GOLF/ North of Ireland Championship: International players Michael Sinclair and Richard Kilpatrick let the leading qualifier's Silver Medal slip from their grasp at Royal Portrush yesterday evening as the 36-hole strokeplay qualifying in the Magners North of Ireland Championship ended.
Former winner Sinclair, from Knock, and Banbridge member Kilpatrick shared a score of 138 with Holywood's Tony McClements. But McClements (40), a fireman, snatched the award because of a better round on Dunluce. He toured the jumbo links in five-under-par 67 - one shot better than the other two.
It was a sizzling show by McClements who in seven years of trying has never passed the second round in the championship. Yesterday, the scratch player swapped a birdie at the second hole for a bogey at the third before slipping into gear.
He rattled off a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, rolling home putts of up to 12 feet, and he added another birdie at the long ninth with a chip and putt. Rough twice cost him a stroke at 10, but he brought his birdie haul to seven with putts of 12 and 40 feet on the 12th and 14th greens.
Toledo-based finance undergraduate Kilpatrick (22) highlighted his card with an eagle three at the 17th, where he slotted in an eight-footer after a drive and eight-iron to the green.
He had got off to a flier with a hat-trick of birdies from the first hole, and added another at the 10th, before three-putting 16, and sand cost him that stroke at the last.
"I will see how things work out this week and then I will decide if I will go back early to America and enter the US Amateur Championship," revealed lightweight Kilpatrick.
Sinclair carded five birdies and, like Kilpatrick, had to reflect on a stumble at the home hole that cost him the Silver Medal.
Defending champion Brian McElhinney, the European and Irish champion, despite playing poorly, squeezed into the matchplay this morning by one shot, while two shots inside the limit was Mark Campbell, the current East of Ireland titleholder.
Stackstown player Campbell posted a 77 from Dunluce after opening with back-to-back bogeys and finishing seven-five to drop three strokes over the last two holes.
"Once you get off to a bad start you tend to lose sight of the qualifying target," reflected the UCD student who is doing a PhD in psychology.
Outside the limit were new Walker Cup panellist Michael McGeady, Andrew McCormick and Colm Montgomery. The cut was made on 148.
VALLEY COURSE FIRST
138 - T McClements (Holywood) 71, 67; R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 70, 68; M Sinclair (Knock) 70, 68;
139 - D Crowe (Dunmurry) 68, 71;
140 - R Leonard (Banbridge) 69, 71;
141 - A McKinley (Shandon Pk) 72, 69; W Telford (Rathmore) 66, 75;
142 - T Kearney (Ballyliffin) 72, 70; C Doran (Banbridge) 70, 72; D Coyle (Co Louth) 70, 72; D Carroll (Grange) 68, 74; M O'Sullivan (Galway) 68, 74; S Paul (Tandragee) 71, 71; C Murphy (Clandeboye) 68, 74;
143 - E McAnoy (Knock) 72, 71; M Rowe (Athlone) 71, 72; C Clancy (Stackstown) 69, 74;
144 - A Meharg (Bright Castle) 72, 72; J Foster (Ballyclare) 72, 72; D McCusker (Moyola Pk) 72, 72; G Black (Ballymena) 74, 70; G McDermott (Co Sligo) 70, 74; G Maybin (Ballyclare) 71, 73;
145 - J Turner (Royal Portrush) 73, 72; R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 72, 73; T Spence (Clandeboye) 71, 74; J Finnegan (Royal Portrush) 71, 74; R Doran (Banbridge) 71, 74; P O'Keefe (Douglas) 71, 74; D McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 71, 74; A McCloy (Ballymena) 69, 76;
146 - R McDowell (Royal Belfast) 74, 72; M McGarry (Ballymena) 73, 73; B Kilgallon (Ballina) 71, 75; M Lavelle (Belmullet) 71, 75; S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) 71, 76; B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 69, 77; L Reilly (Galgorm Castle) 72, 74; N Boyd (Donaghadee) 72, 74; K McGarry (Bandon) 70, 76; M Campbell (Stackstown) 69, 77; R Boal (Scrabo) 68, 78;
147 - F O'Donaghue (Belvoir Pk) 73, 74; T Coulter (Massereene) 73, 74; G Reynolds (Rothesay) 71, 76; P Higgins (Mullingar) 70, 77; D Morgan (Mullingar) 68, 79; B Cashman (Belvoir Pk) 75, 72; B Fitzsimons (Downpatrick) 75, 72; S McGarry (Ballymena) 75, 72; B McElhinney (North West) 74, 73; G Macintosh (Westwood USA) 73, 74; *B Hobson (Shandon Pk) 71, 76;
148 - C McCormick (Holywood) 76, 72; J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 75, 73; B Galway (Cairndhu) 73, 75; A Adair (Fortwilliam) 71, 77; B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 71, 77; M McCormick (West Middlesex) 75, 73; J McIntyre (City of Derry) 73, 75; M Smyth (Ballymena) 72, 76; G Forbes (Newtownstewart) 76, 72; M Hammond (Moyola Pk) 75, 73; J Crangle (Fortwilliam) 74, 74; R Evans (Moyola Pk) 74, 74; A Eagle (Tandragee) 73, 75; S Miskelly (Knock) 72, 76;
Non-qualifier on 148 - A Adair (Fortwilliam) 71, 77.
*Barry Hobson qualified for matchplay but withdrew from the tournament.
Draw in SPORTS ROUND-UP
