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.