Fox stays ahead of the pack

Golf Irish Amateur Championship: Coursed from pillar to post, Noel Fox demonstrated enough resolve to outlast his pursuers, but only just. On the home green recent Duncan Putter winner and fellow Walker Cup panellist Stuart Manley watched a 40-foot putt shave the left edge of the hole but stay above ground.

If the 24-year-old Welshman had made the putt Fox would have faced a six-foot putt to claim his second AIB Irish Amateur Open Championship. The situation became academic when Manley missed but Fox calmly rolled his putt in for a six under par total and a two-shot winning margin at Royal Dublin yesterday.

It was probably the only time in the final two hours of yesterday afternoon's round that Fox was not bedevilled by a churning stomach, only partially attributable to a touch of influenza. Imperious once again in the morning - the competitors played 36 holes yesterday - he shot a two under par 70 to lead by five going into the afternoon round.

Three holes into the final 18 he was eight shots clear and relishing the prospect of a stress-free denouement to the championship. "I thought I was going to have a very leisurely round, certainly after a couple of the early holes."

The first inkling the 29-year- old Irish international had that his day might become a little more fraught was during a 15 minute stoppage in play due to adverse weather conditions.

"The first chance I had to ponder anything was during the delay (Fox was on the eighth tee). All that was going through my mind was bad things. Imagine if I did this, imagine if I did that.

"I looked at the back nine and thought you could really shoot over 40 on that nine, anything could happen. I learnt some valuable lessons and hope it never happens again. I think in hindsight I would have been better off picking a number in my head, like say go out and try and shoot 70. I think that's the way I'll handle things in future, rather than watching and getting distracted.

"It was like Stuart was playing a different course to us. I seemed to be going, 'nice birdie', 'nice birdie', 'nice birdie'. It was fantastic golf and all the while I'm making bogeys."

The 10th proved calamitous for the Portmarnock golfer, running up a double bogey six. "I pulled my tee shot left, caught a really bad lie and had to lay up. After that I just got caught out by the wind."

Manley, playing alongside Fox, continued to apply the pressure and by the 18th tee the Irishman was on six under and his opponent just a couple of shots adrift. Fox conceded: "I was very conservative on my second shot, aimed left of the flag because I knew he had come up short.

"Yeah, I did watch his putt but was happy with my chip shot. No matter what happened I had a putt to win the tournament."

Manley singled out a triple bogey seven on the 18th in the morning round following by a bogey on the opening hole in the afternoon as the seminal moments of his day. He demonstrated his match temperament, though, in shooting a closing 69 that included seven birdies.

Fox and Manley will both have advanced their claims for Walker Cup recognition later in the year having come under the scrutiny of selectors Frankie McCarroll, Tony Disley, Peter McEvoy and non-playing captain Garth McGimpsey over the weekend.

The champion takes a week off and thereby misses the Brabazon Trophy but will compete in the St Andrew's Trophy, British Amateur and Irish Close.

"Hopefully this will secure my place in the Irish team for the European Championships. That's a big week as far as selection goes. There's a lot more to do to be honest, I think. I'd have to win another championship," said Fox.

City of Derry's Michael McGeady celebrated his 25th birthday with a brace of 70s, moving him to one over par, the next best of the Irish challenge. Colm Moriarty finished strongly for a four over total while the round of the day, a course record- equalling 68 was recorded by Castletroy's Stephen Moloney.