GOLF DIGEST Boys - Home InternationalsIreland will be battling to avoid the wooden spoon in the Boys' home international championship at Co Louth today when they face Wales.
They flattered to deceive against Scotland yesterday, going down 8½-6½ despite taking the foursomes session 3-2.
This means that defending champions England and Scotland having won both their matches and go head to head for the crown and the prestigious RA Trophy.
It never looked promising in the afternoon singles, as one time Ireland were up in only two of the games although they did rally with the in-form Alex Gleeson battling to a last-green success over Scottish Boys’ champion Craig Howie, Paul McBride edging home and Irish Open champion Gavin Moynihan grabbing a half at the top of the order.
It was still not good enough and when Jordan Hood lost the 17th to go down 2 and 1 to Ewan Scott their chances had been blown away.
“It is very disappointing. We were just outplayed,” said Irish captain Roy Archibald.
Second draw leaves Irish with an uphill battle to secure win
Girls - Home InternationalsIreland were distraught last night at virtually surrendering their hopes of a first-ever Girls' Home International title at Radyr in South Wales when they managed only a share of the spoils with the host nation, who finished bottom of the pile at the recent European Team Championships.
Following a gallant half with defending champions England on Tuesday they were expected to account for Wales yesterday and keep themselves in the hunt for a first Stroyan Cup.
The foursomes were shared and the singles were nip and tuck, with the lead in the matches continually changing hands.
Castletroy’s senior international Chloe Ryan was particularly distressed as she was one up with five to play in the bottom game on Jessica Evans but then lost three of the next four holes to go down 21.
Jennevret leads the way at Carton as home stars struggle
Men's European Individual Amateur ChampionshipWest Waterford's Gary Hurley and Portmarnock's Geoff Lenehan were the only Irish players to break par as the cream of Europe's young amateurs blitzed the Montgomerie Course on a sun-kissed opening to the European Individual Amateur Championship at Carton House.
Hurley, 19, fired a four-under 68 and Lenehan a 70 as Sweden’s Daniel Jennevret carded six birdies and an eagle three in an eight-under 64 that equalled the course record set by Belfast professional Damian Mooney in a PGA Irish Region event less than 12 months ago.
No fewer than 44 players in the 144-strong field broke par, taking advantage of brilliant sunshine and a zephyr breeze that was favourable on most of the par fives.
England’s Garrick Porteous and Belgium’s Thomas Pieters set the pace with six-under 66s before Jennevret went out in six- under 30 thanks to four birdies and an eagle three at the eighth and picked up another two shots coming home to forge a two-stroke lead.
Defending champion Manuel Trappel of Austria crashed to a 79 but it was also miserable day for most of the leading Irish players with British Amateur champion Alan Dunbar of Rathmore posting a four-over-par 76.
“I just played awful,” said Dunbar. “I had a three-putt and a four-putt but the strange thing is that I actually putted well most of the day. It could have been worse.”
Austria’s Matthias Schwab, who lost to Dunbar in the final of the British Amateur, was alone in fourth after a four under 67.
- BRIAN KEOGH
Kelly and Pierse take share of lead
British Senior Amateur OpenExperienced Irish international Maurice Kelly and former champion Arthur Pierse grabbed a share of the first round lead in the British Seniors Open Amateur Championship over the Jack Nicklaus-designed Machynys Peninsula course in West Wales yesterday.
Kelly, the 62-year-old member of both the Killeen and Naas clubs, and Pierse from Tipperary, fired a two-under-par 70 to be among six players on that score at the top of the leaderboard.
In fact, Kelly really should have been out on his own. Having birdied the short 17th, Kelly hit a superb shot down the last only to put his second into a lake in front of the green and instead of carding birdie as he had hoped he had to settle for a bogey six.
“I was almost counting my round as a 68 which is never a wise thing to do and then it was unbelievable that I planted the second shot in the water,”said Kelly.
Also on 70 after round one are Americans Steve Rogers and Douglas Pool, Scotsman David Gardner and English golfer Alan Squires.
