Kearne’s reward for his 2&1 win is a conflict with 2018 champion Rafferty, who produced some sensational figures in a relentless 5&3 demolition of Grange’s Jake Whelan.
“I used to be two below after 5 and two down,” Whelan sighed afterwards.
Rafferty birdied the second and third to go two-up, then halved the fourth in eagles and the fifth in birdie twos.
“He bogeyed the sixth, however I couldn’t take benefit,” Whelan mentioned.
Rafferty birdied the seventh to go three up, handing over 31 photographs to Whelan’s 34, then claimed the tenth in par to go 4 up.
Whelan minimize the deficit to 3 holes with a successful par on the thirteenth earlier than Rafferty went par-birdie on the 14th and fifteenth to shut out his third successive 5&3 win.
After beating Patrick Curran 5&4 within the first spherical, Rafferty needed to go to the 18th to beat Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill earlier than defeating Sean Desmond, David Kitt and now Whelan by 5&3.
He has performed simply 77 holes within the matchplay to this point, making two eagles, 17 birdies and eight bogeys.
Keane has performed 79 holes and made two eagles, 24 birdies and 12 bogeys or worse and he clearly has the firepower to turn into the primary native Lahinch member to win the title since JD Smyth in 1968.
Pierse Motor Group South of Eire Novice Open Championship, Lahinch
Semi-finals:
Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) bt Jake Whelan (Grange) 5/3
Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) bt Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 2/1.
Closing
Rafferty v Keane (2 pm).
