GOLF/Irish Amateur Close Championship: Not old enough to be veterans but hardly in the first flush of youth, it was a good day to be a thirtysomething at Carlow golf club yesterday. Ken Kearney (34), Niall Goulding (35) and John McGinn (33) occupy three of four semi-final places in the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship. Michael McGeady, at 24 years old, is championing the cause of the younger generation.
McGeady was also the sole survivor from among the 16-man senior national panel that teed it up last Saturday.
Three Walker Cup selectors arrived during the morning in the nick of time to catch a glimpse of Noel Fox and Justin Kehoe.
It was literally that as both Fox and Kehoe bade farewell to the tournament. The East of Ireland champion looked a little out of sorts with his game but this in no way detracts from the gutsy performance of 19-year-old Robert McCarthy from The Island.
McCarthy demonstrated great resilience to hang on for a 2 and 1 victory, benefiting from a couple of favourable ricochets off banks around the 15th and 16th greens. He looked a little drained in the afternoon and, while battling bravely, could not match McGeady's consistency. McCarthy's challenge was curtailed on the 16th green.
McGeady works for his father's firm, Glendermott Enterprises, who supply hard hats and safety boots to the construction industry. It was perfectly appropriate therefore for McGeady to adopt a "safety first policy", eschewing the driver where possible. In fact, the City of Derry golfer only brandished it six times in the round.
"I was conscious of trying to put pressure on my opponents by hitting fairways and greens. I took a lot of confidence from being the leading Irishman in qualifying for the British Amateur Championship. Still, I didn't expect to get this far and anything that happens today would be a bonus."
The highlight of his round was a 218-yard three-iron second shot to the 16th that finished six feet from the pin.
In today's semi-final he meets Greenore's John McGinn, who first saw off three-time champion Eddie Power and in the afternoon accounted for another former international in Adrian Morrow. It looked like the latter was set for victory when one up playing the 16th and escaping with a half in bogey after a penalty drop. However, Morrow missed a six-foot par putt on the 17th and was again short with a five-footer on the home green.
McGinn conjured a marvellous birdie, the highlight of which was a wedge shot of 80 yards that finished 14 inches from the hole.
"The key to my game has been my long irons and the fact that I have putted well from about 20 feet, something you need to do on these greens," he said.
In the other semi-final Goulding and Kearney will temporarily put aside a friendship forged in 1988 when they made their international debuts together as foursomes partners, coming from four down after five holes to beat the English pair of Peter McEvoy and Ricky Willison. Since then their paths have diverged, Goulding briefly flirting with the professional ranks before returning to the amateur ranks in 1997.
Even then his appearances at the top amateur events have been fleeting due to work commitments. "The fact that I have played a fair bit of golf recently has made a difference. I am happy with my game but not delirious. I am very, very happy to have got to this stage and anything beyond that would be a bonus. I am going to be very relaxed when I play Ken because he is a top quality player on top of his game."
Kearney was barely troubled all day, his commitment to hitting "fairways and greens and taking it from there" more than adequate to see off first Mark Murphy (5 and 4) and then Trevor Spence (6 and 5). The favourite? Probably, but it's a tag that several have forfeited already.
Third round: K Kearney (Roscommon) bt M Murphy (Waterville) 5 and 4; T Spence (Clandeboye) bt D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 4 and 3; M Owens (Malahide) bt M O'Sullivan (Galway) 21st; N Goulding (Portmarnock) bt B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 3 and 2; R McCarthy (The Island) bt N Fox (Portmarnock) 2 and 1; M McGeady (City of Derry) bt M Kelly (Killeen) 6 and 5; J McGinn (Greenore) bt E Power (Kilkenny) 3 and 2; A Morrow (Portmarnock) bt J Kehoe (Birr) 2 and 1. Quarter-finals: Kearney bt Spence 6 and 5; Goulding bt Owens 4 and 2; McGeady bt McCarthy 3 and 2; McGinn bt Morrow 1 hole.
Today's semi-final draw: 9.0 - Kearney v Goulding; 9.10 - McGeady v McGinn. Final - 2.15.
