Sport

Ballyclare players steal the show

BALLYCLARE players stole the show at Royal Portrush yesterday during the opening qualifying round in the Carlsberg North of Ireland…

Tue Jul 08 1997 - 01:00

BALLYCLARE players stole the show at Royal Portrush yesterday during the opening qualifying round in the Carlsberg North of Ireland Open Championship. John Foster, the Munster Youths Champion, fired a super 66 - four under par - to lead from The Valley Course while his clubmate Colin Lyttle carded a one-under 71 on the jumbo Dunluce links.

Adding to the Ballyclare glory day was a hole-in-one by Stephen Rea, who aced the third hole on Dunluce.

Foster's show was superb as he stormed off with birdies at the first and fourth holes, rolling in four-foot putts on both greens. His only mistake was missing the green at the short sixth where he failed to get up and down in regulation.

The highlight of his card, however, was an eagle at the long 10th where be hammered a seven iron to four feet and rolled in that putt before getting down from 12 feet ford his third birdie at the 12th.

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"After that I was aiming to at least equal the course record of 65, but I just couldn't manage to get another birdie. I missed narrowly from eight feet at the 14th and from 10 feet on the home green. I'm a little disappointed in that," said the scratch player.

East of Ireland champion Sean Quinlivan also cracked par on The Valley course with a one-under 69.

The Kerry 22-year-old rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at the ninth to turn in regulation and then went to two-under with a pair of birdie fours at the 10th and 13th holes before missing from four feet at the 14th to drop a stroke.

"It's not a case of just qualifying for the matchplay - I want to return good scores in every competition as I am going to the tour school at the end of the season," revealed Quinlivan.

Back on 72 were international team mates Noel Fox (Portmarnock) and Bangor's Garth McGimpsey, who is seeking his sixth win in the competition.

Colin Lyttle, with a 71, was the only player of the 150 on the tougher Dunluce course to break par and that despite a bad start and a bad finish. He had a bogey at the first hole and two more at the 16th and 17th. In between he had four birdies.