Tense duel captures essence of the game

Light WAS fading and moist, chilly winds were sweeping in off the Atlantic as the players stood on the exposed, third green for the third time in an eventful day. For Enda McMenamin and David Dunne, it was the 21st hole in their fourth round match of the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Limping with the pain of sciatica, McMenamin two-putted from 30 feet for the match after his opponent had failed to get up and down from the right greenside bunker. Those climactic moments encapsulated the very essence of the amateur game.

"Despite all the disappointments, I have never become discouraged," said the 40-year-old, who has been runner-up in four championships, the most recent being the East of Ireland at Baltray last month. "I just keep playing away, because I enjoy the game so much. In fact I'm keener now than I've ever been."

One would expect that level of enthusiasm from the eager young players who travelled to Lahinch in the hope of taking a significant step towards the professional ranks. But against that background of perennial change, career amateurs such as McMenamin remain the cornerstone of the championship scene.

Not all of them survived. Garth McGimpsey, recent winner of the East of Ireland, departed the scene after losing a third round morning match to Garrett Mallon, whose brother Conor went out at the same stage to Timmy Rice. The holder, Patrick Collier, was crushed 7 and 5 by Eamonn Brady in the afternoon.

Indeed, it was a rewarding exercise for Royal Dublin members. John Hutchinson, a regular if unsuccessful challenger in these events over the years, produced inspired form in a 4 and 3 fourth round win over Ryan Boal, a current Ulster youth interprovincial from Scrabo.

"I still get the odd twinge when I look at the professionals and wonder how I would have fared in their ranks," said the 36-year-old, who made the decision to stay with the amateur game when he was 22. "Having grown up playing golf with Philip Walton, I suppose it's only natural I should feel sorry at times that I didn't give it a go."

A cold look at his sharply contrasting figures for yesterday's matches, however, would have gone some way towards dispelling such thoughts. Hutchinson was about five over par when he beat Tramore's Peter Power on the 18th in the morning round. But he played brilliantly in the afternoon.

Birdies at the second, fifth, eighth and ninth left him three up at the turn. Two further birdies stretched his advantage to five up on the 14th tee. it was largely academic when Boal hit a five-iron approach to four feet downwind for an eagle three there. It did no more than postpone the inevitable.

Hutchinson, whose best championship performances have been as a twice beaten semi-finalist in the West of Ireland, later attributed his current well-being to a series of lessons from professional Paul Cuddy. "He tightened me up a lot, correcting a flying right elbow and a ball position which was too forward," he said.

There are other, shot-making skills, however, that he acquired from close observation of a master craftsman. "I caddied for Senior (Christy O'Connor) when I was younger and as far as golf is concerned, that was an education in itself," he said. "I'm playing nicely, but I'm not thinking beyond the next round."

Dermot Snow has made a similar contribution to championships over the years - always a good bet to go a few rounds, but never seriously challenging for a title. On this occasion the 41-year-old Portmarnock member has advanced to the fifth round after being two under par for 17 holes in an impressive win over Limerick's Ger Vaughan.

He has a formidable ally pulling his bag. Having lost in the second round on Sunday, club colleague Mick Morris stayed on to caddie for his Sunday morning four-ball partner. "I caddied for him here last year when he beat Bryan Omelia," said Morris, who could never be described as self-effacing.

Two down after nine, Snow won the 10th with a par into the wind and then hit a six iron to two feet for a winning birdie at the short 11th to square the match. He then established a winning lead with a two-putt birdie at the long 14th and a creditable par at the next.

How useful was the contribution of the 1982 champion? "I give all of Mick's advice due consideration," replied Snow with a quiet smile.

The fourth quarter of the draw proved to be hostile territory for the more fancied challengers. Pat Killeen, the Connacht interprovincial from Claremorris, maintained impressive progress by disposing of Paddy Gribben, who was crowned North of Ireland champion earlier this month.

Then there was the commanding performance of Brady who captured the West of Ireland title three years ago after a five-hole play-off against Gary Murphy. A measure of the Royal Dublin player's superiority so far is that he has not been taken past the 15th green in any of his three matches.

Dunne and Omelia were other current internationals to fall. And the closing holes of McMenamin's win over the Co Sligo player could hardly have been more dramatic.

One down playing the 18th, the Donegalman seemed set for defeat when Dunne had a straight-forward chip and putt for a birdie whereas McMenamin was 70 yards from the target in two. But totally against the odds, a low pitch saw the ball bounce three times on the green before popping into the cup for a winning eagle.

Then, when they had progressed to the long 20th, the situation was reversed when McMenamin had a tap-in putt for a birdie while Dunne was nine feet away in three. On this occasion, the Westerner did the improbable by prolonging the match. The end came at the next.

In 1979, McMenamin lost in tie holes to Walton in the quarterfinals of the West of Ireland Championship. Nineteen years on, he is playing off plus-one and still seeking a championship breakthrough. But he continues to enjoy the journey, whatever the outcome.