David Howard set for Irish international call-up

David Howard had another good week on Golf Ireland’s Bridgestone Tour. 

He reached the final 16 of the South of Ireland on Saturday, and in doing he looks to have earned selection on the Irish team for the upcoming Home Internationals.

Howard, who won his first major event in Baltray last month at the East of Ireland, backed up his impressive stroke play performance with six positive rounds in Lahinch. 

The 26-year-old opened with a lacklustre 75, the three over par round put him outside the top 80 with a second 18 holes to come. 

The round could have been worse - after 10 holes Howard was five over but two late birdies gave him something to fight for.

Howard returned on Thursday afternoon and things didn’t improve when he was one over after nine. 

The back nine again proved critical as there Fota Island golfer fired in an eagle and three birdies. 

That saw him sign for a 70 and make the cut on the number. On Friday he dispatched his opponents in the first and second rounds and on Saturday it took him 20 holes to get the better of Thomas Abom. 

That set him up for a last 16 match with the second Abom brother Liam. Although he went one up after the 11th, Abom got the better of him and won on the 18th.

Although disappointed not to progress, Howard knew he had consolidated his second placed position on the Bridgestone Order of Merit. 

That means he claims one of the automatic selection spots on the Irish team that will go to Woodhall Spa in England next week. 

The full team will be announced this week and it’s likely that Howard will be joined by another Fota Island Golfer. 

John Doyle has featured every Irish team so fat this year, and his second placed finish at the English Boys will have helped his selection chances. He shot a course record 61 in the third round.

Elsewhere in Lahinch, there were eight Cork golfers to qualify for the matchplay stages. 

Sean Desmond was one of the earlier finishers on day two, and he had a long time to wait to see if his +2 would be good enough to qualify. 

With a good back 18, Desmond was confident, but weather conditions improved which led to improved scoring. 

The matter wasn’t settled until the last group completed their cards, and that saw Desmond finish in 64th place – but crucially into the matchplay draw securing the final place.

Desmond, a previous winner of the event went on to take out the leading qualifier Dylan Keating. 

The Monkstown golfer went two up early on, but Keating pegged him back and held the lead through 12. 

Desmond won the next two and held on to win on the 18th. In the second round he beat Eoin Magill again on the 18th but his South finished on Saturday morning in the round of 16. 

He was up against another former winner Caolan Rafferty with the Walker Cup player winning on the 15th hole.

Douglas had three golfers qualify in the last 64. Karl Bornemann and James Walsh both lost out in the first round but Barry O’Connell, playing in his first South of Ireland, made it through to the second round. 

He took an early lead in that match against Jordan Hood, but the veteran made his presence felt and eventually won on the 18th.

Sean Barry made his first appearance at Lahinch for a few years and two rounds of good golf saw him qualify. 

Barry led the match through much of the front nine but lost out in the end. Joe O’Neill from Berehaven and Charleville’s Jordan Boles also made it through with O’Neill exiting after round one and Boles exiting after round two.

The winner in Lahinch was a local golfer for the first time in over 50 years. Watched in the final by several hundred locals, Jonathan Keane learned the game on the Castle Course in Lahinch, graduating to the Old Course where his game matured. 

“Absolutely delighted, this has been my dream since I joined this golf club and for it to come true it’s absolutely unbelievable. Just thrilled,” said Keane.