American Patrick Adler will face Kildare man Brian Doran in this afternoon’s final of the 122nd South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch.
Adler (21), who is an overseas member of Lahinch but playing out of North Shore Country Club in Chicago, was a 5 and 4 winner over Tramore’s Pat Murray, the 2012 champion.
Millicent’s Doran (28) beat Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill with a great display of clutch putting down the stretch.
Adler, who is entering his senior year at Marquette University in Milwaukee, gave Murray little option as he birdied three of the first four holes and raced four up after six. However, the other semi-final was far tighter.
Doran parred the first six holes to go two up and while Hill levelled the match by the turn, he lost the 12th to a birdie and the 13th to Doran’s hole-out from off the green for eagle at the 13th,
Hill won the 15th with a par four to get back to one down but Doran halved the 16th in par, hitting the pin with his recovery from a bunker.
At the 17th, both men made tremendous par saves.
Hill went long right from the left rough but found one of the tee boxes on the 18th and pitched to six feet, while Doran came up 10 feet short from the run-off long left.
Doran, whose putting has been magnificent all week, made his putt and Hill matched him to take the game to the 18th.
Doran was short in two but Hill hit a sensational 200-yard approach from a sidehill lie in the left rough to the back edge.
Doran pitched to eight feet, and with Hill lagging dead to secure his birdie, Doran made his clutch right to left, breaking putt to progress to the final.