Carvill begins title defence

Warrenpoint’s Jim Carvill got his title defence off to a winning start in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch today.

The 39-year-old had to draw on all his experience to beat Muskerry’s David O’Donovan 2 and 1 on a day of high winds and squally showers at the classic Clare links.

After going three up with a birdie at the ninth, Carvill lost the 12th and 13th to birdies to see his lead cut to one hole.

He claimed the 14th in par however and then held on to close out the match at the 17th thanks to a two-putt par save from the swale at the back of the green.

“If you got it wrong there is a lot of bother out there,” he said. “When I won last year conditions were pretty calm so I had never played the course in this wind.”

Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe, last year’s beaten finalist and the recently crowned North of Ireland champion, beat Kilkenny’s Graham Nugent 2 and 1 to continue his quest for a second amateur ‘major’ in the space of a fortnight.

However, Ballyliffin’s Brendan McCarroll, the East of Ireland champion, never made it to the first tee after retiring due to illness late on Saturday evening.

The comeback of the day came from Esker Hills Shane Lowry, who was six down after six holes to Tipperary’s Alan Meskell before eventually coming out on top by 2 and 1.

South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch results:

Second round:

(1st quarter)

B O’Riordan (Muskerry) w/o B McCarroll (Ballyliffin);

D O’Brien (Laytown/Bettystown) bt G Kelly (Co Louth) 2/1;

S Crowe (Dunmurry) bt G McDermott (Co Sligo) 6/5;

N Gorey (Killeen) bt A Pitcher (The Island) 1 up;

B Walton (The Island/UCD) bt S Grant (Birr) 20th;

M Campbell (Stackstown) bt G O’Connor (Malahide) 2/1;

P O’Rourke (Kilkenny) bt G Lawlor (City West) 5/4;

G Smyth (Clonmel) bt S Power (West Waterford) 1up;

A McAllister (Portmarnock) bt T Bailey (Little Hay) 4/3;

R O’Connor (The Island) bt C Cunningham (Mullingar) 20th;

S Moloney (Castletroy) bt B McSweeney (Woodbrook) 1h;

D Lernihan (Castle/UCD) bt P O’Keeffe (Douglas) 2up;

A McCormick (Scrabo) bt S O’Flaherty (Hermitage) 5/4;

S Loftus (Ennis) bt JG Kavanagh (Castletroy) 4/3;

G Mallon (North West) bt M Lavelle (The K Club) 2/1;

D Crowe (Dunmurry) bt G Nugent (Kilkenny) 2/1.

(2nd quarter)

J Carvill (Warrenpoint) bt D O’Donovan (Muskerry) 2/1;

D Beattie (Whitehead) bt P Butler (Newlands) 2h;

K Hurley (Bandon) bt T O’Flynn (Fota Island) 4/2;

R McCarthy (The Island) bt D Conway (Portmarnock) 1h;

D McInerney (Lahinch) bt P McGrath (Dromoland) 5/4;

E Arthurs (Forrest Little) bt R O’Reilly (Headfort) 3/1;

M Mulryan (Athenry) bt K Cunnane (Woodstock) 1h;

R Leonard (Banbridge) bt A Harrington (Cork) 4/3;

J Mulready (Castle) bt C McNamara (Limerick) 3/2;

A Harty (West Waterford) bt D Keating (Dun Laoghaire) 4/3;

T Spence (Clandeboye) bt J Carr (Portmarnock) 3/1;

D Morgan (Mullingar) bt JJ McCarthy (Royal Waterloo) 4/3;

K Bornemann (Douglas) bt D Coyne (Tuam) 2/1;

M O’Kelly (Limerick) bt K Crowley (Lee Valley) 19th;

D Carroll (Grange) bt N O’Connor (Elm Park/UCD) 3/2;

S Lowry (Esker Hills) bt A Meskell (Tipperary) 2/1.

(3rd quarter)

J Caldwell (Clandeboye) bt D Coughlan (Newcastle West) 1up;

T O’Neill (Rathsallagh) bt J Fox (Portmarnock) 1up;

M Ryan (Lahinch) bt E O’Sullivan (The Island) 2/1;

M Horan (Birr) bt P Buckley (Kanturk) 5/4;

D Wilding (West Lancashire) bt D Finn (Mallow) 3/2;

G Vaughan (Limerick) bt A Considine (Ennis) 2up;

N Goulding (Portmarnock) bt M Brett (Portmarnock) 3/1;

N Kearney (Royal Dublin) bt H O’Leary (Muskerry) 6/5;

S Ward (Co Louth) bt M Ford (Cork) 19th;

M Buggy (Castlecomer) bt S Alley (Co Tipperary) 21st

E Haugh (Castletroy) bt D Lally (Tuam) 2/1;

S Keenan (Galway) w/o P McGibney (Pheasant Run);

J McLoughlin (West Lancashire) bt K Kennedy (Co Tipperary) 3/2; R Boal (Scrabo) bt H Boch (Ballybunion) 23rd; K Fahey (Connemara) bt D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 7/6; A O’Callaghan (Douglas) v M King (Athenry) 1h.

(4th quarter)

P Murray (Limerick) bt N Heather (Portmarnock) 5/4;

T Brannock (Newlands) bt N O’Brien (Royal Dublin) 2h;

R Forsythe (Ballyclare) bt K O’Neill (Strandhill) 5/4;

P Dempsey (Headfort) bt R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 2/1;

JD McGinn (Laytown/Bettystown) bt A Dowling (Hermitage) 5/3;

J Lyons (Galway) bt E McCormack (Galway) 2/1;

M Poucher (Castle) bt J Reynolds (Dungarvan) 1h;

S Heavey (Co Sligo) bt G Bowden (Hermitage) 2h;

D Ruddy (Thurles) bt P O’Hanlon (The Curragh) 1h;

RJ Cannon (Laytown/Bettystown) bt C Curley (Newlands) 5/4;

G O’Flaherty (Cork) bt JP Hughes (Douglas) 1h;

B O’Connor (Hermitage) bt B Ronan (Co Louth) 3/2;

G Hall (Edenderry) bt I Murphy (Waterford) 3/2;

D Houlihan (The K Club) bt N Boyd (Donaghadee) 1h;

P Sheehan (Ballybunion) bt C Abernethy (Royal Dublin) 2/1;

E Power (Kilkenny) bt G Shaw (Lurgan) 19th.

(3rd round draw, at 9 minute intervals)

1st quarter: (7.0) B O’Riordan (Muskerry) v D O’Brien (Laytown/

Bettystown);

S Crowe (Dunmurry) v N Gorey (Killeen);

B Walton (The Island/UCD) v M Campbell (Stackstown);

P O’Rourke (Kilkenny) v G Smyth (Clonmel);

A McAllister (Portmarnock) v R O’Connor (The Island);

S Moloney (Castletroy) v D Lernihan (Castle/UCD);

A McCormick (Scrabo) v S Loftus (Ennis);

G Mallon (North West) v D Crowe (Dunmurry).

2nd quarter: (08:12) J Carvill (Warrenpoint) v D Beattie (Whitehead); K Hurley (Bandon) v R McCarthy (The Island); D McInerney (Lahinch) v E Arthurs; M Mulryan (Athenry) v R Leonard (Banbridge); J Mulready (Castle) v A Harty (West Waterford); T Spence (Clandeboye) v D Morgan (Mullingar); K Bornemann (Douglas) v M O’Kelly (Limerick); D Carroll (Grange) v S Lowry (Esker Hills).

3rd quarter: (09:24 )J Caldwell (Clandeboye) v T O’Neill (Rathsallagh); M Ryan (Lahinch) v M Horan (Birr); D Wilding (West Lancashire) v G Vaughan (Limerick); N Goulding (Portmarnock) v N Kearney (Royal Dublin); S Ward (Co Louth) v M Buggy (Castlecomer); E Haugh (Castletroy) v S Keenan (Galway); J McLoughlin (West Lancashire) v R Boal (Scrabo); K Fahey (Connemara) v A O’Callaghan (Douglas).

4th quarter: (10:36) P Murray (Limerick) v T Brannock (Newlands); R Forsythe (Ballyclare) v P Dempsey (Headfort); JD McGinn (Laytown/Bettystown) v J Lyons (Galway); M Poucher (Castle) v S Heavey (Co Sligo); D Ruddy (Thurles) v RJ Cannon (Laytown/Bettystown); G O’Flaherty (Cork) v B O’Connor (Hermitage); G Hall (Edenderry) v D Houlihan (The K Club); P Sheehan (Ballybunion) v E Power (Kilkenny).