Harding keeps up with the Swedes

Golf: The day was surely stolen from the heavens, and quite untypical of the gloomy meteorological fronts that normally descend on Rosses Point at this time of the year.

Instead of hailstones and gales - the traditional conspirators towards high scoring - competitors in the first round of strokeplay qualifying in the West of Ireland amateur championship at Co Sligo Golf Club yesterday had only to contend with sunshine, and the sort of fresh wind that, on such days, offers a seaside links its only protection.

There was, too, another unwelcome hazard to be faced in the late afternoon. A small explosion - believed to be caused by a discarded gas cylinder - started a fire in the dunes to the right of the 17th fairway and was eventually snuffed out by the local fire brigade, but only after an area of grass measuring 100 yards by 40 had been burned.

In any event, the course - at its most benign - was there to be taken; and it was, but only by a surprisingly small number of competitors, with only five players managing to better par and, of those, three were from Sweden.

One of its conquerors, in fact, arrived here with a considerable reputation, and his play yesterday simply confirmed that estimation. Steven Jeppesen, one of 10 Swedes competing and with his sights ultimately set on a professional career, shot a course record-equalling five-under-par 66. But it was only good enough to share the first round lead.

If Jeppesen's reputation had gone before him, his co-leader after the first of two rounds of qualifying - with the top 64 players progressing to the matchplay phase - was a real surprise packet. John Harding, a one-handicapper from City of Derry, contrived to record a similar score, helped by successive birdies on the 17th and 18th holes, one of the toughest finishes in Irish golf. The only other player to shoot a sub-70 round was Gary Wardlow, who had a 69.

Others had to battle hard for their scores in the untypical hard and dry conditions. Any tee-shots that strayed even marginally into the rough resulted in approach shots to firm greens that were difficult to hold and which, in turn, put an increased onus on the short game. Some of those to struggle included defending champion Stuart Paul, who had a 77; Irish champion John McGinn, who went round in 76, and Eisenhower Trophy player Noel Fox, who also opened with a 76.

The trick of strokeplay qualifying, however, is survival - and, with scores averaging in the high 70s, the likes of Paul and Fox have that survival in their own hands as they seek a place in the matchplay phase, which starts tomorrow.

Jeppesen had no such problems. On Monday last, the Swedes arrived in the north-west and spent two days playing the Glashedy links at Ballyliffin - "an extremely tough course," insisted Jeppesen - in preparation for the visit to Rosses Point. Jeppesen - an 18-year-old plus-three handicapper who has a string of successes including the world Junior Open, the European Boys team championship and the Swedish strokeplay championship - duly conquered the Point with a superb display of accuracy off the tee and in his approach play. The longest birdie putt was left until the final green, a 30-footer.

Unlike the Swede, Harding's round only took off as he came down the final stretch of holes that run hard by the Atlantic. He turned in one-under and remained that way until he birdied the 13th - and that was to be the start of a run of four birdies in the closing six holes, including a birdie from 30 feet on the 455 yards uphill par four 17th where he played a three-wood approach.

FIRST ROUND SCORES

66 J Harding (City of Derry), S Jeppesen (Sweden); 69 G Wardlow (Shandon Park); 70 N Lemke (Sweden), J Sjoholm (Sweden); 71 N Turner (Muskerry), R Leonard (Banbridge), D Kelleher (Portmarnock); 72 D O'Donovan (Muskerry), B McElhinney (North West), F O'Donoghue (Belvoir Park), A McCormick (Scrabo), M McDermott (Stackstown), R McCarthy (The Island), R Maher (Nenagh), G Henningson (Sweden), D Dunne (Royal Dublin); 73 R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny), D Quilligan (Elm Park), S Irving (Howth), K Kearney (Roscommon), T Spence (Clansdeboye), P McDonald (Woodbrook/UCD), J Foster (Ballyclare), S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy), D Ryan (Grange); 74 M Ryan (Grange), M Murphy (Waterville), M Campbell (Stackstown), G Adell (Sweden), C Montgomery (Malone), G Mallon (North West), G Bowden (Hermitage), B Trainor (Warrenpoint), M Staunton (Ballinasloe); 75 A O'Callaghan (Douglas), M Mulryan (Athenry), D Morris (Limerick), W Kelly (Killeen), D Crowe (Dunmurry), J Blixt (Sweden), B McCarroll (Ballyliffin), K Bornemann (Douglas), E McMenamin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar), R Duggan (Kilkenny), C Brown (Royal Portrush), J Callan (Howth), J Caldwell (Clandeboye), D Loughnane (Galway), C Conaty (Royal Dublin); 76 M Kelly (Killeen), P O'Boyle (Athlone), R Forsythe (Templepatrick), M McTernan (Co Sligo), S Moloney (Castletroy), J McGinn (Greenore), M Sinclair (Knock), R Evans (Moyola Park), N Fox (Portmarnock), T Ford (Co Sligo), H Hanley (Grange), S Miskelly (Knock), B Keating (Clonmel), C Cassidy (Portmarnock), M Moreland (Scrabo), S Crowe (Dunmurry), A Dowling (Hermitage); 77 S Heavey (Co Sligo), S Carter (Mountrath), M McGinley (Grange), I Moore (Dunmurry), R McDowell (Royal Belfast), M Horan (Birr), C McNamara (Limerick), D Moran (The Island), J Morris (Mullingar), F Flynn (L&B), S Paul (Tandragee), M Collins (Sutton), C Doran (Banbridge), L McDevitt (Rockaway), E McCormick (Slieve Russell), L Ryan (Stackstown), R Karlberg (Sweden), N Crawford (Mourne), G Vaughan (Limerick), M Kemmy (Limerick), G Massey (Hermitage), N McGrane (Royal Dublin), E O'Sullivan (The Island); 78 D Morgan (Mullingar), M McGeady (City of Derry), C Martin (Nenagh), F Whelan (L&B), S Franklin (Athenry), P Barth (Sweden), S Madden (Dromoland), E McAndy (Knock), J Mulready (Castle), S McParland (Greenore), P O'Hara (Kilkenny); 79 P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin), A Hogan (West Hill), D Coyne (Tuam), D Finn (Mallow), J Hutchinson (Royal Dublin), D Gleeson (Old Conna), O Flaoren (Sweden), C Moriarty (Clandeboye), P McNamara (Youghal), P Killeen (Claremorris), F Andersson (Sweden), G McGranaghan (Galway), J Murray (Tipperary), E Arthurs (Forrest Little/UCD), J Barton (Ballinasloe), M McHugh (Ballinasloe), D McWilliams (Holywood), D Scully (Galway); 80 K McCarthy (Kinsale), K Purcell (Old Conna), E Barton (Grange); 81 G Nugent (Kilkenny), N Lavin (Royal Dublin), D Lally (Tuam), R Durnin (L&B), P Wallace (Mullingar); 82 R Cannon (Balbriggan), D O'Sullivan (Youghal), M McGarry (Ballymena), D O'Brien (L&B), P O'Brien (Fota Island), G Hall (Edenderry), B Christie (Rush); 83 J Olsson (Sweden), P Sheehan (Castletroy), L Fitzgerald (Royal Dublin), S Galvin (Kilkenny); 84 D Rawluk (The Island); 86 J Loftstedt (Sweden); 88 J Mooney (L&B), M Burton (Powerscourt), J Moore (L&B). Withdrew: M Buggy (Castlecomer)