Sport

Champion Lawrie is forced to produce something special

The true mark of a champion is that he can produce the special sparkle when the chips are down, and so it was with Peter Lawrie…

Tue Aug 12 1997 - 01:00

The true mark of a champion is that he can produce the special sparkle when the chips are down, and so it was with Peter Lawrie in yesterday's fourth round in the Bank of Ireland Irish Amateur Close Championship at Westport.

The defending champion from Newlands looked like heading home after a birdie battle with Dermot Snow, but he refused to give in and fired an eagle three at the 18th to bring the match into extra time before winning on the 19th green.

It deserves the tag "match of the season", and the consolation that Portmarnock's Snow took home with him was that he was beaten by a true champion.

Both players carded an eagle and four birdies, plus one bogey, during the enthralling battle, with Lawrie conceded another birdie at the 19th after the deflated Snow drove into trees on the right, hacked out, then missed the green and chipped to six feet. Lawrie was straight down the middle and wedged to three feet with the putt, hole and match conceded.

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"I have four hours while driving back to Dublin to think of that drive at the 19th," said a disappointed Snow who contributed so much to a superb match.

This brilliant match somewhat overshadowed some other great performances yesterday; Jody Fanagan had to go to the 20th before dismissing Stephen Moloney, and Pat Murray went to the 21st before brushing aside young John McClure. Sean Quinlivan turned on the power play and was five-under-par when beating Dermot Finn by 4 and 3, while Ken Kearney had a 5 and 4 win over James Kane-Nash before beating solicitor Frank O'Donoghue by 4 and 3.

The weather was mixed at Westport yesterday with rain and wind in the morning, but conditions became a bit easier in the afternoon with players posting sub-par scores on a regular basis.

One of those was Bryan Omelia, who was three under when beating Niall Goulding by 6 and 5. He birdied the second, sixth and ninth to turn four up, having won the eight in regulation, and then added the 10th and 12th in par figures for victory.

Only two previous winners are left in the race - the defending champion and Eddie Power, who took the title on two occasions, at his home Tramore Club and at Enniscrone.

Third Round - First quarter: K McCarthy (Kinsale) bt E McMenamin (Ballybofey) 2 and 1; P Killeen (Claremorris) bt M Horan (Birr) 5 and 4; G Cullen (Beaverstown) bt K Flanagan (Co Sligo) 3 and 2; R Elliott (R Portrush) bt H Armstrong (Warrenpoint) 3 and 2; D O'Donovan (Co Sligo) bt M Brett (Portmarnock) at 19th; P McInerney (Lahinch) bt P Collier (Limerick) one hole; P Gribben (Warrenpoint) bt D Coyle (Dundalk) 3 and 2; M Sinclair (Knock) bt P Benson (Castlebar) 2 and 1. Second quarter: B Omelia (Newlands) bt G Forbes (Castlerock) 4 and 3; N Goulding (Portmarnock) bt A Meharg (Bright Castle) 4 and 3; S Paul (Tandragee) bt A Lynch (Northants) 5 and 4; K Bornemann (Douglas) bt G Murphy (Monkstown) 2 and 1; C Mallon (N West) bt P O'Looney (Tralee) 4 and 3; E Power (Kilkenny) bt P Sheehan (Castletroy) 2 and 1; D Snow (Portmarnock) bt R Dodds (Mahee Island) 6 and 5; P Lawrie (Newlands) bt J Joyce (Castlerea) 3 and 2. Third quarter: J Fanagan (Milltown) bt M Sheridan (Old Conna) 2 and 1; S Moloney (Castletroy) bt C McElderry (R Portrush) 3 and 2; Dermot Connolly (Douglas) bt R Leonard (UUJ) at 19th; M Flanagan (Island) bt N Howley (Ballinasloe) 2 and 1; P Murray (Tipperary) bt P Byrne (Nenagh) at 19th; J McClure (R Belfast) bt S Fitzpatrick (Woodbrook) 5 and 4; F O'Donoghue (Belvoir Pk) bt P Morris (Douglas) 5 and 4; K Kearney (Co Sligo) bt J KaneNash (R Dublin) 5 and 4. Fourth quarter: A Morrow (Portmarnock) bt E Lynch (UCD) 3 and 2; A Pierse (Tipperary) bt D Mortimer (Connemara) 2 and 1; C Martin (Nenagh) bt S Browne (Hermitage) 3 and 2; M Lynch (Prior's Hall) bt C Moriarity (Clandeboye) 3 and 2; D Finn (Mallow) bt D Dunne (Co Sligo) one hole; S Quinlivan (Ballybunion) bt D O'Flynn (Ballina) one hole; G O'Flaherty (Cork) bt C Browne (R Portrush) 3 and 1; G McGimpsey (Bangor) bt P Dooley (Cork) one hole.

Fourth Round - First quarter: McCarthy bt Killeen 5 and 4; Elliott bt Cullen 2 and 1; O'Donovan bt McInerney 4 and 3; Gribben bt Sinclair 3 and 2. Second quarter: Omelia bt Goulding 6 and 5; Paul bt Bornemann one hole; Power bt Mallon one hole; Lawrie bt Snow at 19th. Third quarter: Fanagan bt Moloney at 20th; Flanagan bt Connolly 3 and 2; Murray bt McClure at 21st; Kearney bt O'Donoghue 4 and 3. Fourth quarter: Pierse bt Morrow one hole; Martin bt M Lynch 2 and 1; Quinlivan bt Finn 4 and 3; O'Flaherty bt McGimpsey 2 and 1.