Just five Irish remain at the last-16 stage of the South of Ireland Championship after some big names were sent packing early from Lahinch Golf Club.
Thomas Higgins and David Howard’s Walker Cup hopes are alive and well given their own respective form coupled with the exits of Matthew McClean, Stuart Grehan, John Doyle, Mark Cadden and Dylan Keating at the last-32 stage after defending champion Jonathan Keane was beaten in the morning last-64 matches.
Higgins thrashed Scotland’s Archie Cook 6&4 in the morning and managed to pull away from Warrenpoint’s Harry McArdle to win 3&2 to book a mouthwatering last-16 tie against none other than Scotland’s two-time Walker Cup star Connor Graham.
Higgins’ path looks clear. Win and it’s your first Irish championship title and with it would come a spot on September’s GB&I Walker Cup team in Lahinch. Taking out leading qualifier and sure to be a three-time Walker Cupper this year in Graham would be a huge scalp in front of team captain Dean Robertson.
“I’m just trying to win like I do every week go into every tournament trying to win. The goal doesn’t change and hopefully we are standing here on Sunday with a trophy,” said the Roscommon man who was the hero of Ireland’s European Championship victory two weeks ago.
“At the start of the year I was trying to do everything perfect. But now if I don’t play Walker Cup it’s not the end of the world, I would love to.”
Despite the relative ease of which he dispatched of Cook in the morning, he didn’t have things all his own way against McArdle. The pair were level pegging through nine holes before Higgins pulled away with wins on 10, 11 and 12. The 23-year-old is capable of explosive burst of golf which he feels makes him dangerous in matchplay.
“I think it’s a nice asset to have and good to have in the back pocket,” he added.
“We had a ding dong battle on the front nine, I won a couple of holes, he won a couple of holes. Held a couple of long putts, it was and forth then I won 10, 11, 12 on the bounce and that put me in a strong position coming in. I made a few pars and held another long putt on 16 to win which was nice.”
Things were nip and tuck on Friday afternoon with three of the first four matches making it to the 18th with eight overall going the distance.
Malone’s McClean will need a big performance at next month’s US Amateur Championship to remind Robertson of his Walker Cup credentials after he was beaten by fellow GB&I hopeful Samuel Easterbrook 2UP after the Englishman eagled the last.
Rory Gallagher of Galway Bay was beaten 6&4 by America’s Josh Hill while Mark Gazi and Howard were 1UP winners over Jack McDonnell of Royal Dublin and Stephen Loftus of Lahinch respectively – bringing an end to local interest.
England’s Ben Bolton thrashed Germany’s Richard Saunders 6&5 while Malone’s Fionn Dobbin was narrowly beaten 2&1 by Wales’ Tomi Bowen who could emerge as a Walker Cup contender himself.
Grange star Ciaran Murphy, who beat Jonathan Keane in the morning was a 3&1 winner over Douglas’ Barry O’Connell. England’s Daniel Hayes is in contention for a Walker Cup spot and he edged by Scotland’s Oli Blackadder on 18.
Two-time Walker Cup star Connor Graham came from two down with six to play to beat Morgan Cain of Fota Island on the last.
It was a difficult afternoon for the Irish in the bottom matches with Gerard Dunne, Mark Cadden and Stuart Grehan all suffering on the back nine on their way to defeats while Dylan Holmes was beaten on the last by Sean David of Wales and John Doyle couldn’t recover from an early 3 hole deficit against Freddie Turnell in 1 hole loss.
The anchor match of the afternoon was an all-Irish affair which saw Athenry’s David Kitt keep his rich vein of form going with a 2UP victory over North of Ireland winner Dylan Keating.
ROUND OF 16 FIXTURES
Samuel Easterbrook ENG vs Josh Hill USA
Mark Gazi TRALEE vs David Howard FOTA ISLAND
Ben Bolton ENG vs Tomi Bowen WAL
Ciaran Murphy GRANGE vs Daniel Hayes ENG
Connor Graham SCO vs Thomas Higgins ROSCOMMON
Matthew Dodd-Berry ENG vs Ben Gratzl GER
Max Hopkins ENG vs Sean David WAL
Freddie Turnell ENG vs David Kitt ATHENRY
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