Exhausted Howard keeps Walker Cup and South of Ireland dream alive at Lahinch

Five Irish players made the last 16, with Howard and Mark Gazi joined by Grange's Ciaran Murphy and Douglas' Barry O'Connell 3&1.

David Howard knows that he likely has to make the final to have any chance of making captain Dean Robertson's Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team. Pic: ©INPHO/Nick Elliott

David Howard battled through exhaustion to win his last three holes and keep his hopes of a Walker Cup call-up alive in the Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

As clubmate John Doyle missed an eagle chance from nine feet at the 18th to take England's Freddie Turnell to extra holes, the 27-year-old Fota Island man came from two down with three to play to beat Lahinch's Stephen Loftus one up and clinch a last 16 clash with Tralee's Mark Gazi.

"I can't feel my body at the moment, I'm so tired," Howard said after he followed winning pars at the 16th and 17th with a 197-yard nine-iron to nine feet at the last that set up a winning two-putt birdie.

"It was nice to get it done. It was a grind out there."

Howard knows that he likely has to make the final to have any chance of making captain Dean Robertson's Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, which will be named after next month's US Amateur Championship at Merion.

After beating Keith Egan 3&1 in a scrappy first round clash, he had to fuel himself with sweets just to keep his energy levels up and see off the local man.

"My dad was trying to get me going, and I was giving out and saying I was giving it all I had," Howard explained. "I was just trying to get it around the best I can, and it was just a battle against my own self all day as well, but nice to get it done.

"My energy level? Minus zero. It's gone below zero at the moment, so I need to get a good night's sleep because I didn't get much last night.

"I just try to get loads of Haribos into me to give me something and try to get in the mindset of one shot at a time. It was a battle all day, to be honest."

As for the Walker Cup carrot dangled by captain Robertson, he said: "I have to probably win it to get a call-up for that.

"You just try your best to put it to the back of your mind and just try to play golf and see where you end up.

"There's no point trying too hard or not hard enough. I try to get on with it one shot at a time, and thankfully it was enough for me today."

Just five Irish players made the last 16, with Howard and Gazi joined by Grange's Ciaran Murphy, who beat Lahinch's defending champion Jonathan Keane 3&2 and Douglas' Barry O'Connell 3&1.

John Doyle looked a likely contender for Walker Cup honours with a title, but he trailed from the start against England's Freddie Turnbull in round two and never got back on terms, losing one up as he missed from nine feet at the 18th for eagle to force extra holes and watched the Burnham & Berrow man bury a three-footer to progress.

Turnbell now meets Athenry's David Kitt, who beat Seapoint's Dylan Keating two-up.

Roscommon's Thomas Higgins kept his Walker Cup hopes alive with two wins, but Malone's Matthew McClean saw his hopes dealt a serious blow when he lost by two holes to England's Sam Easterbrook.

"I'm just trying to win this week, like I do every week," Higgins said after his second-round win over Warrenpoint's Harry McArdle.

"The goal doesn't change. I hope to stand in here on Sunday with a trophy."

Higgins now faces the leading qualifier, Scotland's Connor Graham, who came back from two down after 12 holes to beat Fota Island's Morgan Cain one up.

A Walker Cup certainty, Graham eagled the drivable 13th from seven feet and birdied the 14th before claiming the 16th to claim a lead he would not relinquish.

" It was a tough match; I had to go out there and perform the last few holes," said 19-year-old Graham, who has already played in two Walker Cups.

"I feel like in matchplay, such a big momentum keeper is holing putts, and I was able to do that today. "

Amateur champion Stuart Grehan, who is guaranteed his spot at Lahinch, fell 3&2 to England's Max Hopkins; Dylan Holmes lost to Welshman Sean David; and West of Ireland champion Mark Cadden fell to the German Ben Gratzl.

South of Ireland Amateur Open, sponsored by Pierse Motor Group, Lahinch 

First round 

Matthew McClean (Malone) bt Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) 1 up;

Samuel Easterbrook (Olton) bt William Hennessee (Oklahoma) 2 up;

Josh Hill (Fox Den) bt Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 4/3;

Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) bt Jake Foley (Elm Park) 21st;

Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) bt Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth) 6/5;

Mark Gazi (Tralee) bt David Lally (Blainroe) 4/3;

Stephen Loftus (Lahinch) bt Oliver Lewis-Perkins (Mid Kent) 2 up;

David Howard (Fota Island) bt Keith Egan (Carton House) 3/1;

Ben Bolton (Enville) bt Joe O'Neill (Berehaven) 4/3;

Richard Saunders (Germany) bt Seán Cloonan (Dunmore Demense) 1 up;

Tomi Bowen (Welshpool) bt Aidan Fitzgerald (NYSGA) 3/2;

Fionn Dobbin (Malone) bt Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) 2/1;

Barry O’Connell (Douglas) bt Lewy Hayward (Marlborough) 2/1;

Ciaran Murphy (Grange) bt Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 3/2;

Oli Blackadder (Deeside) bt TJ Ford (County Sligo) 1 up;

Daniel Hayes (Bramhall) bt Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 1 up;

Connor Graham (Blairgowrie) bt David Reddan (Castleknock) 6/5;

Morgan Cain (Fota Island) bt Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 6/5;

Thomas Higgins (Roscommon) bt Archie Cook (Gullane) 6/4;

Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) bt Sam Mukherjee (Gullane) 1 up;

Matthew Dodd-Berry (Royal Liverpool) bt Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park) 2 up;

Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) bt Darren O'Sullivan (Tralee) 1 up;

Mark Cadden (Roganstown) bt Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park) 3/2;

Ben Gratzl (St Leon Rot) bt Tom Osborne (Lindrick) 2 up;

Stuart Grehan (Co Louth) bt Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 2/1;

Max Hopkins (Bishops Stortford) bt Gavin O'Neill (Malahide) 3/2;

Dylan Holmes (Greystones) bt Ryan Griffin (The Royal Dublin) 4/3;

Sean David (Pyle and Kenfig) bt Harley Smith (The Rayleigh) 1 up;

Freddie Turnell (Burnham & Berrow) bt Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House) 19th;

John Doyle (Fota Island) bt Dominic McGlinchey (The Renaissance) 4/3;

David Kitt (Athenry) bt Veigar Heiðarsson (Golfklúbbur Akureyrar) 2/1;

Dylan Keating (Seapoint) bt Jack Murphy (Douglas) 3/1.

Second round 

S Easterbrook bt M McClean 2 up J Hill bt R Gallagher 6/4 M Gazi bt J McDonnell 1 up D Howard bt S Loftus 1 up;

B Bolton bt R Saunders 6/5;

Ti Bowen bt F Dobbin 2/1;

C Murphy bt B O’Connell 2/1;

D Hayes bt O Blackadder 1 up;

C Graham bt M Cain 1 up;

T Higgins bt H McArdle 3/2;

M Dodd-Berry bt G Dunne 3/2;

B Gratzl bt M Cadden 4/3;

M Hopkins bt S Grehan 3/2;

S David bt D Holmes 1 up;

F Turnell bt J Doyle 1 up;

D Kitt (Athenry) bt D Keating 2 up.

Third round draw

 S Easterbrook (Olton) v J Hill (Fox Den);

M Gazi (Tralee) v D Howard (Fota Island);

B Bolton (Enville) v T Bowen (Welshpool);

C Murphy (Grange) v D Hayes (Bramhall);

C Graham (Blairgowrie) v T Higgins (Roscommon);

M Dodd-Berry (Royal Liverpool) v B Gratzl (St Leon Rot, Ger);

M Hopkins (Bishops Stortford) v S David (Pyle and Kenfig).

F Turnell (Burnham & Berrow) v D Kitt (Athenry).