Charleville's Boles rolls along to top qualifiers for West of Ireland

Cork golfer finishes top of the pile with a stroke to spare as 22 progress to weekend action at Co. Sligo.

Wed, 13 Apr, 2022 - 15:55

Brian Keogh

Charleville's Jordan Boles took advantage of perfect scoring conditions to top the qualifiers for the Connolly's Audi-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Championship at County Sligo.

The Cork golfer made six birdies and three bogeys in a three-under-par 68 to finish a shot clear of Co Sligo's David Brady and Gerard Finnegan, Naas' David Marshall Jnr, Portmarnock's Brandon St John, Edmondstown's Thomas Abom and Bundoran's Michael McCaughey.

Boles bogeyed the first hole but birdied the second, fifth, 11th, 12th and 14th to get to four-under. He bogeyed the 15th, then followed a rare birdie three at the 17th with a closing bogey but still topped the qualifiers with a shot to spare.

A field of 92 took to the links at Rosses Point, seeking one of 22 spots in the 99th edition of the Championship which tees off Friday with a new format.

The 132-player field will play three strokeplay rounds with tee times in score order on Sunday and the top 16 qualifying for the matchplay stage next Monday and Tuesday.

Gweedore's Padraig O Dochartaigh was eighth with a one-under 70, while some familiar Irish golfing names claimed some of the other spots in the field.

Milltown's Harry Fanagan, a son of 1997 winner and former Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan, claimed 11th place with a level par 71 alongside Rory Williamson and Shane McGlynn.

Another eight players made it through on 72, including Warrenpoint's Rian Carvill, a nephew of former South and East of Ireland champion Jim Carvill.

There was a four-man playoff for the last three spots in the 99th edition of the West as Ballinaloe's Tom Cafferky, Grange's Jonathan Hayden, Co Sligo's Rory Underwood and Cregmore Park's Ronan O'Reilly tied for 20th with two-over 73s.

All four parred the first playoff hole before Underwood and Cafferky parred the short, par-four second, and O'Reilly made bogey to progress at the expense of Hayden, who made a double-bogey six and is now the first reserve for the Championship.

Royal Dublin's Hugh Foley is the defending champion, while Co Sligo hopes will be carried by Irish international and reigning South of Ireland champion TJ Ford.

Douglas' Peter O'Keeffe is the leading Munster player in action following a sensational 2021 season that saw the big Corkman win the Munster Stroke Play, the AIG Irish Amateur Close and the Flogas Irish Amateur Open titles.