Sligo bank official Ken Kearney returned to the spotlight yesterday after a period out of the limelight - a self-imposed period as his appearances in the big time at national level were very limited. But now he is through to this morning's semi-finals in the Bank of Ireland-sponsored Irish Close Championship at Westport and clashes with Sean Quinlivan from Ballybunion. Kearney carved out an impressive 4 and 3 win over former Walker Cup player Jody Fanagan in yesterday's quarter-finals after a morning 3 and 2 victory against Pat Murray.
In the game with Fanagan, the Rosses Point man was never really in trouble after storming off with a birdie-birdie start to jump into a two-holes lead. Losing the fifth to a birdie failed to stop the 29-year-old's march as he immediately wedged close to birdie the fifth and recover the lost ground. The sixth hole, however, was crucial as he got away with a winning par four after missing the green on the left. Fanagan three-putted from just off the green to lose the hole.
Still, the Milltown man made a gallant effort to undo the damage by winning the eighth and ninth in birdie-par to close the gap to one hole at the turn. But again he handed the initiative to Kearney when in trouble off the tee, letting his opponent away with a winning par four.
Plus-one handicapper Kearney then turned the screw when he fired a superb three-wood off the 12th tee stone dead for a birdie two and he followed that up with a winning par at the 15th to end the battle.
"I was four under in that match and I have been under par in all my games in this championship," said Kearney. "It's nice to be back in the semi-finals again. The only other time I reached the last four was in 1988 at Royal Portrush and I was then beaten by David Mulholland." Quinlivan, the East of Ireland champion and Mullingar Scratch Cup winner, had a 22 holes duel with Gary O'Flaherty in the fifth round yesterday morning before squeezing through to meet Arthur Pierse. The 22-yearold Kerry youth won his quarter-final by 4 and 3 to book his spot in the semi-finals. Quinlivan was one up after six holes and then won the eighth and ninth to turn three up.
It was the 11th hole which was crucial in this match. Pierse was on the green 15 feet from the flag with Quinlivan 20 yards left but he pitched to five feet for a half in par and cashed in on his good luck by blazing a fourwood to 20 feet and holing the putt for a two at the 12th. That put him four up and he finished two under par.
What could be the clash of the tournament is this morning's meeting of defending champion Peter Lawrie and Paddy Gribben, who is enjoying a great spell since returning from the professional ranks earlier this season. Lawrie finished his quarter-final with Newlands clubmate Bryan Omelia four under par while Gribben had a four-foot putt, which he didn't have to hole at the 15th, to be five under against Ricky Elliott. Lawrie is attempting to close a 32-year gap by becoming the first player to win back-to-back Irish championships since Joe Carr completed a hat-trick in 1965. Gribben's putter was really hot yesterday as he had only to play 28 holes when beating David O'Donovan and Elliott to reach the semi-finals on a day of mixed sunshine and rain.
Fifth Round - R Elliott (R Portrush) bt K McCarthy (Kinsale) at 21st; P Gribben (Warrenpoint) bt D O'Donovan (Co Sligo) 6 and 5; B Omelia (Newlands) bt S Paul (Tandragee) one hole; P Lawrie (Newlands) bt E Power (Kilkenny) 3 and 2; J Fanagan (Milltown) bt M Flanagan (Island) 4 and 3; K Kearney (Co Sligo) bt P Murray (Tipperary) 3 and 2; A Pierse (Tipperary) bt C Martin (Nenagh) 2 and 1; S Quinlivan (Ballybunion) bt G O'Flaherty (Cork) at 22nd.
Quarter-Finals - Gribben bt Elliott 4 and 3; Lawrie bt Omelia 5 and 4; Kearney bt Fanagan 4 and 3; Quinlivan bt Pierse 4 and 3.
