Reddan marches on to set up intriguing clash with Ronan

Some of them had the good grace to step aside quietly. But there were others among the older brigade, notably former winner Barry Reddan, who resisted stubbornly when the second round was completed yesterday in the South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch.

As it happened, Reddan followed a Saturday win over Aidan Gallagher of Shannon by beating Athlone's Colm Moriarty on the 18th. Now he faces an intriguing third round match this morning against Co Louth colleague Bryan Ronan who, at 22, is almost 30 years his junior and who arrived here courtesy of a lift in Reddan's car.

Other former champions, Mick Morris, Michael Burns, Paraic O'Rourke, Stephen Keenan and Adrian Morrow departed the scene, as did Noel Fox, holder of the West of Ireland title. In O'Rourke's case, however, there was a trip up the 19th before he fell to Killarney Senior Cup player Sean Coyne.

"I was disgusted to lose the 18th to a par," said the three-time former champion who sent an overzealous chip through the green. He then made the cardinal error of missing the 19th green on the right, to lose the match to another par.

For years, Reddan's age was one of the great mysteries of Irish amateur golf, but his progress to senior status has changed all that. Indeed, he will be attempting to pre-qualify for the British Senior Open at Royal Portrush next week in the company of Declan Branigan and Paddy O'Looney. And with regard to his victory here in 1987, he has no compunction in declaring proudly: "Mark O'Meara and me share the distinction of having won majors in our forties."

The player whose pace of play is admirably suited to the leisurely atmosphere in these parts, has been competing in this championship since 1970. "I believe all past winners who retain category-one status, should be invited back each year," he said. "But failing that, I'll go on as long as I can." His progress on this occasion could be modest, given Ronan's second round victory over Arthur Pierse.

Either way, Lahinch has provided Reddan with a fund of memories. None could be more precious than 1987 when, after taking this title, he went on to play here for Ireland in the historic triple crown triumph in the Home Internationals. And all in his year as captain of Co Louth GC.

In the match against Moriarty, he was three up after nine but was all square going to the 17th. He won this with a par, hitting a four-iron second shot to 15 feet and went on to secure the match with a sand-wedge third shot to four feet at the last. "Competition is a lot more serious than when I first came here," he added ruefully.

Though he now plays out of Skerries, Frank Gannon embellished the Louth presence with a surprise dismissal of reigning Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay champion Michael Hoey in the last match of the day. So, another veteran survived from the first round.

Meanwhile, Morrow, who captured this title in 1983 and 1996, was four down to John Hutchinson after seven holes. "But I knew he would come back at me," admitted the Royal Dublin player afterwards. So it was that they were level after the short 16th but Hutchinson won the 17th with a par and had to sink a four-footer for the match after Morrow holed from 12 feet for a four on the last.

O'Looney, who competed in the South for the first time in 1968, was standing on the 20th tee yesterday when his opponent, Enda McMenamin, reminded him: "We did this before, when you beat me on the 19th." Indeed they had, back in the Irish Close at Woodbrook in 1982.

However, on this occasion, McMenamin, who is surely the best Irish player of recent decades not to have won a championship, made no mistake. He was on the green at the long 20th with a one-iron second shot downwind, for a two-putt winning birdie.

Eddie Power, winner of a third Irish Close title at The Island last month, lost at the 19th to Connacht inter-provincial Serryth Heavey. But "East" champion Garth McGimpsey and "North" winner Paddy Gribben both got through, as did Jody Fanagan.

So, with the departure of Fox, there was a parting of the ways for himself and Fanagan, who combined in a superb victory earlier this month in the Anderson Memorial Tournament at Winged Foot. In the oldest four-ball tournament in the US, the Irish pair beat American Walker Cup player Jerry Courville and Matt Bernot by 3 and 2 in the final.

Fanagan, who captured this title in 1995, beat former youth international Nigel Howley by 3 and 2 and now faces Mallow's David Finn in the third round this morning.

Australia's John Senden shot a course record of 62 to steal the Interlaken Open title from a bevy of British and Scandinavian rivals in Switzerland. The 27-year-old from Brisbane finished on 25-under-par 263, two ahead of England's Warren Bennet and Stephen Gallacher of Scotland and three in front of Swede, Mikael Lundberg.