McElhinney well beaten in day of upsets

IT isn't easy for players or spectators when the weather is as unwelcoming as it has been at Lahinch over the past few days.

Fortunately, amateur golf is an activity where little or nothing dampens the enthusiasm of those involved and so it has proved as the Irish Shell sponsored South of Ireland reached the last 16 stage last night.

As always, shocks and surprises were the order of the day with current European and Irish Close champion Brian McElhinney falling in the morning by a whopping 5 and 4 to Mark Ryan, who himself won the West of Ireland title in 2003. As if to demonstrate more than a little forcibly that nothing can be taken for granted in this, the oldest of the provincial championships, Ryan was then himself comprehensively removed by Pat Lyons of Cork, a native of Ennis and a man with an intimate knowledge of the great West Clare links.

Lyons, a finalist here in 1985 when he lost to Paraic O'Rourke, played very impressively in coming through by 3 and 2 and now meets Bandon's Kenny McGarry, one of the younger school who have been making quite a stir here over the past few days.

McGarry hammered the highly rated Martin McTernan from Co Sligo by 7 and 6 in the morning and then proved that was no fluke when he had another big win, this time by 6 and 4, against Lorcan Morris. It was a pity that the draw worked in such a way that two more highly talented young men, Cian McNamara of Limerick and Aaron O'Callaghan of Douglas, met in the fourth round. In the past couple of weeks, they have respectively won the Leinster and Munster Boys Championships as befits a couple of talented golfers who were honoured with the Irish Examiner Youths award in the last two years.

As it so happens, they are also the closest of friends and were actually rooming together this week. O'Callaghan's bed is the one that has been vacated as a slow start cost him dearly and he went down 3 and 2 having been four behind after five.

McNamara turned in one under 35 and still four up and a succession of pars from there to the finish was sufficient to see off an opponent who didn't perform to his full potential on the day.

"It was a pity we had to meet so early in the event and it wasn't an easy match to play because we are best buddies", said McNamara. "Aaron gave me too much of a headstart and I also benefited from a putting lesson over the week-end from Munster coach Fred Twomey.

"He told me I wasn't releasing the putter and I worked on that and gained some badly needed confidence. While my work on the greens wasn't exactly awesome, it was better and I took confidence from that. The Boys Home Internationals are at Portmarnock next week and that's something to really look forward to because it's such a great course and I think we have a very good side. I am also awaiting the results of my Leaving Certificate and, if they are up to the mark, then I'm off to East Tennessee State University in late August."Prior to that, though, he must this morning tackle yet another youngster, Paul O'Hanlon of the Curragh, a member of the Irish Youth team. These matches will be watched closely by the various provincial selection committees and it is to be ardently hoped that they give a chance to McNamara, O'Callaghan, McGarry, O'Hanlon and others a chance to show their paces at the Interprovincial Championship also to be played at Portmarnock next month.

Mervyn Owens's reign as champion came to an end when Michael Horan proved a little too steady in an interesting fourth round encounter. Horan is getting married on Saturday next to Deborah Carroll and hopes to give himself an early wedding present by capturing the "South" at about his 15th time of trying.

Owens struggled with his driving and putting on the back nine and, while he hung in well, Horan proved a little too steady and duly went forward to meet current international Richard Kilpatrick this morning. Mark Campbell, the 1999 champion and winner of the East of Ireland Championship in June, had to demonstrate plenty of mental fortitude when accounting for his Portmarnock opponent Aengus McAllister who sank two chips, one from the actual putting surface at the par three 5th, better known as "The Dell". But Campbell was well able to cope as he came through by 2 and 1.

However, another of his Irish teammates and beaten Close finalist, Michael McGeady, fell to Pat Murray, formerly of Tipperary and Kinsale and now the secretary/manager at Limerick Golf Club. Murray was always in front against a formidable opponent having earlier in the day proven that he is back to close to the form that earned him an Irish cap in the late 90s by thrashing Castletroy's Stephen Moloney by 7 and 6. Murray's Limerick clubmate Martin Poucher held the edge for much of his match against 2003 Irish Close champion Mark O'Sullivan before eventually giving best at the first tie hole.