O’Hara proves one cool Cat as South heating up
The second match will be contested by Alex Gleeson (Castle), 19, and 26 year-old Simon Ward (Co Louth), the 2006 champion.
O’Hara, 32, who works as a Heineken rep in his native Kilkenny, confines his championship appearances to the “South” while his chief claim to golfing fame was victory in a couple of Scratch Cups at his home club.
“I wouldn’t exactly describe this as my wildest dream to get this far, that would be the case if I went on to win the title,” said a delighted O’Hara. He joked that going all the way might “ease the pain” of Kilkenny’s elimination from the All-Ireland on Sunday, pointing out that in his younger days he earned a place on the same South Kilkenny team as Henry Shefflin, although he suspects King Henry might not exactly remember the occasion.
“I reached the last 16 here in the past but this is unbelievable,” said O’Hara. “I had a tight match in the morning against Stephen Coulter and was well aware of Nicky Grant’s stature in the game. I got off to a solid start and built up a decent lead and birdies at the 12th and 13th gave me a very handy four-hole cushion.”
Win or lose today, O’Hara is due to set out for Sardinia tomorrow morning to meet up with his Italian girlfriend. ! Before then, though, he faces up to Ryan McKinstry, who came through a marathon quarter-final at the 23rd against fellow Ulsterman Ben Best. It was a contest that looked to be totally in his control when three ahead after 11. A couple of holes slipped away but the Queens University student was still one to the good standing on the 18th tee from where he hooked wildly out of bounds on to the Liscannor Road. He eventually got home at the 23rd, the famous par three Dell hole.
Alex Gleeson is playing his first “South” and benefiting hugely from the experience of his uncle John as caddie and also the two-ball putter he borrowed from him after Monday morning’s third round.
UCD student Gleeson has been earmarked as one of the country’s most promising players and figured on the Britain & Ireland Jacques Leglise boys team last year. Gleeson regarded his 17th green win over Bryan McSweeney (Royal Dublin) as the best of his career so far.
“There was never more than one hole between us until the 16th and my win was all down to Uncle John’s putter,” he rejoiced.
Simon Ward intends trying his luck on the professional front in September and even though he is still only 26, is hopeful that his experience and liking for the Lahinch links will stand to him today. He won a fine match against Stephen Healy of Claremorris, the defeated finalist of 12 months ago. Neither man seemed unduly perturbed by the stiff wind blowing across the links off the Atlantic and the finish was especially spectacular.
The 15th is one of the finest two-shotters in the game but Ward reduced it to a drive and four iron to 15 feet, from where he holed for birdie to edge one ahead. The margin was two after Healy plugged his tee shot in a bunker at the short 16th but he immediately hit back with a birdie of his own at the 17th. However, a splendidly played four at the long 18th wasn’t sufficient to prolong the affair, with Ward also making birdie to claim a one-hole win.
“That was a really tricky wind and there was some really good golf in the match,” Ward said.
“Hopefully, my experience and the fact that I have usually done well here will be of benefit today.”
Healy, for his part, accepted defeat philosophically, as he commented: “I played really well out there so I’m not too disappointed. In fact, I played better than I did in any match last year.”
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