McDonald cruises into West of Ireland semis

Dubliner Paul McDonald cruised into the semi-finals of the West of Ireland Championship with a one hole win over international Johnny Foster at Rosses Point today.

The 22-year-old UCD and Woodbrook player was two down after 11 holes but came back to win the match by one hole after Foster four-putted the 15th and double - bogeyed the 17th.

McDonald will face Oskar Henningsson in the semi-finals after the Swede holed from a bunker to beat compatriot Jonas Blixt at the 20th in the third round and then saw off Conor Doran of Banbridge with a birdie at the 21st in the quarter-finals.

Castletroy’s Stephen Moloney beat 14 year old Rory McIlroy by the 3 and 2 to in the third round and went on to reach the last four with a 5 and 4 win over the Island’s Eoin O’Sullivan.

Moloney will face Greg Bowden of Hermitage in the semi-finals after the Dubliner came back from two down after 12 holes to beat Sweden's Rikard Karlberg 2 up.

West of Ireland Championship, Rosses Point

Third rd:

O Henningsson (Sweden) bt J Blixt (Sweden) 20th;

C Doran (Banbridge) bt G Nugent (Kilkenny) 4/3;

J Foster (Ballyclare) bt C O’Malley (Westport) 3/2;

P McDonald (UCD/Woodbrook) bt R Williams (Baltinglass) 2/1;

E O’Sullivan (The Island) bt C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 2/1;

S Moloney (Castletroy) bt R McIlroy (Holywood) 3/2;

G Bowden (Hermitage) bt D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 20th;

R Karlberg (Sweden) bt M Sinclair (Knock) 1 hole.

Quarter-finals

Henningsson bt Doran 21st;

McDonald bt Foster 1 hole;

Moloney bt O’Sullivan 5/4;

Bowden bt Karlberg 2 holes.

Semi-finals:

(8.00) Henningsson v McDonald;

(8.10) Moloney v Bowden