GOLF/British Amateur Championship: Athlone's Colm Moriarty led the Irish challenge in yesterday's final qualifying round going into today's opening matchplay stage of the British Amateur Open Championship at Royal Troon.
A battling 76 added to his opening 69 on the Irvine course was enough to see Moriarty through by three shots. He is joined by Gareth Maybin of Ballyclare (70, 76), and former Irish boys' international Andrew Lynch (69, 77), who is captain of the Stirling University team.
Michael McGeady of City of Derry (79, 72) and Birr's Justin Kehoe (75, 76) failed to qualify by three shots, while recent Irish strokeplay champion Noel Fox of Portmarnock (75, 77), Birr's Michael Horam (77, 81) and Lee Owens of Royal Dublin (90, 73) also failed to get through.
The leader after the opening day, Scotland's David Inglis, followed Monday's opening 66 at Troon with a second round 68 at Irvine yesterday to lead the qualifiers on 134. Inglis had a one-shot cushion over an unknown US college player JJ Jakovac, with Walton Heath's Zane Scotland four back on 138.
Some 14 shots under the competition scratch score over the two rounds, Inglis has honed his game on the American college circuit where he attends Tulsa State University, regularly competing against the top Americans who will be in this year's Walker Cup side.
"I've built up my confidence in the States and won twice this season, and basically I've just carried on from that. But it's a completely new tournament tomorrow and you never know in matchplay," said Inglis.
