THE decision of Colm Campbell to pack in his job and play golf full-time this year seems to be playing off handsomely.
Yesterday, he stormed through the first and second rounds of matchplay in the Cathedral Eye North of Ireland Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.
Back-to-back wins of 6&5 against Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe) and Jonathan Breen (Kirkistown Castle) have lurched the Warrenpoint plus-three handicapper into this morning’s third round where he will play Gary Collins from Rosslare.
After hammering Woodroofe in the opening matchplay round in which he was three-under for the 12 holes played, Campbell began against Breen, who also had a first round 6&5 victory, much as he had finished his previous match.
He eagled the long second hole from 15 feet after a four iron to the green and he birdied the par four fifth, then pencilled in another eagle at nine from nine feet.
His second birdie was shot down at the short 11th hole before his only slip of the day, a bogey at 12 where he was in sand off the tee.
Dermot McElroy, who didn’t have to qualify, eased through the day with a 7&5 win over teenager Rory Williamson (Holywood) and a 3&2 defeat of Cushendall’s Alastair McQuillan. Still, the Ballymena plus-four handicapper wasn’t entirely happy with his driving.
“It wasn’t bothering me in the morning but in the second round it was a bit poor and I’m going off now to do a bit of practice.
“It is since the end of May that the driving has gone off a little,” he recalled.
“My putting is OK as I’m using the aimpoint method now.”
The 22-year-old McElroy was two-under par when beating Williamson in the morning but regulation in the afternoon when ousting neighbour McQuillan.
Irish Close title-holder John-Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) was another comfortable winner, yesterday, with a 6&4 result against Lester Moore (City of Derry) and 5&3 over Ryan Gribben (Warrenpoint).
“It was a good day, I played solid golf in both rounds. I had eight birdies in my 14 morning holes and four more in the afternoon. I feel that I am playing better in each round I play and I’m not making many mistakes,” he explained.
Geoff Lernehan avoided the first day curse of the leading qualifier as he is through to the third round. He first defeated Eugene Smith (Ardee) by 5&4 and then put out Craig Melvin (Corrstown) by 3&2.
Meanwhile, conditions were excellent and so was the golf during the first round of the Irish Girls’ Championship at Galway Bay yesterday where Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little) topped the leaderboard after the two qualifying rounds.
McCarthy made a highly impressive start in the morning. She was one-under after nine holes but ripped up the course on the back nine, carding an eagle and two birdies with just one dropped shot for a four-under par 70.
The cream floated to the top during the day as McCarthy, defending champion Annabel Wilson and Niamh McSherry (both Lurgan), Valerie Clancy and Mairead Martin all finished level par or better as 32 players qualified for today’s first matchplay round. Junior Vagliano player Martin, from Killarney, posted the best round of the day, a 69, which included six birdies and one bogey.
