Year after year, the old sages who inhabit these western shores warn that Sunday is the day that demands most cautionary steps in the South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch. Yet, invariably, year after year, it seems that one or two of the so-called bigger guns meet their doom, prematurely, regardless of such words of wisdom. Yesterday was a case in point, as the wind whipped in from the Atlantic (and the rain stayed away) to provide a fine test of links golf. The fall-out may not have been catastrophic but, still, Irish international Noel Fox - who must be sick at the sight by now of Mike Kemmy - and East of Ireland champion Sean Quinlivan, who lost 4 and 3 to Hermitage Senior Cup player Alan Dowling, failed to survive their first examinations.
Fox, a member of the Irish team in the European championships last month, was the biggest casualty. Others, however, had a far more pleasant day. Noel Pyne, for instance, playing in his 30th successive South, had a 9 and 8 win over Peter Cowley, of Cork, a win made all the more satisfying in light of Pyne's status as captain of the host club this year, while another match also finished at the 10th, although in less satisfying circumstances, when Jody Fanagan's opponent Juan Fitzgerald retired with an injured hand.
The day's giant-killer was unquestionably Kemmy, who has a healthy mix of soccer and politics in his genes, although he is something of a pioneer when it comes to golf within the family. His late uncle Michael captained the Irish youths' football team, gaining some notoriety for the number of times he blasted holes in netting such was the power in his shot, and another uncle, Jim, is chairman of the Labour Party.
Mike, who has his own trophy and engraving business in Limerick, is making his name on the golf course - and, it appears, at Fox's expense. Last year, Kemmy beat the Dubliner in the second round of the West of Ireland and yesterday's one-hole win (which set up a third round meeting with American David Brilliant) was produced out of adversity.
Kemmy, in fact, was two down at the turn but won the 10th and 11th holes with pars to level matters. Even though big-hitting Fox could reach a greenside bunker with his drive into the wind at the 268-yard 13th, he couldn't take advantage and that hole was halved in pars and Fox was required to sink a 60 footer for birdie to share the 14th too.
Crucially, Kemmy went one up at the 15th where he put his four iron approach in to eight feet and, then, showed character by sinking a 12 footer for par at the 17th to retain his advantage. The 18th was halved in par 5s, and that, as they say, was that.
"It is always satisfying to beat a player of Noel's calibre," admitted 32-year-old Kemmy, who progressed to golf after initially playing pitch-and-putt. "That's twice I've beaten him and I also caddied for my clubmate Michael O'Kelly when he beat Noel in the West this year, so I'm sure he must wish I'd stay away from him."
The story behind Pyne, a former Clare hurler and Munster golf team captain, is the stuff of romance. Although he still plays out of his home club Ennis, he is actually captain of Lahinch this year and he won nine of the 10 holes he played in his match with Cowley yesterday.
Pyne birdied three holes - the second, fifth and sixth - and the only hole he didn't win was the seventh, which was shared with bogey fives. His reward for such economy was dubious enough, given that Pyne's third round opponent today is Irish international Pat Murray, who had a one-hole win over John Paul Fitzgerald.
The only other match to finish so far out in the country was that involving Fanagan and the unfortunate Juan Fitzgerald. Fanagan, a winner of this championship two years ago and runner-up last year, was five up after 10 holes when the Limerick golfer, struggling with a hand injury, decided enough was enough and conceded him the match.
Elsewhere, other current Irish internationals were negotiating routes into the third round: Peter Lawrie, the Irish close champion, was a 2 and 1 winner over Harry McKinney; Michael McGinley was also a 2 and 1 winner over Graham Smith, and defending champion Adrian Morrow was another to carve out a 2 and 1 winning margin in his match with Sean Coyne.
And Bryan Omelia fashioned out an impressive 5 and 4 win over Peter Kirby, of Bray, while Eddie Power birdied the 18th for a one-hole win over Colin Cunningham and John Morris joined his brother Peter in the third round with a comfortable 5 and 4 win over Lex Flavin. Niall Goulding and Paddy Gribben, two players who this season have returned to the amateur game after flirting with the professional scene, also progressed.
Youth, too, had its fling, even if Irish youths' champion Nigel Howley, beaten by Melvin Flanagan, and Mark Campbell, who lost out to experienced Portmarnock Senior Cup player Dermot Snow, exited the championship. The Collier twins, Patrick and Philip, managed to secure places in the third round, along with Munster youths' champion Johnny Foster, of Ballyclare, youths' international Ciaran McMonagle and a trio of players returned from golfing scholarships in the United States, Ricky Elliott, Tim Rice and Gavin Lunny.
So, it appears, despite the demise of Fox and Quinlivan, the 64 survivors, representing a healthy mix of experience and youth, have a long, and possible intriguing, route to travel yet.
