McGimpsey survives day of shocks as youths shine

EVEN SOME so called cute observers of the amateur game had never witnessed its like before, resigning themselves to bemused shakes of the head and eyes rolling to the heavens as a succession of favourites and "sure things" were dispatched out of the West of Ireland Championship, sponsored by Ulster Bank, at Rosses Point yesterday.

It was a day when youth most definitely had its fling, providing confirmation of the rich vein of talent in the teenage ranks at present. And, while all around him, his international colleagues were being bundled out of the championship on the first day of matchplay, Bangor's Garth McGimpsey, as ever, was rock solid in ensuring his place in the last 16.

Current Irish internationals Eddie Power, Ken Kearney and Pat Murray, however, were unable to emulate McGimpsey's safe passage on a day when, yet again, a south westerly wind made the course extremely testing, while aspiring internationals Andrew McCormick and Noel Fox, as well as leading qualifier Colm Murphy, were others to fall by the wayside.

Yet, amid all this mayhem, some of the younger brigade were coping with their respective challenges quite admirably, among them three teenagers not long out of boys' representative golf: Gavin Lunny, Ciaran McMonagle and Peter Martin.

Martin, in fact, claimed the biggest scalp of the second round.

Power and Kearney had, surprisingly, fallen in the morning's first round to experienced campaigners Hugh MacKeown and Frank Gannon - when he recorded a fine 4 and 3 win over Murray. The 19 year old Belfast lad, who spent the winter months playing golf in Spain, was in control from the moment Murray four putted the eighth green from 5 feet and never relinquished his authority.

For 18 year old Naas player Lunny, yesterday's performances, when he beat John Kavanagh and Declan McInerney, made up for his disappointing debut appearance in the `West' 12 months ago. Yesterday, Lunny, an Irish boys and youths' player, showed his mettle to come back from two down after eight holes to beat Kavanagh by one hole while, in the afternoon, he recorded a two holes win over McInerney.

"I gave myself a few scares near the end against Declan," admitted Lunny, who was dormie three standing on the 16th tee. However, he finished poorly and needed to hold his nerve to heat McInerney on the last to set up a third round meeting with another up and coming player, Ricky Whitford, a 20 year old Queens University student.

McMonagle, meanwhile, ended the hopes of a local win when he claimed a 2 and 1 win over county Sligo's Tom Ford, who missed an 18 inch putt on the 17th to keep his hopes alive. The Gweedore teenager - and Irish youths international now comes up against Dubliner Tory Smith, a member of The Island's winning Irish Senior Cup team of five years ago, the distinction of ending the fairytale run of Frank Gannon, the Irish boys' captain. Gannon sent tremors around the village of Rosses Point in the morning with a one hole win over local favourite Kearney, but, despite a brave effort, he was unable to maintain the momentum in the afternoon and eventually succumbed to Smith at the first tie hole.

The main surprise of the second round, however, was inflicted by Limerick's Mick Kemmy, a nephew of Labour politician Jim. Kemmy, a three handicapper who manufactures sports prizes for a living, marked his first appearance in the West with a remarkable 4 and 3 win over Fox, the hero of Portmarnock's Senior Cup win last year.

The 31 year old was one up at the turn and birdied the tenth - where he hit a seven iron approach in to two feet - and the 12th to assume control and, when Fox found sand at both the 14th and 15th holes, Kemmy ensured his place in the third round.

Another giant killer came in the form of Melvin Flanagan, a son of Rosses Point native Mel, the well known teaching professional. Flanagan, a member of The Island, showed his resilience in the morning to beat 6' 2" Serabo man McCormick, who had been beaten on countback by Murphy on Saturday for the silver medal as leading strokeplay qualifier, and then followed up with a 3 and 2 success over Royal Dublin's Neil O'Brien to set up a third round encounter with Ulster interprovincial Dale Baker.

Murphy's interest in the matchplay stages extended just as far as the second round, where he lost out to English based Sean Horkan at the 20th. Horkan, however, has another tough opponent to overcome if the is to keep his victory hopes alive as another young gun, Peter Lawrie, awaits him in the third round.

Lawrie, a 22 year old golfing scholarship student at UCD, showed his character with a 1st hole win over Des Ballentine, clinching victory with a conceded birdie putt on the third tie hole. "It was a high quality match and I'm just glad to have survived it," said Lawrie, now considered the main threat to another McGimpsey win. However, given the nature of things so far in the championship with one fancied player after another exiting, that is a hat he won't particularly want to wear.

While youth is very much to the fore, the man they all have to beat is Ireland's most noted amateur of the past two decades, McGimpsey.

The 40 year old Walker Cup player withstood a determined attempt by fellow Ulsterman Randall Evans to add him to the pile of casualties, McGimpsey eventually winning by 2 and 1. Things were far more comfortable in the second round, McGimpsey coasting to a 6 and 4 verdict over Portrush youngster Richard Elliott.