McNamara stars for Ireland

DEREK McNAMARA produced one of the best stroke-play qualifying rounds in Gdansk, Poland yesterday to put Ireland in a strong position to clinch one of the places in the top matchplay flight.

McNamara struck the ball superbly from tee and fairway and chipped and putted accurately for a marvellous two-under 70. The Connemara man was well supported by Shandon Park's Alistair McKinley, who got to the turn in a sizzling 31 but finished up with a 71 and Robert McCarthy, the Dublinner who plays out of The Island club.

McCarthy was round in 72, meaning three Irish players were par or better. Ireland's five-player aggregate was 364, eight behind joint leaders England and Spain. They are in fourth place going into the second and final qualifying round today but only five strokes separate them from the 10th country only eight after today have a chance of taking the title. The Irish also are in with a shout of making the top flight in the European Boys' Team Championship in Reykjavik, Iceland. They lie in 10th spot, five strokes behind the eighth-placed country Scotland.