Michael Ryan (New Ross) tees off in round two
Leading qualifier Conor O'Rourke, defending champion Jonny Yates and Irish internationals John-Ross Galbraith, Alex Gleeson and Tiarnan McLarnon made shock exits on day one of the Radisson Blu Sligo sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.
Errors were severely punished in a freezing west wind that gusted to 35mph, and it turned out to be an ill-wind for many of the favourites.
While leading qualifier O'Rourke cruised into the second round with a 4 and 3 win over former runner-up Eanna Griffin, he surprisngly fell to 17-year old qualifier Robert Abernethy from Dun Laoghaire by 3 and 2 in the afternoon.
A fifth-year student at Blackrock College and the Leinster Under-15 champion three years ago, Abernethy had so little confidence in his chances that he travelled west for Wednesday's qualifier with little more than his wet gear, his clubs and a change of clothes.
But after carding a 74 to earn his place his first senior championship, he surprised himself by shooting two 74s to qualify with ease, then won his first two matches to set up a last 16 showdown with Naas' Robert Brazill.
"I wasn't expecting to get through the pre-qualifier, to be honest, but I played solidly and then played solidly in the strokeplay and the two rounds today," said the teenager, who now plays off scratch after being cut for his three qualifying rounds.
Par golf was enough for Abernethy against the highly fancied O'Rourke, who won the first when Abernethy three-putted but second, third, sixth and seventh to find himself three down.
He won the eighth to cut the gap to two holes, but Abernethy birdied the ninth to restore his three-up advantage before closing out match at the par-three 16th in front his beaming parents Bronagh and Colum.
There were few smiles from many of the other big names with former North and Irish Close champion Galbraith two up with two to play before losing to former Leinster Boys champion Michael Ryan from New Ross at the 19th in the first round.
An archive picture of Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) en route to victory in the Leinster Boys Under 15 Close Championship at Ashbourne in 2014. Picture by Pat Cashman
"I am delighted," 20-year old Ryan said. "He was playing well and I got one up after 12, then lost two holes in a row, horseshoed out on 15 for a win, then got a bad lie on 16 and found myself two down.
"I knew if I parred 17 I had a chance and I hit a good drive and he hit a poor one.
"So I parred 17 to win, birdied the 18th from four feet to force tie holes and the hit it to seven feet on the 19th and holed the birdie putt."
Defending champion Yates lost 2 and 1 to 19-year old Hugh Foley from Royal Dublin, who had made the cut for the first time in only his third senior championship start.
"It was a battle," Foley said. "I was two up after two, and he got back to one up after 12. And from then on I was one under for the next four or five holes."
After going par-birdie-birdie to come from 2down beat @JR_Galbraith on 19, Michael Ryan tees off v Stephen Healy @CountySligoGC http://pic.twitter.com/6erBMzgmJQ
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) April 16, 2017
Foley birdied the 14th to square the match, then took advantage of Yates' problems to win the 15th and 16th in pars to go two up before closing out the match with a long-range two-putt par at the 17th.
Gleeson was the next big name to fall in the opening round, going down to a 20-foot birdie putt by Royal Dublin's Barry Anderson, a native of nearby Ballincar and a former Co Sligo member, on the 21st.
Two down with three to play, he won the 16th, then followed a miraculous par save at the 17th with a birdie from five feet at the 18th to force tie holes before losing a quality game to Anderson's birdie four.
from News - Irish Golf Desk http://ift.tt/2pmsDfo
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