The quiet invasion by the Americans has started to rattle a few bones. Yesterday, on the sort of gentle day that gives links golf a touch of romance, yet more of Ireland's top guns fell like ninepins in the South of Ireland Amateur Championship, sponsored by Irish Shell, and a couple of US college kids advanced with stealth into the last 16 of the event.
In fact, the day had started in dramatic enough fashion when Irish champion Ciaran McMonagle made his exit without being required to hit a single shot. McMonagle was disqualified for arriving late, by 29 minutes, for his third-round match due to a miscalculation over his scheduled tee-time. By the day's end, a number of his fellow internationals - among them Eamonn Brady, Johnny Foster, David Jones, Gary Cullen and Michael Hoey - had joined him on the waste pile in more orthodox mode.
Of the noted casualties, Hoey was the only one to fall to an American invader. A student at Clemson College, Hoey is well aware of the standard of golf Stateside - and he was given a further reminder in his fourth-round match with plus-two handicapper Chris Wisler when the match was decided at the first tie hole in the visitor's favour.
Wisler's presence in the field is due to Eamonn Brady, a fellow student at East Tennessee State. "I hinted to Eamonn that I'd like to come over to play in Ireland, and here I am," said the Delaware native. "Quite honestly, I didn't know what to expect with links golf. It's tough but enjoyable." And the suspicion is that it is getting more enjoyable with each win.
Indeed, Wisler (19) was aware of Hoey's pedigree because of the conference rivalry that exists between East Tennessee and Clemson. And with Liam Brady, a brother of Eamonn, on his bag, Wisler had the advantage of a caddie who knew the course well. He was two up after 13 in his match with Hoey, last year's Irish strokeplay champion, but lost the 14th and 17th to birdies. On the 18th, Hoey had a 12-foot birdie putt to take the match but agonisingly missed - and, so, a regulation par from Wisler at the 19th was sufficient after Hoey failed to get up and down from the hollow to the left of the first green in sudden death.
The progress of Jason Semelsberger was more straight forward. The UCLA student is here because of a friendship built-up with Dundalk's Danny Coyle who is on scholarship to Berkeley College in California, and he advanced to the last 16 - and a meeting today with Ken Kearney - with two comfortable wins over Michael McDermott and then Eddie McCormack.
Semelsberger's record in collegiate golf (where he has won the UCLA Pioneer Classic and the UCI Anteater Classic) provided some evidence of his ability to make a formidable challenge. Indeed, he also qualified for the US Open at Congressional two years ago where he failed to survive the cut. Yesterday, he was a 3 and 2 winner over McDermott and finished his match with McCormack on the 15th. "I love the course," he enthused, "and it is going well for me. I was looking forward to playing in this championship and I haven't been disappointed."
It wasn't all doom and gloom for Ireland's top players even if only three of the current 12 internationals who set out in the championship remain. Andrew McCormick, a finalist here for the past two years, maintained his progress with solid wins, while Kearney, the East of Ireland champion, continued his fine form with a good win in the fourth round over Dermot Connolly and Noel Fox showed some signs of a return to his best form with a two-hole win over the promising Waterville player Mark Murphy.
