There were no fairy tales at the 3 Irish Open for the many aspiring Irish PGA Region players as one by one they succumbed to the competitive demands of the European Tour and the challenges of the Killeen Course at Killarney Fishing and Golf Club - with the exception of Barrie Trainor of Team Ireland who just made the cut at level par – having dropped back from a score of four under at the turn.
With Irish Golf flying high with the achievements of Graeme McDowell [-1] winning the US Open, 3 tine Major Winner Padraig Harrington [-7], 2009 3 Irish Open winner, Shane Lowry [-3]; Quail Hollow winner, Rory McIlroy [-7], 2010 Ryder Cup Vice Captain’s Darren Clarke [-6] and Paul McGinley [-6], it was little surprise that all these established players made the cut. Indeed, Lowry’s 65 was the most impressive score on Friday given he was 3 over after day one and looking under pressure to defend his title.
Also in the mix at the top of the leader board are Damien McGrane [-5] who this season has been threatening at times to win another event and Ballymoney's Michael Hoey [-7] who is tied with McIlroy and Harrington.
The other Team Ireland member Colm Moriarty missed the weekend after carding a second round 74 - to finish five over par - which was a disappointment given his finish at St Andrews of one under on the Sunday after making at through final qualifying in impressive fashion.
2009 Irish PGA Order of Merit winner, David Higgins, found the going tough at Killarney missing the cut on two over par and so returns to his day job next week at the 78th Ulster Championship at Lough Erne where the Waterville man currently leads the 2010 Lexus Race to Mount Juliet Order of Merit. This season though the gulf in standard became more apparent as he has under performed at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May; missed out on qualifying for The Open in St. Andrew’s and now misses the cut at the 3 Irish Open.
Best result of the region was from Damien Mooney who on one over par - after rounds of 72 and 71 - which at the outset might have been deemed an acceptable target for the first two days and sufficient to make the cut. Especially were it an Irish PGA Region event. But in the big time and faced with the blistering pace of Ross Fisher on Friday, when he set a course record of 61, an aggregate of 142 was not enough to earn Mooney a stay for the weekend.
More seasoned talent like Gareth Maybin saw a three under par score evaporate on the finishing holes on day one with a similar experience on Friday slipping to a one over par total missing the cut, in what in overall terms, has been a good season for the Ballyclare man. His second place in the Ballantine's Championship in Korea ensured his playing rights for next year.
Peter Lawrie similarly fell the wrong side of the cut with a bogey finish on Thursday the start of his troubles going on to drop two more shots on Friday to finish on three over par – also missing out on the weekend.
European Tour Rookie, Simon Thornton of Team Ireland, was unhappy with his round of 71 and on Friday he responded by reached the turn on 33 after birdies on holes 2 and 5 only to see those shots given back to the course on the 11th hole with a double bogey, along with three more on the eighteenth to finish with a 74 - on 3 over par.
Amateurs Cian Curley [+6], Pat Murray [+12], Alan Dunbar [+6] and Paul Cutler [+6] fared well under the conditions and had Cutler been more accurate on the greens he deserved to have been inside the cut. But that appears to be a weakness in his game – at least at this level.
Paul T Martin ended the two rounds with a 74 and 76 for a seven over par total.
Local Professional Daniel Sugrue battled well despite his late nomination working hard to recover some wayward tee shots to good effect on Thursday and the early part of Friday. But in the end even local knowledge could not help him as he completed the back nine in 42 shots to finish on 8 over.
John Kelly who also qualified as part of the top 8 finishers in the 2009 Irish PGA Order of Merit came in on Friday evening nine shots over the level par cut after dropping three on Friday on the 8th, 13th and 17th holes.
Michael Collins of FORE Ireland finished Thursday with three consecutive birdies on 16, 17 and 18 with the aim of improving on his first round 79 – most of which was due to nerves as he played a European Tour event for the first time. His round of 73 on Friday was a credit to the experience gained on Thursday leaving him on a 10 over par total.
Gary Murphy who had also made the event as a result of a Sponsors’ invite continued his indifferent form this season by adding another missed cut after rounds of 74 and 78 – finishing the back nine on Friday in 44 shots alone.
David E Ryan ended his two day experience at the 3 Irish Open on 11 over par after rounds of 74 and 77.
Gary David Cullen ended his few days at Killarney with a 12 over par score having dropped six shots each of the rounds with only three birdies over the two rounds.
For 1995 Ryder Cup winner, Philip Walton, the step back into the European Tour was disappointing and unprofitable despite some intense preparation this season in the hope of a Sponsors Invite. Again the switch from the week to week testing of Irish PGA events bore little resemblance to the Main Tour and despite some good iron play and solid drives off the tee the undulating greens took their toll on the Malahide man over both days.
No one felt the ignominy of trailing the field at 17 over more than Walton who felt the course gave him little reward on Friday for some of his braver shots but felt the event was a fore taste of what he might enjoy on the Champions Tour in the near future.
