AMATEUR: Niall Kearney will aim today to add to his growing collection of silverware when he tackles the final two rounds of the South of England Open Amateur Championship at Walton Heath in Surrey.
The in-form Dubliner fired himself right into contention for the coveted crown yesterday when he posted a four under par 68 on the New Course to add to his 70 the previous day.
His 138 aggregate sends him into this morning’s third round a mere stroke behind surprise halfway leader Simon Crockett from Addington Palace.
Not only will this marvellous display have given the Royal Dublin golfer the chance to challenge for the title but it will also have given his Walker Cup chances a tremendous boost.
It was a faultless display by Kearney over one of England’s most demanding inland courses.
His iron play was superb and he chipped and putted brilliantly, collecting six birdies in all.
“I felt good out there today. My golf really came together well,” said the Brabazon Trophy winner.
Portstewart’s Paul Cutler and Simon Ward from County Louth both qualified for today’s final 36 holes as well.
Cutler, the star of Ireland’s European and Home International triumphs last year, fired an excellent 68 on the New course for a 144 aggregate while Ward posted a 71 and squeezed in right on the mark-146.
Alan Dunbar, Rathmore’s St Andrews Links Trophy winner, was bitterly disappointed to crash out of the competition after a disastrous 79 for a 155 aggregate and James Fox from Portmarnock narrowly missed the cut on 147.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Last season's European number one Robert Karlsson could end up missing three of this year's four majors because of continuing eye problems.
Karlsson, having already sat out the US Open and British Open, was back playing in Malmo yesterday, but only for a pro-am – and not very successfully.
When the SAS Masters begins at Barseback today the 39-year-old Ryder Cup star will be giving a clinic for youngsters before returning to his Monaco home for further tests.
Suffering from a stress-related blister behind the retina of his left eye – it affects both his vision and his balance – Karlsson’s last tournament was the European Open at the end of May.
“It’s got a little bit better, but it’s moving slower than I was hoping for and I was also hoping for better on the course today,” he said after only his second full round during his long lay-off.
“It wasn’t good. Standing on the first tee I thought it was going to be fun, but after three or four holes I hit it fat and thought ‘what’s the use?’”
Karlsson, down from sixth to 18th on the world rankings, has been told the condition can take four to six months to clear up, but he is not exactly sure when it started.
He went to see an optician last February about the on-going condition, but it became serious only in May.
