Irish fall by the wayside in British Amateur Championships

THE Irish challenge in the British Boys’ Open Amateur Championship over the sundrenched Royal Liverpool links at Hoylake petered out disappointingly yesterday, as the last three survivors from the country fell by the wayside in the fourth round.

Limerick teenager Cian McNamara was way below his best in going down three and two to Grant Slater, a joint winner of the Caris Trophy last month, while Dubliner David Rawluk and Nicholas Grant from Knock were beaten by Germany-based Ben Parker and 14-year-old Essex boy Oliver Fisher, respectively.

McNamara, who had been impressive on his way into the last 32, found himself three down early on against Slater and, playing with a handicap of a niggling back, was never able to get back into contention.

His conqueror Slater later slumped to a five and four reverse at the hands of the 2002 runner-up Rhys Davies, from Wales.

Rawluk, who plays out of The Island club, knew that his opponent Ben Parker, winner of the Gold medal at the European Young Masters in Augsberg recently, would be difficult to overcome. Parker always had the edge and won in the end by 3&2.

That was also the margin by which Grant was beaten by Fisher. The 14-year-old, one of the youngest players in the tournament, has produced a series of surprise victories and he gave Grant little chance through a splendid performance, particularly around the greens.

In today’s quarter-finals, last year’s runner-up Rhys Davies takes on Spaniard Daniel Osorio, Scotland’s Wallace Booth faces Dane Christopher Svendsen, Yorkshire’s Chris Hanson meets Wales’ 15-year-old Zac Gould, the youngest player remaining, and Victor Riu of France clashes with 2001 champion Pablo Martin, a member of the Spanish Senior side which won the European Team Championships in the Netherlands last month.

Meanwhile, at Pyle & Kenfig in South Wales, Ireland were left holding the wooden spoon in the Girls’ Home International Championship after being easily beaten by England by seven matches to one, with one halved.

It looked at lunchtime as though they might sneak into third place, as Wales were beating Scotland, but the Scots fought back to win 5-4 and move into the runners-up spot, with Wales occupying third place.

Ireland lost all three foursomes and never really got going, with their only singles winner being Danielle McVeigh, who beat Claire Aitken by four and two.

England clinched the title for the eighth time in nine years.