Hoey carries Irish hopes

Michael Hoey carries Irish hopes into the second match-play round of the Amateur Golf Championship over the Royal Liverpool course at Hoylake today.

One of four qualifiers from Ireland, Hoey, a 20-year-old from Shandon Park, was the only survivor on a day which saw Athlone's Colm Moriarty, Limerick's Tim Rice who had led the qualifiers, and Andrew McCormick from Scrabo all bite the dust.

And Hoey, one down with two to play to St Andrew's Links Trophy winner Matthew King, looked as though he was about to join his countrymen on the sidelines. But a solid finish saw Hoey win the last two holes to set up a meeting this morning with Welsh International Jamie Donaldson.

The Shandon Park golfer had made a bright start being two up after four but was brought level by the turn and after that there was not much in it.

Although Moriarty gave a good performance against West Country player John Morgan, a new England International, he went down on the home green. He actually birdied five of the first 11 holes to be two up but lost the 12th and 13th to be brought back to level and fell behind for the first time at the 16th which his opponent birdied. Halves at the last two saw the end of Moriarty's glory bid.

Rice, who had played some stunning golf to head the qualifiers, had the misfortune to draw the crack Australian Brad Lamb in the first round and at the end of a tremendous battle, he lost the l9th. Big hitting Rice went through the back of the green at the extra hole, chipped on and then missed a putt of around 10 feet.

McCormick was never in the game against English International David Griffiths and soon found himself five down. He eventually succumbed six and four and can have no grumbles.