Laytown & Bettystown boost for East winner
DUNDALK’S Caolan Rafferty will get another chance to show his class on the world stage later this month when he leads a six-man GUI squad in the Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links from June 18-23.
Rafferty exploded onto the international scene last year, firing a 10-under par 62 at Prince’s to win the silver medal awarded to the leading qualifier.
He lost at the 25th in the third round to Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti but after challenging for the East of Ireland title on Monday, finishing tied third behind South Africa’s Christo Lamprecht, he will have hopes for the Amateur Championship’s first visit to Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links.
Mallow’s James Sugrue, SOUTH Africa’s Christo Lamprecht made history on Monday when he became the youngest winner – and the first from overseas – of the prestigious East of Ireland title at County Louth.
The 17-year old admitted in his interview afterwards that playing the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at Royal County Down and getting links golf practice at such courses as Ardglass, Royal Dublin, Portmarnock and The European Club was crucial to his success.
But in the excitement of his victory, he forgot to mention he had also played a course with close links to Baltray just a few days earlier – Laytown and Bettystown.
The 109-year old club on the south side of the Boyne in Co Meath gave Irish golf such famous champions as Des Smyth and Declan Branigan, not to mention the Wickham sisters, Carol and Phil.
But it was also where the Scottish golf pioneer Thomas Gilroy built his first links before crossing the river in search of more expansive terrain.
The result of his adventure north was County Louth Golf Club but that didn’t stop Lamprecht and fellow South Africans Clayton Mansfield, Therion Nel and Jayden Schaper heading south to enjoy a friendly match with four members of Laytown and Bettystown’s Senior Cup team last week.
The clash with Alex Maguire, David Foy, Cian Geraghty and Aaron Stack ended in a tie, which bodes well for the Co Meath club’s AIG Senior Cup hopes.
On bumping into some Laytown and members after his win at Baltray, Lamprecht made a point of thanking them for their part in helping him win the “East”.