Eamon Brady is on course for a recall to the Irish team after some sterling performances in the Senior Interprovincial Championship at Portstewart.
The Royal Dublin member is the only one of the 40 players in the tournament to have a 100 per cent record after two days' play as Leinster have stepped into a strong position to take the title from Munster, winners of the competition for the last three years.
The East Tennessee State University student partnered Adrian Morrow in the foursomes yesterday to a 2 and 1 win over Pat Killeen and David Mortimer and followed that up with a 3 and 2 win against Walker Cup panellist David Dunne. It was a tight match until the 14th where Brady was one up but he then carved out wins at the next two holes to slip into the driving seat. The 16th was halved to end the argument in Brady's favour.
"I was round in level par for the 16 holes played and that wasn't too bad in the conditions which have been tough here," said the six-footer who last was in the Irish senior team in 1995 when he won the West of Ireland Championship. This season he reached the last 16 in the North of Ireland Championship, the semi-finals in the South and carded a 68 in the Mullingar Scratch Cup to finish third.
Brady helped Leinster to a 8-5 win over Connacht, who made a bold bid to get back into contention after losing all four foursomes. Ken Kearney won the top match 3 and 1 against Gary Cullen to give the westerners hope but Brady's win was followed by a one-hole victory for Noel Fox over Tom Ford.
Still, Connacht battled stoutly with Nigel Howley, Andrew Lynch and David Mortimer all finishing their matches against Adrian Morrow, Michael McGinley and Alan Murray with something to spare. But Daniel Coyle gained the vital seventh point for Leinster when he beat Colm Moriarty 2 and 1.
Lee Dalton made sure with a one up win over Pat Killeen after being dormie two and seeing his putt for a win horseshoeing out at the 16th. Killeen hit back to win the 17th but Dalton hit a three-iron out of rough to the heart of the last green to share the hole and win the match.
Ulster shocked holders Munster with a 8-5 win after the foursomes were shared (2-2). Garth McGimpsey and Ciaran McMonagle won the last three holes to level matters and then Ulster stormed away to win four of the top five singles and halve the other. Paddy Gribben slammed John Morris 4 and 3 and was two under par when the one-sided match finished as Gribben never lost a hole.
Also two under was teenager Michael Hoey who won the `battle of Irish champions' with Eddie Power. Hoey leaped five up after seven holes but lost the eighth and 10th to pars before making eagle at the long 14th, rolling home a 40-foot putt. Power won the 15th but Hoey polished off the Kilkenny player with a 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th green.
Long-serving Munster player Pat Lyons was three down to Ciaran McMonagle after 11 holes but then went par-eagle-eagle to square the issue. However, he three-putted the 16th and McMonagle got a marvellous half at the 17th. His ball was buried in the rough after someone stepped on it. He belted a wedge to 15 feet and managed to share the hole. The last was also shared McMonagle having to go to the 18th in all his four matches to date.
Today, Munster play Leinster when a win or draw for the latter would give them the title.
