DAWSON TIES COURSE RECORD TO SET PACE IN ‘WEST’

TRAMORE’S Robin Dawson fired a championship record equalling 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the first qualifying round of the West of Ireland at Rosses Point.

The Irish international (22) dropped just one stroke in a cold north-east breeze, blasting an eagle and six birdies in a seven-under-par round that equalled the 64 carded by County Sligo’s David Brady in 2014.

“My preparation wasn’t ideal but I eventually got into a rhythm,” said a delighted Dawson (above), who only returned to Ireland from a holiday in Australia last Wednesday following an intensive early-season schedule that took him from Argentina to South Africa and Qatar. “I actually played so badly in practice yesterday that I went to the range because I had no idea what was going on. But I found something this morning and away I went.” Just 10 players in the 126-strong field broke par and the cream rose to the top after the morning and afternoon waves had tackled the famed County Sligo links.

Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell and Kilkenny’s Mark Power are tied for second after four-under 67s, with 2016 champion Jonathan Yates from Naas and North West’s Kyle McCarron posting 68s to share fourth spot.

Dawson started at the 15th and after birdies at the 16th and 18th, he followed a three-putt bogey at the second with a birdie-birdie-eagle run from the third.

He closed out his day in style, hitting a nine iron to 15 feet at the 11th to set up a birdie before chipping to a foot at the par-five 12th.

The leading 64 players after today’s second round qualify for the first round of matchplay tomorrow.

Elsewhere, Kanturk’s Mairead Martin added a level-par 71 to her opening 75 to qualify for the matchplay stages of the Esmond Trophy for the French U-21 Girls’ Championship at Saint-Cloud, Paris.

She finished 24th on four-over 146 to make the top 32 as Killarney’s Valerie Clancy shot 73 and Castlewarden’s Lauren Walsh a 74 to miss out by a shot.

Lurgan’s Annabel Wilson shot 74 to finish on 148 and she now joins Walsh and Clancy in the matchplay stages of the U-18 Cartier Trophy, which she won last year.