GOLF: Michael McDermott was the first to reach this morning's third round in the North of Ireland Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush yesterday with a couple of solid wins on the opening day of matchplay.
The Stackstown international first polished off Knock player Stephen Reid by 6 and 5 and then, in the second round, carved out a 3 and 1 win over Tuam's Damian Coyne. This morning he takes on Glen McAuley from Dunmurry.
"My first-round win wasn't just as easy as it seems. I had to work for victory, but Stephen's putting let him down," commented McDermott (22) who had gone further than in his previous two years in the championship. He failed to qualify in 2000 and lost in the first round last year.
McDermott's teenage brother John lost in the first round by one hole to Colm Montgomery.
Defending champion Stuart Paul squeezed through, but had to survive a struggle with young Graeme Dickson before winning on the home green. Dickson, after making birdie at the ninth hole, turned three-up but Paul holed a crucial seven-footer for birdie and a half at the next.
He then won the 11th and 13th with birdies to get back into the hunt and levelled the tussle with a par at 16.
"I still didn't think it was going to be my day when I missed from less than three feet for birdie and the hole at the 17th," reflected Paul (31).
He reached the 18th green with a seven iron as Dickson missed on the left and then played a weak chip. He failed to get down in two but Paul did to edge through to this morning's action.
The holder meets Woodbrook 20-year-old Paul McDonald in the third round after McDonald eliminated Richard Kilpatrick by 3 and 2 and then sent John Taylor packing by 6 and 5.
Also through are Mark Campbell, a 3 and 2 winner over Scottish teenager Gary Davison, Tim Rice and Garth McGimpsey, who didn't have to pass the 15th green in either of his matches yesterday.
First Round: M McDermott (Stackstown) bt S Reid (Knock) 6&5; D Coyne (Tuam) bt M Smyth (Ballymena) one hole; A Wilson (Cairndhu) bt M Wilson (City of Derry) 3&2; G McAuley (Dunmurry) bt A McCloy (Ballymena) at 20th; C Moriarty (Clandeboye) bt C Murphy (Clandeboye) at 19th; W Telford (Rathmore) bt L Moore (City of Derry) 2&1; P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin) bt J Sutton (Castletown) 6&4; G McGimpsey (Bangor) bt S Adamson (Royal Belfast).
M Hemphill (Portstewart) bt M McGeady (City of Derry) one hole; N Crawford (Mourne) bt C Doran (Banbridge) one hole; G Davison (Colvend) bt D Gladstone (Stranrear) 5&4; M Campbell (UCD/Stackstown) bt J McKinstry (Cairndhu) 2&1; L Owens (Royal Dublin) bt R Leonard (Banbridge) 2&1; N Cunningham (Belvoir Pk) bt B McCarroll (Ballyhliffin) one hole; T Rice (Limerick) bt R Maher (Nenagh) 2&1.
S Paul (Tandragee) bt B McCarthy (RSHECC) 2&1; G Dickson (Holywood) bt S McVey (Banbridge) 7&6; P McDonald (UCD/Woodbrook) bt R Kilpatrick (UUU/Banbridge) 3&2; J Taylor (Portstewart) bt R Cannon (Balbriggan) 3&2; G Maybin (Ballyclare) bt G Wardlow (Shandon Pk) 3&2; R McDowell (Royal Belfast) bt G Legg (Dudsbury) 2&1; R Kane (Bangor) bt A Adair (Fortwilliam) one hole; J Murdock (Lisburn) bt J Foster (Ballyclare) one hole.
M O'Sullivan (Galway) bt D McCusker (Moyola Pk) 3&2; D Baker (Downpatrick) bt G McDowell (Rathmore) 4&3; R Mann (Cairndhu) bt T Spence (Clandeboye) at 19th; R Forsythe (Hilton) bt J Drummond (Ballyclare) 2&1; R Evans (Moyola Pk) bt C McGarry (Larne) 3&2; G Hamill (Ardglass) bt L Ryan (Stackstown) 2&1; C Montgomery (Malone) bt J McDermott (Stackstown) one hole; A McCormick (Scrabo) bt D Mulholland (Castlerock) 3&1.
Second Round: McDermott bt Coyne 3&1; McAuley bt A Wilson 2&1; Moriarty bt Telford 4&3; McGimpsey bt McLaughlin 5&3. Crawford bt Hemphill at 19th; Campbell bt Davison 3&2; Cunningham bt Owens 2&1; Rice bt O'Donoghue 2&1. Paul bt Dickson one hole; McDonald bt Taylor 6&5; Maybin bt McDowell 6&5; Kane bt Murdock 2 holes. O'Sullivan bt Baker one hole; Forsythe bt Mann 5&3; Evans bt Hamill 3&2; Montgomery bt McCormick at 20t
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