GOLF SOUTH OF IRELAND AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP:NINETEEN YEARS after his brother claimed the title, Dubliner Michael McGinley took a major step towards completing a unique family double when he beat West Waterford's Séamus Power 2 and 1 to sneak into the third round of the 109th South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Lahinch.
The 35-year old Grange player, younger brother of Ryder Cup vice-captain and 1991 “South” winner Paul McGinley, birdied the 15th from 25 feet and the 16th from just eight feet to edge in front of the three-time Irish Youths champion.
A recent graduate of East Tennessee State University, Power shook hands when he three-putted the 17th for a bogey five and while he hopes to help West Waterford in next month’s Munster Senior Cup semi-final clash with Limerick, he plans to turn professional in September before trying for a PGA Tour card at the US qualifying school later this year.
McGinley claimed his biggest victory in the North of Ireland championship in 1996 and while he is a part-timer compared to many of the young guns in action at the Co Clare links, he has form around Lahinch having reached the semi-finals in 2001. Of course, form doesn’t always count for much in matchplay with two-time West of Ireland champion Niall Goulding racking up a 7 and 6 victory over Birr’s Joe Lyons, the 2007 runner-up, on a day of fresh westerly breezes and misty rain.
With leading amateurs Alan Dunbar, Cian Curley and Paul Cutler skipping the “South” to concentrate on next week’s 3 Irish Open at Killarney, this year’s championship is considered wide open.
However, there was little in the way of real shocks with Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe, the 2007 champion, a comfortable 3 and 2 winner over the American Seve Gonzales as 2006 winner Simon Ward crushed Malone’s Byron Campbell 7 and 6. Defending champion Robert Cannon from Laytown and Bettystown survived a scare when he sent Nenagh’s Shane Hogan packing at the same stage for the second successive year.
“I didn’t play my best golf in the early stages last year but found I grew in confidence as I got matches under my belt,” said Cannon, who squeaked home by one hole after Hogan’s 15-foot birdie chance at the last failed to drop. “Hopefully it’s a good omen.”
Irish Close champion Dara Lernihan considered withdrawing because of a shoulder injury but he’s set his sights on victory after a 4 and 3 win over fellow Castle player Ronan Burke.
“It was a lot closer than the result suggests,” said the 23-year-old Dubliner, who is bidding for a Close-South double last achieved by Graeme McDowell a decade ago. “Hopefully the shoulder holds up for the week because I only came to win. If I didn’t think I was going to win, I wouldn’t have come.”
