Ghosts laid to rest

The ghosts were swiftly laid to rest. Sean Quinlivan, who failed to survive the cut at Druids Glen, and Richard Coughlan, who did, but then had the unwanted distinction of propping up the field in the Irish Open, responded admirably to the challenge thrust at them when emerging from British Open regional qualifying at Co Louth Golf Club in Baltray yesterday.

Indeed, the manner in which the two young professionals each booked one of the seven places on offer to final qualifying for Carnousite next Sunday and Monday was quite exemplary. Quinlivan fired a five-under-par 68 to lead the way, while Coughlan was one of three players to finish a shot further back.

In ideal conditions for links golf Quinlivan played quite majestic golf. His round featured five birdies and not a single dropped shot. Why such a change from Druids where he missed the cut by 10 shots? "I drove the ball badly there," he explained, "here I drove well but my irons were really good."

Quinlivan's birdies came at the second, eighth and ninth to turn in 34, and he added further birdies at the 11th and 17th. The Kerryman will seek to qualify for the Open at Monifeth on Sunday and Monday. "That would be terrific if I could achieve that. If I don't, then it is back to the Challenge Tour next week," he said.

In contrast, Coughlan has no tour to return to - so his response to a bogey at the opening hole was to fire a hat-trick of birdies from the second to the fourth. "That was a good tonic," said the Luttrellstown Castle-attached touring professional who joined Jim Carvill, who has had three top eight finishes in recent weeks on the British Mastercard mini-tour, and Mount Wolseley club professional Jimmy Bolger on that mark.

Brendan McGovern, John Dignam and Leslie Walker also secured their places in the final qualifying while American Sean Noonan and Hugh O'Neill took the two alternate positions. However, Asian Tour players Peter Lawrie and Bryan Omelia both slumped to 76s and another notable casualty was Challenge Tour player Gary Murphy.