GOLF WEST OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP:A TRICKY breeze at the Radisson-Blue West of Ireland championship in Rosses Point saw two former champions staring an early exit in the face, as 2007 winner Joe Lyons and his successor, Shane Lowry, failed to impress on an intriguing first day of strokeplay qualifying.
Lyons, who beat Irish international Paul Cutler in a scintillating final two years ago, slumped to an opening 81, while Lowry, who dominated the Irish amateur scene last year, saw his round fall apart over the last seven holes for a 76.
“I just hit it all over the place,” said Galway member Lyons, whose round included triple-bogey sevens at the sixth and 10th, followed by a pair of sixes on the 11th and 12th.
“It’s not that difficult, to be honest. If you’re hitting the ball well you should score, really. I’ll probably need 67 or 68 to have a chance of getting in now. It’s possible, I suppose.”
Lowry may not have as much work to do, but he will need to improve his putting if his reign as West of Ireland champion is to continue following a calamitous back nine. He had reached the 12th tee one under for his round, but a seven there, followed by four consecutive bogeys from the 14th, left a sour taste.
“I couldn’t putt it into a swimming pool out there,” he said. “I don’t know what was wrong with me. I was fine at one under after 11, but doubled 12 with a lost ball trying to hit it too far.
“I’ll just have to start again tomorrow. I’ll go on the putting green for an hour or so, and go out tomorrow and see what happens. The first 12 holes are playing easy – ideally you should be a few under after them. It’s hard coming back in, but I played four poor holes in a row.
“The golf course is a lot softer this year,” he continued. “It’s not that easy, but it’s certainly not five-over hard. Around about 72 would be an average score, I think.”
A number of leading contenders were left reeling by the gusting breeze. Last year’s leading qualifier, Newlands’ Andrew Hogan, recorded double bogeys at the 17th and 18th in his 77, while the experienced Banbridge player, Conor Doran, is also struggling to make the cut after an 80.
At the top of the field, meanwhile, Gareth Bohill impressed with a four-under 67 that left him leading the way at day’s end. The scratch player from County Louth started brightly, with birdies at the second, third, fourth and fifth, and despite a bogey on the seventh, he recorded 10 straight pars from the eighth before rolling in a birdie at the final hole.
Lurking ominously just behind, meanwhile, is South of Ireland champion Niall Kearney, who, despite bogeying the relatively benign opening and finishing par-fours, recorded five birdies in between for a 68.
Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar also impressed with a two-under 69, while veteran Knock player Michael Sinclair carded a one-under 70. Mallow’s David Finn joined Sinclair on that number thanks in no small part to an eagle two at the opening hole.
Last year’s runner-up, Des Morgan (Mullingar) is also one under.
