for his next par after carding five birdies, three bogeys and a double on a topsy turvy afternoon.
While O’Neill and Doyle had no worries about the cut line, Coughlan and Doran battled to the end and were rewarded with places in the matchplay stages.
Coughlan had opened with a round of 77 but came roaring back with a superb 71 in the circumstances to qualify in 41st place on four-over.
The Castleknock man who will soon defend his Munster Strokeplay title made a roaring start with three birdies in seven holes and rallied from back to back bogeys with a birdie on the 12th.
After dropping a shot on 13 he held his never coming home with five straight pars to ensure his passage.
Mullingar Scratch Cup winner Doran birdied the last to sneak into the knockout rounds on five-over with a round of 72.
The Bridgestone Order of Merit winner looked to have fallen outside the cut mark after bogeys on 15 and 15 but the Millicent man rallied when he needed it most with a closing birdie.
Scoring HERE
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