Seapoint blows their socks off
Rowan Lester (Hermitage) loses his cap playing his second shot to the 10th during the secondl round of the 2014 AIG sponsored Irish Amateur Close Golf Championship at Seapoint Golf Club (08/06/2014). Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
Seapoint caused some of the best players in the land some serious problems in the second qualifying round for the AIG sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open.
The average score was 79.8 and the best score a pair of level par 72s by Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs and Cork's John Hickey,
The toughest hole was the fourth, where Castle's Alex Gleeson had an 11 and nobody made birdie. Craddockstown's Eoghan O'Donovan had an 11 at the fifth, which played at an average of 4.8, as well as a 10 at the 11th in a 94.
That said, there were plenty of opportunities for birdies and eagles with the eclectic low score coming in at 23 under par 49.
Joe Lyons had a two at the 377-yard 16th; Cairndhu's Stephen Watts made his first ever ace at the 17th, holing a wedge from 171 yards; Carton House's Bernard Bernard Bermingham started his back nine with a two at the first...
It all bodes well for some exciting matchplay with a quality course almost certain to deliver a high quality winner.
As former Irish Close champion, Pat Murray remarked: "It's tough, but it's a seriously good golf course. You don't need to be off line by much to do yourself some damage around here. After shooting level par yesterday it was a question of not doing anything stupid.
"So I did't take on anything or go for anything. You are hitting three woods and two irons off tees today but you are going to hit driver in matches. I had 72 yesterday with two lost balls so it is easy to have a disaster out there.”
Pat Murray (Limerick) on the 9th green during the second round of the 2014 AIG sponsored Irish Amateur Close Golf Championship at Seapoint. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie