Irish Golf Desk

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Eight Irish qualify in Spanish amateur tests

Liam Nolan in action at Sherry Golf. Picture courtesy RFEG

Sherry Golf Jerez took its share of victims in the second qualifying round for the Copa del Rey and Peter O’Keeffe certainly won’t forget it in a hurry.

After surprising himself by opening with a four-under 68 in his first start since completing the Irish Close - Irish Amateur Open double four months ago, the Douglas golfer bogeyed the last and carded a nine-over 81 to miss out on qualification for the matchplay stages by one spot.

The Irish international finished a frustating 65th on the leaderboard but there was plenty of good news for many other Irish players.

Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell carded a 72 and Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley a 75 to tie for 19th on one-over, seven strokes behind leading qualifier Carl Siemens of Germany.

Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan was tied 30th after a 72, Bray’s Alan Fahy (74) and Galway’s Liam Nolan (74) tied 47th on four-over and Carton House’s Marc Boucher (77) 57th on five-over.

In the Copa de la Reina at Real Club de Golf Pineda in Seville, Kirkistown Castle’s Beth Coulter celebrated her call up to the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup squad by carding four birdies in a level par 72 to qualify in joint 31st on two-over.

Spain-based Marina Joyce Moreno was tied 44th on five-over but with just one player on eight-over making the cut, Kate Lanigan and Aideen Walsh narrowly missed out on nine-over.

Copa S.M. El Rey 2022, Sherry Golf Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera (Par 72, (Index 73.2, Slope 131)

Irish qualifiers

Detailed scores

T19 MCDONNELL, Jack * +1 18 Par 73 72 145

T19 FOLEY, Hugh +1 18 +3 70 75 145

T30 COUGHLAN, Paul * +2 18 Par 74 72 146

T47 FAHY, Alan * +4 18 +2 74 74 148

T47 NOLAN, Liam * +4 18 +2 74 74 148

T57 BOUCHER, Marc * +5 18 +5 72 77 149

Non-qualifiers

T57 OKEEFFE, Peter +5 18 +9 68 81 149

T66 MORAN, Robert +6 18 +2 76 74 150

T86 KITT, David * +9 18 +3 78 75 153

T86 KNIGHTLY, Richard * +9 18 +4 77 76 153 

116 KEELING, Patrick +19 18 +8 83 80 163

T117 FORD, Tj +20 18 +12 80 84 164

Copa S.M. La Reina 2022, RCG Pineda, Sevilla

Irish quaifiers

Detailed scores

T31 COULTER, Beth +2 18 Par 74 72 146

T44 JOYCE MORENO, Marina +5 18 +5 72 77 149

Non-qualifiers

T68 LANIGAN, Kate +9 18 +3 78 75 153

T68 WALSH, Aideen +9 18 +2 79 74 153