Strong Ulster contingent eager to steal McNamara’s title

LIMERICK teenager Cian McNamara faces strong opposition in his bid to retain his South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch over the next five days.

McNamara, on holiday from college in the United States, became the youngest champion in over 100 years when, at the age of 18, he defeated Greg Bowden of Hermitage at the third tie hole in last year’s final.

Although British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney and Rory McIlroy, are absentees this week, the quality of the field is still of the highest calibre.

McNamara is in the third quarter which also contains former finalist Jim Carvill (he lost to Darren Clarke in 1990), another American collegiate player in Peter O’Keeffe of Douglas and the vastly experienced Tom Cleary and Arthur Pierse, as well as 2002 Close champion John McGinn.

Aaron O’Callaghan, McNamara’s friend and foursomes partner, finds himself in the 4th quarter where the strongest opposition may come from West Waterford’s Seamus Power, Galway’s 2003 Close winner Mark O’Sullivan and North- West’s Michael McGeady.

The Irish amateur game these days is dominated by Ulster golfers and they’re sure to make their presence felt at Lahinch. In addition to the powerful McGeady, there is Connor Doran from Banbridge in the second quarter where, however, he can expect little easy with the likes of another West Waterford man Mark Shanahan, Karl Bornemann of Douglas and Limerick’s Pat Murray very much fancying their chances.

The first quarter looks the most competitive. Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe and recently crowned North of Ireland champion Gareth Shaw from Malone are probably the men in form but Mervyn Owens of Mallow, the 2003 winner, is also here along with Mark Campbell of Stackstown, winner in 1999. Last year’s runner-up Greg Bowden and another Mallow golfer, David Finn, the beaten finalist in this year’s west of Ireland Championship are also in that section.

That top quarter is a tough one to call although the strong suspicion is that the seeding committee worked on the basis of a last eight of Mark Campbell, Darren Crowe, Mark Shanahan, Connor Doran, Jim Carvill, Cian McNamara, Mark O’Sullivan and Michael McGeady and a semi-final line-up of Crowe v Doran and Carvill v McGeady. All four, of course, are Ulstermen but as everybody should know by now, the “South” (sponsored this year by McNamara Builders) never evolves according to expectation.

Instead, shocks will abound and a number of the octet will be back home early. The championship gets under way at 7am this morning with the first of the 64 preliminary round matches before the big guns join the fray in the second round tomorrow. The final is on Wednesday.