McElroy produces the goods when required

WEST OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP:PÁDRAIG HARRINGTON likes to repeat a well-worn phrase used by his coach Bob Torrance to explain the difference between good players and great players.

“Good players play great when the feeling comes upon them but great players play good when they have to.”

Time will tell if Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy goes on to become a great player. But with the Walker Cup selectors eagerly watching his progress this year, the 17-year old produced some great golf on demand to clinch his place in the last 16 of the West of Ireland Championship.

One down to his close friend and fellow Boys international, Gavin Moynihan of The Island, with three holes to play, McElroy showed his class when he hit a five-iron to five feet at the 16th and calmly rolled home the birdie putt to level the match before holing a 20-footer for birdie from the back of the 17th to go one up.

“It was a brilliant match,” McElroy said after closing out the match with a solid four at the last. “I didn’t play that great on the front nine and Gavin was playing really well. I went one down after 15 and just found some birdies when I really needed them.”

It was a good day all round for the Ulster contingent, with leading qualifier Paul Cutler from Portstewart cruising into the third round following 3 and 2 wins over former North of Ireland champion Wayne Telford and Headford’s Rory McNamara.

Irish Amateur champion Alan Dunbar also progressed with ease with respective two-hole wins over Lurgan’s David Sutton and Galgorm Castle’s Benjamin Churchill.

And Belvoir Park’s Harry Diamond’s three-week trip to the USA with best friend Rory McIlroy has paid dividends. The 26-year old confessed he lost hundreds of dollars testing his game against McIlroy and world stars such as Luke Donald, Dustin Johnson and Camilo Villegas as they practised at West Palm Beach in Florida in the run-up to the Masters.

As a result his game was razor sharp yesterday as he defeated multiple championship winner Darren Crowe from Dunmurry by 4 and 3 and then came back from three down with eight to play to beat Lee Valley’s Seán Barry by one hole, setting up a last-16 meeting with Limerick’s Pat Murray.

“Playing with players of that calibre in Florida was a real eye-opener,” Diamond said. “It made me see how good you need to be. I had a brilliant time with Rory at Old Palm and the Bears Club before the Masters and I certainly lost a few bucks. Rory was giving me six shots and then shooting 63s and 64s. I was shooting level par and still getting beat.”

Diamond shared a house with McIlroy and two other friends at Augusta and while bitterly disappointed his friend failed to win the green jacket when he collapsed to a closing 80 after leading by four strokes with a round to play, he’s tipping his pal to go on and win a Major before long.

“He knows he’s got plenty more chances to win majors, including another three this year.”

Three members of the host club made it into the last 16, with 29-year-old bank official Gary McDermott coming back from two down with five to play beat Ballyclare’s Simon McConnell by one hole.

International Barry Anderson crushed Edenderry’s Daniel Coyle 8 and 7 to set up a clash with Muskerry’s David O’Donovan, with the victor set to face the winner of the crunch match between Rosses Point’s Steffan O’Hara and leading qualifier Cutler.