If the Walker Cup selectors are looking for hardy, weatherproof youngsters with the stubbornness of Seve and the recovery powers of Houdini, there were a few likely lads in action in the second round of the Irish Amateur Open at The Royal Dublin.
Top of the class by a mile was 21-year-old Naas star Jack Hume, who defied afternoon wind, rain and cold that was more akin to January than May to post an extraordinary two under par 70 for a two stroke lead over Welshman Evan Griffith (72) on five under par at halfway.
Tramore’s Michael Burns, the R&A selector on duty, dragged himself onto the clubhouse deck with a smile worthy of Captain Ahab after spotting Moby Dick.
Hugely impressed
The former South of Ireland champion was clearly hugely impressed, not just by Hume's brilliance, but also by the fighting qualities shown by 16-year-old English player Marco Penge, who is tied for 10th on level par after a 73, and The Island's Gavin Moynihan, who came back from seven over after 10 holes in the afternoon weather carnage to salvage a 76 that left him well in contention on one over par.
There were other impressive performances, with 17-year-old Kevin LeBlanc from The Island looking likely to lead on two under after a brace of 71s before the storm-defying heroics of Hume and Co left him three shots off the pace.
Ardglass’s Cormac Sharvin and Naas’s Jonathan Yates shot 71s before the elements deteriorated and share fourth spot with the Isle of Man’s Tom Gandy (72), Scotland’s Craig Ross (72), Austrian Lukas Lipold (73) and Welshman Richard James (74) on one under.
But the real hero of the day was Hume, who first came to prominence in 2010 when he matched Raymie Burns’ feat and claimed all four provincial boys’ titles in the same season.
This was a man-sized effort, however, and he knows that a victory on Bull Island on Sunday would be a giant step towards a Walker Cup cap at Royal Lytham in September.
“I’m just delighted,” said a shivering Hume at the finish. “Anything under 76 this afternoon was a good score, to be honest. It has to be one of the best rounds I’ve ever played – probably the best.
“I was two over after three holes and to play the rest in four under from there was good because it was freezing; my hands were numb from the fifth or sixth onwards.”
