Rawluk takes big scalp at Boys’ Open

DUBLIN teenager David Rawluk took one of the most notable scalps in the British Boys’ Open Amateur Golf Championship over the Royal Liverpool links at Hoylake yesterday to move into the fourth round.

The 17-year-old pupil at Malahide Community School chalked up a 2&1 success over Laurence Allen, who made waves by reaching the semi-finals of the English Amateur Championships this month at Alwoodley.

The teenager, who plays out of The Island club, is now through to round four, and a meeting this morning with the England international Ben Parker.

Moments earlier, Limerick lad Cian McNamara booked his place in the last 32 with a convincing 5&4 defeat of Jonathan Watt of Brockenhurst.

McNamara, who had defeated Scotland's Richard Hyland on the previous day, won three of the first four holes to take charge and was never likely to be headed.

Knock's Nicholas Grant became the third Irishman to reach round four but he did it the hard way, needing to go three extra holes to dispose of Rye teenager Ben Evans.

He now faces the youngest player left in the competition, Oliver Fisher, aged 14, from Essex.

Aaron O'Callaghan from Douglas was beaten 5&4 in round three by last year's runner-up, the Welsh senior international Rhys Davies.

Lurgan's Gareth Shaw had a hard day. He did exceptionally well to get past Spaniard Carlos Del Moral at the 19th hole in the morning, but then lost on the last to Milfield schoolboy Bradley Brooke.

Ireland came down to earth with a vengeance in the Girls' Home International Golf Championship at Pyle & Kenfig yesterday. The team crashed to a shock 6-3 defeat by hosts Wales just 24 hours after they had come from behind to beat Scotland.

It was an uphill battle. Once all three foursomes were lost, Ireland never looked like making it through.

The Carlow sisters, Karen and Tara Delaney, lined up together in the foursomes and went down to Welsh pair Lydia Hall and Breanne Loucks 2&1 after a terrific battle, and the other two games went the same way.

Tara got some sort of revenge after lunch by defeating Hall 2&1, but Karen was well beaten 5&3 by Welsh champion Lucy Gould.

Sinead O'Sullivan and Catherine Tucker got the singles points, adding to the one gained by Tara.

They would need to defeat England by a massive margin to stand any chance of taking the Stroyan Cup as International Champions today.

In the other second-day clash, England beat Scotland 6-3 after establishing a 2.5-0.5 foursomes advantage.