Robin Dawson raises hopes of home win

Tiarnan McLarnan and Eugene Smith, both 23, and Robin Dawson, 20, and Alex Gleeson, 21, have qualified to meet in this morning’s semi-finals of the AIG Irish Close Championship at Tramore.

The fact four young men for whom golf is an almost everyday exercise have reached the last four is the latest example of how little room there is at the top these day for those who work for a living, although the galleries at Tramore this week are not complaining because of the outstanding play they have seen.

And, of course, there is great excitement throughout Waterford given one of their own, Robin Dawson, a member of Faithlegg but also of the host club’s Irish Senior Cup winning team last year, is still standing and could repeat the victory of Tramore’s own Eddie Power in the championship when it was staged here in 1987.