Jonathan Keane. Photo: Niall O’Shea
Lahinch’s Jonathan Keane produced three clutch putts in a row to defeat Liam Abom and clinch a showdown with Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty in this afternoon’s Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open final (2pm).
Bidding to become the first home winner for 57 years, the school teacher (25) from Kilfenora won the eighth and ninth to level his match with the Edmondstown man (22), then birdied the 13th to take the lead before closing out the match in impressive fashion over the last four holes.
After making a 10-footer at the 15th to remain one up, he made a birdie two from seven feet at the short 16th to a huge cheer from the big local gallery as redoubled his lead.
Two up with two to go, he overshot the 17th, but with Abom facing a four-footer for par, he hit a beautiful putt from the swale beyond the pin that finished on the edge of the hole.
Kearne’s reward for his 2&1 win is a clash with 2018 champion Rafferty, who produced some sensational figures in a relentless 5&3 demolition of Grange’s Jake Whelan.
“I was two under after five and two down,” Whelan sighed afterwards.
Rafferty birdied the second and third to go two-up, then halved the fourth in eagles and the fifth in birdie twos.
“He bogeyed the sixth, but I couldn’t take advantage,” Whelan said.
Rafferty birdied the seventh to go three up, turning in 31 shots to Whelan’s 34, then claimed the 10th in par to go four up.
Whelan cut the deficit to three holes with a winning par at the 13th before Rafferty went par-birdie at the 14th and 15th to close out his third successive 5&3 win.
After beating Patrick Curran 5&4 in the first round, Rafferty had to go to the 18th to beat Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill before defeating Sean Desmond, David Kitt and now Whelan by 5&3.
He has played just 77 holes in the matchplay so far, making two eagles, 17 birdies and eight bogeys.
Keane has played 79 holes and made two eagles, 24 birdies and 12 bogeys or worse and he clearly has the firepower to become the first local Lahinch member to win the title since JD Smyth in 1968.
