Sheehan and Power turn back the clock

YOUTH invariably has its fling in the major championships these days but yesterday’s second round of the South of Ireland was an opportunity for those beyond their best playing days to show their worth.

“We were definitely the oldest twosome on the course,” joked Peter Sheehan, the 1993 champion, after he had put out former Walker Cup player Arthur Pierse in a fine match on the 18th. And Eddie Power, a man who has won the Close on three occasions but oddly enough has never gone beyond the last eight in the South, kept his interest alive with a 19th green win over Mervyn Owens, the champion here two years ago.

The Lahinch links looked a picture yesterday although the fact that the wind blew directly from an inland direction instead of the more customary Atlantic threw a number of course experts off track and made club selection a tad more difficult.

As always, there were a number of surprises with Mark Campbell, the 1999 champion, going out in the first match to the little-known Ian Murphy from Waterford. However, the biggest shock of the day came in the last of a long day - it ended just before 9pm - when Michael McGinley, brother of European Tour player Paul, eliminated Michael McGeady, the top seed, by 2 and 1. The 2003 Close winner Mark O’Sullivan is out while Greg Bowden, who lost in the finals of both the West and South championships in 2004, also had his interest ended.

Fifty-six year-old Noel Pyne, a former captain of Lahinch and competing in the event for the 43rd successive year, used his vast local knowledge to build a two hole lead after eight against the much fancied Ulsterman Darren Crowe. He hung on until Crowe eventually drew level at the 15th and won the 16th and 17th for a hard earned victory. Paraic O’Rourke, a three times champion, also didn’t let his generation down as he brought Stephen Loftus of Ennis all the way to the final green before succumbing.

Mervyn Owens had beaten Eddie Power at the same stage last year so it was a little touch of revenge for the Tramore golfer now playing out of Kilkenny that he should have prevailed this time at the 19th. Power reported that he “was in the zone” and he certainly produced shotmaking that reminded one of his halcyon days back in the 80s and 90s. Power used the wind to drive the green at the 13th and then holed for an eagle two to take the lead in spectacular fashion. However, he lost the 14th to par and three putted the 15th to fall behind with three holes to play.

He got back to level terms at the 18th where his second shot pulled up on the slope fronting the green and although his first putt was poor, he rattled home the next to bring the match into extra holes. And it all went wrong for Owens when he found a bad lie off the tee, bunkered his second and was unable to match Power’s solid par.

It isn’t often that a player loses two golf balls on the back nine at Lahinch and still goes on to win his match. This time, though, Peter Sheehan was able to make light of such potential disaster and still beat Arthur Pierse in a match of fluctuating fortunes. Two up after twelve, Sheehan lost the 13th to a birdie only to concede both 14 and 17 having failed to find his ball off the tee. One down coming up the par five 18th, Sheehan hit the green with a three iron for a winning birdie and had his task eased on the 19th when Pierse left his first putt eight feet short and missed the next.

Mark Campbell failed to find his best form in an early morning clash with Ian Murphy and found himself three down with three to play. He was thrown a lifeline with wins at 16 and 17 but left himself without hope by hooking his tee shot off the 18th tee into heavy rough.

The first quarter was deprived of another of its more fancied members by the late withdrawal of the recently crowned North of Ireland champion Gareth Shaw, so watch out here not only for Darren Crowe but also David Finn, the Mallowman who reached the final of the West of Ireland at Easter and yesterday was a solid 3 and 2 winner over Serryth Heavey.

Those to impress most in the second quarter were the 22 year-old Westport golfer Noel Kavanagh who put out the well fancied Irish Close semi-finalist Connor Doran, the talented West Waterford left-hander Mark Shanahan and Pat Murray, who ran up five birdies on his way to an 8 and 7 rout of Limerick clubmate Mike Kemmy. There were several other clearcut winners, like the defending champion Cian McNamara, who looks good in the third quarter.