Howard focusing on the title not the blazer after making last 16 at Lahinch
Ranked second in the Order of Merit with the top two automatically selected tomorrow night for next month's matches at Woodhall Spa, he beat Palmerstown House's Ross McCormack 2&1 before seeing off Charleville's Jordan Boles 6&5 to set up a last 16 clash with Irish Close champion Thomas Abom from Edmonstown.
It was an intense 24 hours for the reigning East of Ireland champion, who had to dig deep just to make the cut and keep his hopes of an international cap alive.
But having played his last six holes on Thursday in five-under to qualify, he continued his excellent play in a light westerly breeze yesterday, making five birdies in the morning and another four in the afternoon.
'It's a long day, long week, and I have a few things hanging over me.' said Howard, who has decided not to worry about the mathematics of who might overtake him in the Order of Merit and focus instead on winning the championship.
'I need to say second to the guaranteed a pick for the Homes but while I try to not think about and play my golf, obviously it's in the back of my mind.'
West of Ireland champion Dylan Holmes, who beat Keith Egan and Niall Hearns to make the last 16 and set up a meeting with Donegal man Ryan Griffin, could overtake Howard if he wins the title.
But Howard is focusing on his battle on the opposite side of the draw, where Galway veteran Joe Lyons faces Lahinch's Jonathan Keane and Conor Stapleton from Westport faces Paul O'Hanlon, a 19th hole winner over 2023 champion Colm Campbell.
'If I win this week, no one else can get in the way,' said Howard, who feels his putting is coming together after some recent work with Kevin Morris at Fota Island.
He faces a tough task against Thomas Abom, who chipped in for birdie at the 18th to take Tralee's Mark Gazi into extra holes before two-putting for a winning birdie from long range at the 20th.
The winner will face Roganstown's Mark Cadden or Abom's brother Liam, who beat Galgorm Castle's Josh Hill one up.
Cadden held off a back nine comeback from veteran Pat Murray to win his morning match one up before ousting former Irish Close champion Quentin Carew 2&1 in the afternoon.
At the top of the draw, leading qualifier Dylan Keating fell in round one to Monkstown's Sean Desmond, who was the last man to qualify, and went on to beat East Clare's Eoin Magill.
He now takes on 2019 winner and former Walker Cup star Caolan Rafferty, who came back from three down with five to play to edge out Berehaven's Joe O'Neill on the 18th.
The Dundalk man won the 14th, 15th and 17th to level the match before O'Neill hit his approach too close to the wall at the 18th to make a full backswing and conceded after twice failing to get on the green.
'It was just a rough spin in for Joe,' Rafferty said. 'I just kept hitting fairways and greens and what happened on 18, it's not nice when something like that happens to a nice guy like Joe.'
The winner of Desmond-Rafferty will take on Galgorm's Jordan Hood, who beat the combative Douglas man Barry O'Connell one up, or the steady Athenry grinder David Kitt.
Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch First rd:
S Desmond (Monkstown) bt D Keating (Seapoint) 1 up
E Magill (East Clare) bt B Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 2/1
C Rafferty (Dundalk) bt P Curran (Edmondstown) 5/4
J O'Neill (Berehaven) bt J Butler (Naas) 3/1
B O'Connell (Douglas) bt A Buchanan (Royal Portrush) 1 up
J Hood (Galgorm Castle) bt C Clarke (Balmoral) 2/1
D Kitt (Athenry) bt R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 5/3
C Cooley (Belvoir Park) bt D Reddan (Castleknock) 1 up
R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) bt R Latimer (Knock) 3/2 A McCormack (Castletroy) bt E O'Carroll (St Annes) 6/5
D Holmes (Greystones) bt K Egan (Carton House) 3/2
N Hearns (Mountrath) bt J Foley (Elm Park) 2/1
L O'Neill (Connemara) bt S Downes (Royal Dublin) 23rd
F Dobbin (Malone) bt E Sullivan (Portmarnock) 3/2
J Whelan (Grange) bt J Rackard (Bunclody) 3/2
A Smith (Mullingar) bt D Lally (Blainroe) ) 5/4
J Lyons (Galway) bt C Hickey (Dooks) 5/3
B Cahill (Dundalk) bt S Barry (Fota Island) 1 up
S Loftus (Lahinch) bt J Maginn (Mourne) 19th
J Keane (Lahinch) bt G O'Neill (Malahide) 4/3
C Stapleton (Westport) bt T Scroope (Nenagh) 3/2
G Donohoe (Enniscorthy) bt R Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) 2 up
P O'Hanlon (Carton House) bt J Walsh (Douglas) 6/5
C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt K Bornemann (Douglas) 3/2
T Abom (Edmondstown) bt M Gazi (Tralee) 20th
J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) bt C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 4/2
J Boles (Charleville) bt D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 6/5
D Howard (Fota Island) bt R McCormack (Palmerstown House) 2/1
L Abom (Edmondstown) bt D O'Sullivan (Tralee) 3/1
J Hill (Galgorm Castle) bt TJ Ford (Co Sligo) 21st
Q Carew (Castleknock) bt B Howlin (The Heritage) 19th
M Cadden (Roganstown) bt P Murray (Adare Manor) 1 up.
Second rd:
Desmond bt Magill 1 up
Rafferty bt O'Neill 1 up
Hood bt O'Connell 1 up
Kitt bt Cooley 3/2
Griffin bt McCormack 1 up
Holmes bt Hearns 5/3
O'Neill bt F Dobbin 5/3
Whelan bt Smith 5/4
Lyons bt Cahill 6/5
Keane bt Loftus 3/2
Stapleton bt Donohoe 1 up O'Hanlon bt Campbell 19th
T Abom bt Sutherland 2/1
Howard bt Boles 6/5
L Abom bt Hill 1 up
Cadden bt Carew 2/1.
Today - Third rd.:
8:00 Desmond v Rafferty
8:12 Hood v Kitt
8:24 Griffin v Holmes
8:36 O'Neill v Whelan
8:48 Lyons v Keane
9:00 Stapleton v O'Hanlon
9:12 T Abom v Howard
9:24 L Abom v Cadden.
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