NORTH OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP.

The North of Ireland Championship got under way with a 36 hole qualifing,18 holes over the famous Dunluce course at Royal Portrush and 18 holes over the adjoining Valley course at Rathmore.

Gerard Kelly(Co.Louth and UCD)was the surprise leading qualifer after a best of the day 69 on a windswept Dunluce course.His first round of 67 on the Valley gave him a two round total of 136,one clear from Castlerock man Aaron Kearney. The 62 top scores qualified for matchplay,with the cut coming at 147.They were joined by Paul Cutler(Portstewart)and Alan Dunbar(Rathmore) who were exempt from qualifing as they were on International duty.

The big shock from the first round of matchplay was the holder,Wayne Telford,going out to Jonathan Feenan(Ardglass)on the final green.Richard O'Donovan (Lucan)beat Paul Cutler,the pre-tournament favorite,by 2 holes in the second round.Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin)beat West of Ireland holder,Rory Leonard(Banbridge)3/1 also in round two.

New favorite,20 year old local,Alan Dunbar,got a scare when he had to go to the 20th hole before beating Barry Anderson (Co.Sligo)in the 3rd round.He made no mistakes in the afternoon beating Jonathan Feenan 4/3 to book his semi-final place.Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) beat James Fox (Portmarnock)on the 19th hole to book a semi-final game against Dunbar.

Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)ended the hopes of leading qualifier Gerard Kelly 2/1 in the quarter finals,while Connor Doran (Banbridge)made a great comeback from 3 down with 4 to go,to beat Aaron Kearney by 1 hole.This led to a semi-final match against McElroy.

In the first semi-final,teenager Dermot McElroy beat International Connor Doran on the 17th green,while local Alan Dunbar kept his nose in front to beat Sean Ryan on the final green.

Dunbar got a fast start in the final when he birdied the long 2nd and short 3rd for a two hole advantage.McElroy cut the advantage to one with a par at the difficult 7th and they were back level after the 10th following a McElroy birdie.Local man Dunbar took hold of the title with back to back wins at the 13th & 14th to go 2 up and he finished the game with another win on the long 17th to claim his first matchplay title.He is already the holder of the Irish Amateur Open and Ulster Youths Champion.

Dunbar admitted to being nervous in front of the large home crowd who had come out to support him.He is delighted that his home club of Rathmore can hold the trophy for another year,as clubmate Wayne Telford was the winner last year.

QUALIFING SCORES
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136 G Kelly ( Co. Louth/UCD) 67 69
137 A Kearney (Castlerock) 64 73
139 M Sinclair (Knock) 67 72, C Selfridge ( Moyola Park) 66 73
140 I Brennan (Greenore) 70 70, D McElroy (Ballymena) 69 71, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 68 72, W Telford (Rathmore) 65 75
141 B Anderson (Co. Sligo) 72 69, D Beattie (Castlerock) 70 71, H Diamond ( Belvoir Park) 68 73
142 C Doran (Banbridge) 70 72, J Baker (Royal Norwich) 70 72, J Monaghan (The Island) 68 74, J Turner (Royal Portrush) 68 74, D Coghlan (Royal Dublin) 67 75

143 C Martin (Kilkenny) 73 70, G McDermott (Co. Sligo) 72 71, A Morris ( Belvoir Park) 69 74, N Murray (Dunmurry) 67 76, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 66 77, R Cannon (Laytown/B) 66 77

144 G Morrow (Lisburn) 74 70, R Leonard (Banbridge) 73 71, R Whitson (Mourne) 73 71, K Lovelock (Hindhead) 70 74, R Gribben (Warrenpoint) 70 74, R O Donovan (Lucan) 70 74, P McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 69 75, R McCarthy (The Island) 68 76, S Ryan (Royal Dublin) 67 77

145 M O'Donovan (Castlerock) 75 70, I Ross (Whitehead) 72 73, S Miskelly (Knock) 72 73, D Vaughan (Ardglass) 71 74, B Best (Rathmore) 71 74, F O'Donoghue ( Belvoir Park) 71 74, D Reilly (Westmanstown) 70 75, J Fox (Portmarnock) 69 76, D Sutton (Lurgan) 68 77, D Mallon (Dungannon) 66 79, G McGrane (Royal Dublin) 65 80

146 D Downie (Sutton) 74 72, T O'Regan (Carton House) 74 72, S Boles (Bangor) 74 72, M Judge (Stackstown) 73 73, R McNamara (Headfort) 72 74, J Lyons (Galway) 72 74, J Ward (Banbridge) 71 75, K McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM) 71 75, P O'Leary (Lucan) 71 75, D McKenna (Foyle) 71 75, A Hogan (Newlands) 71 75, B Cashman (Belvoir Park) 71 75, E Heywood (City of Derry) 70 76, N Grant (Knock) 70 76, J Feenan (Ardglass) 69 77, G Lynas (Shandon Park) 68 78

147 D Holland (Castle) 73 74, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 73 74, C McIlroy (Holywood) 72 75, R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 72 75, J Greene (Carlow) 70 77

FAILED TO QUALIFY on 147.
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G Thacker (Kedleston) 70 77, G McDowell (Rathmore) 70 77, R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 70 77, R Guilfoyle (Kilkenny) 69 78

FIRST ROUND MATCHPLAY.
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Craig Martin (Kilkenny)beat Frank O'Donoghue (Belvoir Park)7/6
Andrew Hogan (Newlands)beat Barry Cashman (BelvoirPark)3/1
Ben Best(Rathmore) beat Andrew Morris (Belvoir Park)3/2
Gerard Kelly (Co.Louth/UCD)beat Ernie Heywood(City of Derry) 2/1
Stephen Boles(Bangor)beat Ian Brennan (Greenore)4/2
Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)beat Marc Judge(Stackstown) 6/5
Richard Donovan (Lucan)beat Patrick McCrudden 3/2
Paul Cutler (Portstewart)beat John Greene(Carlow) 1up
David Sutton (Lurgan)beat Jon Baker(Royal Norwich) 2/1
Kelan McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM)beat Darren Crowe (Dunmurry) 2/1
Ian Ross (Whitehead) beat Gary Morrow (Lisburn)3/2
Connor Doran (Banbridge)beat Daniel Holland (Castle) 7/6
Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park)beat Dwayne Mallon (Dungannon) 3/2
Aaron Kearney (Castlerock)beat Johnny Ward (Banbridge) 3/2
Reeve Whitson (Mourne)beat Michael O'Donovan (Castlerock) 7/6
Michael Durcan (Co.Sligo)beat Michael Sinclair (Knock)2/1

Darragh Coghlan (Royal Dublin)beat David Reilly (Westmanstown) 2/1
Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park)beat Damien McKenna (Foyle)5/3
Noel Murray (Dunmurry)beat Daniel Vaughan (Ardglass)4/3
Jonathan Feenan Ardglass)beat Wayne Telford (Rathmore) 2 Holes
Barry Anderson (Co.Sligo)beat Derek Downie (Sutton) 2/1
Gary McDermott (Co. Sligo)beat Rory McNamara (Headfort) 1 Hole
Robert McCarthy (The Island)beat Ryan Gribben (Warrenpoint) 1 Hole
Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu) 7/5
James Fox (Portmarnock)beat John Turner (Royal Portrush) 1 Hole
Pio O'Leary (Lucan)beat Nicholas Grant (Knock) 19th
Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint)beat Simon Miskelly (Knock) 3/2
Gary Lynas (ShandonPark)beat Robbie Cannon(Laytown&Bettystown)2/1
Gary McGrane(Royal Dublin)beat Daniel Beattie(Castlerock)1Hole
James Monaghan (The Island)beat Joe Lyons (Galway)19th
Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin)beat Kieran Lovelock (Hindhead)1Hole
Rory Leonard (Banbridge)beat Colm McIlroy (Holywood) 4/3

SECOND ROUND
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Andrew Hogan (Newlands)beat Craig Martin (Kilkenny)2 holes
Gerard Kelly (Co.Louth/UCD) beat Ben Best (Rathmore) 1 holes
Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) beat Stephen Boles (Bangor)3/1 hole
Richard O'Donovan (Lucan)beat Paul Cutler (Portstewart)2 holes
David Sutton (Lurgan)beat Kelan McDonagh (Athlone/NUIM) 1 hole
Connor Doran (Banbridge)beat Ian Ross (Whitehead) 3/2
Aaron Kearney (Castlerock)beat Harry Diamond (Belvoir Park) 1up
Reeve Whitson (Mourne)beat Michael Durcan (Co.Sligo) 1 hole

Darragh Coghlan (Royal Dublin)beat Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park)2 holes
Jonathan Feenan (Ardglass)beat Noel Murray (Dunmurry) 1 hole
Barry Anderson (Co.Sligo)beat Gary McDermott (Co. Sligo) 4/3
Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Robert McCarthy (The Island) 5/3
James Fox (Portmarnock) beat Pio O'Leary (Lucan)4/3
Gary Lynas (Shandon Park)beat Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint)2 holes
James Monaghan (The Island)beat Gary McGrane (Royal Dublin)1 hole
Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin)beat Rory Leonard (Banbridge)3/1

THIRD ROUND.
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Gerard Kelly (Co.Louth/UCD)beat Andrew Hogan (Newlands) 3/2
Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)beat Richard O'Donovan (Lucan) 4/3
Connor Doran (Banbridge)beat David Sutton (Lurgan) 3/2
Aaron Kearney (Castlerock)beat Reeve Whitson (Mourne) 2/1
Jonathan Feenan (Ardglass)beat Darragh Coghlan (Royal Dublin) 2/1
Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Barry Anderson (Co.Sligo) 20th
James Fox (Portmarnock)beat Gary Lynas (Shandon Park) 3/2
Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin)beat James Monaghan (The Island) 1 hole

QUARTER FINALS.
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Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)beat Gerard Kelly(Co.Louth/UCD)2/1
Connor Doran (Banbridge)beat Aaron Kearney (Castlerock) 1 hole
Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Jonathan Feenan (Ardglass) 4/3
Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) beat James Fox (Portmarnock) 19 hole

SEMI FINALS.
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Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)beat Connor Doran (Banbridge) 2/1
Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Sean Ryan (Royal Dublin) 1 hole

FINAL.
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Alan Dunbar (Rathmore)beat Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)3/1