Six behind, but motivated Kehoe still eyes victory

JUSTIN KEHOE couldn’t be blamed if he hardly knew where he stood these days.

A few weeks ago, the 27-year-old Shinrone, Co Offaly, native was playing in one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world. Yesterday, he was battling his way through the wind and rain on the way to a 73 in the second round of the Challenge of Ireland on the European Challenge Tour at Glasson Golf and Country Club.

More often than not, though, he plies his trade on the Europro Tour, the ‘third division’ of professional golf on this side of the Atlantic.

The 27-year-old from Birr is no better than 95th on that circuit at present but at least it affords him the chance of regular competitive golf. He was one of those fortunate enough to receive an invitation to this week’s tournament at Glasson and on two-under-par and six off the lead at the halfway stage, is hopeful of finishing in the top 10 that would get him into next week’s Challenge Tour event in Scotland.

Frenchman Michael Lorenzo-Vera set a course record 63 on Thursday and still leads on eight-under-par. Kehoe and Gareth Maybin from Ballyclare near Belfast are the leading Irishmen in a share of 9th place.

Kehoe won the South of Ireland Championship in 2001 and is also a former World Universities champion. Since turning pro in 2003, however, things haven’t exactly gone his way and his visits to the European Tour School from 2003 to 2006 proved unsuccessful. But in early July he came through the regional and local qualifiers for the Open Championship and suddenly found himself in the midst of some of golf’s finest and richest.

“I started the first round of the Open with eight pars and also began well in the second and it was disappointing to finish as I did with rounds of 78 and 79,” he said last night. “Still, I picked up €3,099 in prize money and to be a part of it all and the whole experience was incredible.

“It all taught me that making a living on tour was not beyond me. It gave me great motivation and inspiration to realise that, while they are very, very good, it is not an unattainable standard to reach.’’

Although he missed the cut, Kehoe stayed on in Carnoustie to savour the weekend atmosphere from outside the rope and followed Harrington on the final day. However, should he fail to make the top ten at Glasson, Justin will be teeing it up in a Europro Tour event in Leeds next week!

“My goal coming here was to win the tournament and that hasn’t changed,” insisted Kehoe. “Obviously, I’d need a couple of low ones over the weekend to do that. A six shot deficit is not insurmountable.”