BRITISH OPEN: Ireland amateur international Michael McGeady posted the best score of the day at The Island yesterday, a fine one under the card 70 to earn one of the 10 cards available at the regional qualifying for the British Open at St Andrews. He was one of five amateurs that commandeered places in the British Open Final qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.
McGeady guaranteed it would be a memorable day for the North West club - his club, provincial and international team-mate Brian McElhinney was yesterday named on the Britain and Ireland team to play in the Walker Cup - with an excellent round in testing conditions.
"It was all about getting position off the tee and trying to hit the right areas on the fairways. I have to pay tribute to my caddie Shane Gannon (son of international captain Mark) who told me where to hit it. I hadn't played here before so his advice was invaluable."
McGeady birdied the first, fourth and 10th to stand at three under and could afford to bogey the 12th and 16th coming home. "I am looking to turn professional at the end of the year so I wanted to come and test myself against the professionals."
McGeady had one shot to spare over former Luttrellstown assistant Peter Williamson, the latter continuing his fine recent form. The 23-year-old Williamson quit his position as assistant last February to pursue a full-time career on the golf circuit and this ambition was facilitated by coming through the Euro-Pro tour qualifying school. He has two top-five finishes to his name in recent weeks and also made the cut in Germany in one of the two Challenge Tour events that he has played. Two under after 14 holes, he bogeyed the 15th and 18th to shoot a level par round.
"I putted extremely well and was solid off the tee. I have a friend Derek O'Farrell, who owns a hotel over there and has given me a bed for the weekend. I have to pay tribute to G&D Maguire Construction without whose financial help I wouldn't be here."
Three players, Ryan Boal, Lee Owens and Donal Gleeson contested the two spots allocated to reserves after they shot four over par 75s. Boal was eliminated on the first extra hole having run up a triple bogey seven while Gleeson's bogey on the second meant that Owens prevailed in the three-way shoot out.
This means that the Elm Park golfer not only won the right of first reserve at The Island but the coveted first reserve spot should anybody pull out of final qualifying. Gleeson is the 32nd reserve. McGeady will play at the Lundin course next weekend as will Michael McDermott and Chris Moriarty.
Williamson heads for Scottscraig GC so too Eamon Brady, Eoin O'Sullivan is off to Ladybank along with Greg Bowden while Birr's Michael Horan travels to Level Links as will Patrick Devine and Alan Murray.
BRITISH OPEN REGIONAL QUALIFYING - Qualifiers: 70 - M McGeady (North West); 71 - P Williamson (Luttrellstown Castle); 72 - E O'Sullivan (The Island); 73 - M Horan (Birr), G Bowden (Hermitage), M McDermott (Team Ireland), E Brady (Royal Dublin); 74 - P Devine (The Island), A Murray (Greystones), C Moriarty (Donaghadee); 75 - First reserve: L Owens (Elm Park), second reserve: D Gleeson (PGA National), R Boal (Scrabo); 76 - D McQuillan (Co Sligo), P Dooley (Cork), E Martin (Beaverstown), S Thornton (Co Down); 77 - S Pelletier (France), E Staunton (Headfort), P O'Rourke (Black Bush), D Jones (City of Derry), J Brink (Mieminger), N Eliasson (Sweden), J Scullion (Royal Co Down); 78 - G Gresse (Belgium), J Foster (Malone), S Kirkpatrick (Ardee); 79 - W Noble (Co Cavan), N Fox (Portmarnock), JC Lassagne (France), J Pitkanen (Finland), G Jones (Tipperary); 80 - M Heinemann (Skellig Bay), J Sugrue (Tralee), F Bynelius (Sweden); 81 - M Casey (Beaverstown), K Michaels (USA), P Geraghty (Seafield Properties), J Petke (USA); 82 - R Kelliher (Unattached), S Franklin (Athnery), G McNeill (Waterford); 83 - F Gowan (Amstelhof), D Maffey (Castlerock); 84 - PO Moeller (Denmark), J Carlsson (Sweden); 85 - K Kelliher (The Island), E Barr (Unattached), S Deane (Royal Co Down); 87 - J Landen (Sweden), F Isola (Belgium); 88 - P Christenson (Sweden); 89 - M Berio (Italy); 90 - J Lilja (Sweden); 92 - N Laloux (Belgium); 93 - M Dessambre (Belgium). Retired: C McMonagle (Dunfanaghy). No return: S Browne (Unattached), S McMonagle (Sutton), K Beirth, D Mooney (Nevada Bob's), B Cary (USA), N Sherard (Garforth).
