Douglas' Peter O'Keeffe defies wet and windy condition to lead at Lahinch

With gusts over 30 mph turning the great Co Clare links in a white maelstrom of misty rain, it was no surprise that one of the strongest players in the 150-man field stood tall by day’s end.

Peter O'Keeffe in front of the new clubhouse at Douglas Golf Club, Cork. Picture Dan Linehan

Captain Ahab himself would have had trouble keeping a tight line on the great white whale that was Lahinch in the first round of the 121st South of Ireland Championship.

With a southwest wind whipping in at 25 mph and gusts over 30 mph turning the great Co Clare links in a white maelstrom of misty rain, it was no surprise that one of the fittest and strongest players in the 150-man field stood tall by day’s end.

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe conquered some nagging putting problems when he defied “horrendous” conditions to card a bogey-free, four-under 68 to top the leaderboard after the first qualifying round.

The 41-year-old Douglas golfer, who already counts two Irish Amateur Opens and an Irish Close among his many amateur titles, made birdies at the par-five second and fourth holes, then added further birdies at the 13th and 15th to lead by a shot from 2019 champion Sean Desmond from Monkstown, Tralee’s Darren O’Sullivan and Nenagh’s David Reddan on a day when only four players broke 70 and just 10 finished under par.

Tramore’s Jack Hearn, Ballinasloe’s Charlie Mooney and Balmoral’s Conor Clarke shot 70s while Grange’s Jake Whelan, Castle international Robert Moran and 2021 champion TJ Ford from Co Sligo (now Operations Manager at Lahinch) dipped into the red with 71s.

“It was very controlled, but the weather was horrendous,” said O’Keeffe, who is looking to enter the winner’s circle again after an erratic season.

“Karl Bornemann is caddying for me, so he brings plenty of experience, and he's a very measured guy, so that's a good combination there, and I put a putter together myself during the week— a little project I had going — so that's worked and all is well.”

A strength and conditioning coach, 2022 runner-up O’Keeffe has been far from his best this season, attributing his troubles to the short stick, “A client of mine brings a putter in with him before we do a session, and I had a look at it. The putter just swings, and because I've been pushing putts all season, I gave it a go, and I hit two identical putts.

"So I went away and got the same head, extended it myself, put a grip on, a bit of lead tape, and it's lovely."

Signalling his birdie at the 15th as the pick of the bunch — a two iron followed by a 191-yard eight iron to 12 feet — he added: “I've been really poor on the greens all season, so today I was just really solid and I holed out well. I just haven't been holing those putts at all, so I'm just not getting any momentum, whereas today was a bit different.”

He’s had several close calls at Lahinch, with the most painful of them a loss to Hugh Foley, absent this year as he plays the Western Open and the US Amateur in the coming week, in last year’s decider.

“I love it here,” O’Keeffe added. “I was in the final here last year, and I just have a sense of calm here, and I embrace the place. I go into the sea, I go training in the gym every day. My family is here. I just love it.

"I'm staying in my friend Paul Buckley's house. I've had plenty of close calls and got to the final last year, so it would be a nice one to win. I'd love to bring that trophy home with me, and it's about time I won again. And I've never won a matchplay event.”

Desmond has had little luck on the amateur circuit since beating Keith Egan in the final in 2019, cancelled out three bogeys with four birdies and an eagle two at the short par-four 13th.

Out in level par, he was one-over after a bogey at the 10th but birdied the 12th, eagled the 13th and followed a bogey at the 14th with birdies at the 16th and 17th for his 69, O’Sullivan had an eagle three at the 12th in his 69, while Reddan, who reached the last 16 a year ago, made six birdies to also shoot three-under.

Carrick-on-Suir native Hearn, a senior at South Alabama, matched O’Keeffe by going bogey-free for his 70 while Clarke was four-under before making a double bogey at the 14th.

As for Moran, the 23-year-old Walker Cup panellist was three-under through eight holes before he followed three successive bogeys from the ninth with a birdie at the 12th and six hard-fought finishing pars.

Despite the rain and wind, the top 64 who qualify for the matchplay after today’s second round were at four-over par or better, leaving Connacht Stroke Play champion, Sam Murphy, or the champion of 30 years ago, Peter Sheehan, with work to do after their five-over-par 77s.