WEST OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP:WHAT'S AN extra day? Rather than shorten the strokeplay qualifying after losing yesterday's scheduled first day of play in the West of Ireland Amateur Championship at Rosses Point in its entirety, the tournament committee took less than half-an-hour last evening to decide to extend the event to a Wednesday finish.
The move means the 120 competitors in the West, the first domestic major of the season, will play two rounds of strokeplay qualifying today and tomorrow - weather permitting - with the matchplay stage starting on Monday, a day later than planned.
Yesterday's first qualifying round fell foul of high winds. Those charged with determining the playability of the course in winds in excess of 50kph didn't have to venture too far: the flagpoles were bent over so severe were the conditions, with little protection offered to golf balls, particularly on the second and fourth greens.
The decision to schedule an extra day means the original strokeplay times can be retained, with the leading 64 players tomorrow going on to start the matchplay phase on Monday.
Irish international Joe Lyons from Galway is the defending champion.
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