Hurley all square at lunch in Spanish Amateur final
Gary Hurley. Picture Pat Cashman
West Waterford's Gary Hurley is all square with Jeroen Krietemeijer of the Netherlands after the first 18 holes of the 36-hole Spanish Amateur Championship final at Sherry Golf.
Scheduled to start at 8.30am, the final was delayed by two hours because of early morning fog but Hurley was one up after 13 holes and two up after 14 in his bid to become the fifth Irish winner of the prestigious King's Cup at the Jerez venue.
Krietemeijer birdied the 15th to cut Hurley's lead to just one up and with the tee moved up at the 16th, the Dutchman took advantage.
While Hurley decided to lay up, Krietemeijer drove the green and two putted for birdie, holing a six footer to square the match.
It remained that way at lunch with both players making par fives at the 17th and pars at the last, where Hurley two putted from 60 feet.
The Maynooth University golfer was the model of consistency in the morning round, making one birdie and 17 pars.
Irish winners of the Spanish Amateur Championship for the Copa del Rey - (Click here for all past winners)
- 1981 Torrequebrada, Philip Walton beat J. López Moreno 3 and 2
- 1987 Aloha, Michael Quirke beat O. Carrisson
- 1990 El Saler, Darren Clarke beat Sven Struver 7 and 5
- 2013 La Manga, Reeve Whitson beat Neil Raymond 4 and 3
