World Universities' Champion, Darren Crowe, after five attempts, has finally reached the semi-finals of the Magners' North of Ireland Championship, at Royal Portrush.
The Dunmurry member yesterday beat Irish long-driving champion Michael Lavelle from Belmullet 5 and 4 to book a date with Ulster team colleague Rory Leonard in today's semi-final.
After winning the ninth hole with a birdie four, having reached the green by hitting a two-iron twice, Crowe was two up on Lavelle in what was a superb battle over the front nine. He then birdied the short 11th, running in a 30-footer, and the 13th with another birdie from six feet.
His fifth birdie of the round was a strange one at Calamity Corner (the short 14th) as he pitched in after his ball rolled down right, heading for the chasm but somehow stayed on a ledge.
"I just couldn't believe it," mused Lavelle. "I though that I was given a chance to get back into the game as I could not see how Darren would make par from where he was, let alone make birdie."
That miraculous birdie put 25-year-old Crowe five up and ended the match.
The 2004 finalists Leonard ousted his great friend Andrew McCormick by 3 and 2 after a one hole morning win over Paul O'Hanlon (The Curragh) to set up the semi-final clash with Crowe.
They swapped birdies over the opening holes but winning pars at seven and eight left Bank of Ireland official Leonard one up. He then was conceded a birdie at the long 10th and lost the next to a birdie before taking the 13th and 16th holes in pars.
Leading qualifier Conor Doran has quietly slipped through to this morning's semi-finals and is being looked upon as a potential winner.
The Banbridge 24-year-old cruised past Dungannon teenager Fergal Rafferty by 5 and 4 in the morning and then ended the hopes of Robert McCarthy from The Island by 3 and 2 in the quarter-finals. Next he clashes with Andrew Pitcher.
"Despite the fact that the ball refused to drop this afternoon, my short game has improved immensely as I worked a lot during the winter with national coach Neil Manchip on that aspect of the game.
"As well, I have had about eight lessons from Jason Greenaway at Banbridge and he has been terrific. I will continue to work with him," promised Doran, who won the Munster Open Strokeplay Championship in April.
The plus-two handicapper birdied the long ninth and 10th holes, reaching the green both times in two blows, to bounce two up on McCarthy and after winning the 12th and 14th holes in regulation figures he was four up heading for home. However, McCarthy hit back with a birdie three at the 15th to stall defeat but not for long as the 16th was halved to let Doran through to the semi-final.
Pitcher, who defeated Rory McIlroy in the championship last year, came back from one down after 11 to beat English entrant Neil Shorley by 2 and 1.
This was a tremendous match in which birdies flew and holes were swapped.
Between them, the Island-based Pitcher and Shorley carded half-a-dozen birdies to the turn at which stage the battle was level. Shorley birdied the long 10th to sneak ahead but then lost the 12th, 13th and 14th to pars as Pitcher (19) went two ahead and stayed there.
