McIlroy out of West of Ireland Championship

Rory McIlroy's bid for a third successive Radisson-SAS West of Ireland Championship ended in a dramatic quarter-final defeat at Rosses Point.

The Holywood ace, 17, was beaten by one hole by Irish Boys International Paul Cutler when he missed an eight foot birdie put to take the match into sudden-death.

Two up after 13 holes, McIlroy lost the 14th and 15th to pars but could not match Cutler's birdie at the last, where the Portstewart player almost holed a 40-yard pitch and was conceded what proved to

be a winning birdie three.

Disappointed, McIlroy said: "I didn't hole the putts that I usually do and that was the big difference. I am really disappointed. This was the one I really wanted to win and I didn't do it.

"I already have a win this year in the Sherry Cup, so I shouldn't be that hard on myself. I just tried really hard this week to win three in a row but obviously I couldn't do it."

Cutler, 18, will face Strandhill's Tommy McGowan in the first of Tuesday's semi-finals while Galway's Joe Lyons will take on leading qualifier Simon Ward in the second match.

McGowan, who is a 17-year-old fifth year student at Summerhill College, beat Lee Valley's Niall Gorey with a birdie at the 18th in the third round and then saw off England's Jonathan Hurst by one hole in the afternoon.

Ward is now the favourite to take title following his two hole win over Richard Kilpatrick but will face a tough opponent in 34-year-old Lyons from Galway, who had eight birdies a his 7 and 6 quarter-final

win over Newlands' Andrew Hogan.

Radisson-SAS West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship

Third round

J Hurst (Shaw Hill, UK) bt D Crowe (Dunmurry) 3/2;

T McGowan (Strandhill) bt N Gorey (Lee Valley) 1 hole;

P Cutler (Portstewart) bt B Walton (The Island) 2/1;

R McIlroy (Holywood) bt R Leonard (Banbridge) 4/3;

S Ward (Co Louth) bt D Lernihan (UCD/Castle) 2/1;

R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) bt D Downie (Sutton) 2/1;

J Lyons (Galway) bt M Lavelle (K Club) 3/2;

A Hogan (UCD/Newlands) bt P Murray (Limerick) 21st.

Quarter-finals

T McGowan (Strandhill) bt J Hurst (Shaw Hill, UK) 1 hole;

P Cutler (Portstewart) bt R McIlroy (Holywood) 1 hole;

S Ward (Co Louth) bt R Kilpatrick (Banbridge) 2 holes;

J Lyons (Galway) bt A Hogan (UCD/Newlands) 7/6.

Semi-final draw

(8.0) T McGowan (Strandhill) v P Cutler (Portstewart);

(8.15) S Ward (Co Louth) v J Lyons (Galway).

Final (1.30pm).