Mungovan leads the way in battle for the South

HEADFORD’S Greg Mungovan was the surprise leader after the qualifying rounds of the Clare Coast hotels-sponsored South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch last night.

Early morning fog shrouded the famous Clare links from daybreak and, as it persisted for more than three hours, the championship committee was left with little option but to limit the second qualifying round to nine holes.

It wasn’t the most satisfactory situation but veteran Noel Pyne from Ennis wasn’t complaining. A member of the Clare team that played Tipperary in the final of the Munster hurling championship in 1967, he is now 65 and competing in his 48th successive “South”.

Pyne opened on Saturday with a one over par 73 and was again well in control of his game yesterday as he completed the nine holes in 37 to finish two over and two strokes inside the cut-off mark.

With 27 of the original entries withdrawing including two of Ireland’s European Championship team, Eoin Arthurs and Paul Dunne, Limerick’s Pat Murray was left to carry the flag for the elite sextet.

He looked safe enough after Saturday’s 71 but 40 yesterday left him with a few anxious hours before he received the green light. However, there was no reprieve for defending champion John Greene after he soared to 82 in the first round.

The relatively unknown trio of Mungovan, Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) and Ronan Burke (Castle) set a new course record of 66 on Saturday as they took advantage of the calm weather and the excellent condition of the famous links. Andrew Hogan (Newlands), 68, and Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park), 69, also dipped below 70 and 18 players finished under the par of 72. The weather changed everything yesterday after which all but one of those on 112 made it into the match play stages this morning.