Irish eyes still smiling as Dunbar

wins St Andrews Links Trophy

FROM THE SCOTSMAN.SPORT.COM WEBSITE
By NICK RODGER
(with some additional words by Colin Farquharson)
Ulsterman Alan Dunbar continued the remarkable run of success for Irish amateur golf when he won the St Andrews Links Trophy over the Old course this evening.
The 19-year-old from the Rathmore club, Portrush, originally a reserve for the event and making his first appearance at the Home of Golf, strung together closing-day rounds of 71 (32-39) and 70 (35-35) for a two-under aggregate of 285 and a one-shot win over Kent's Matt Haines, who also had a 70 for 286.
Dunbar's triumph comes just three weeks after his former international team-mate Shane Lowry won the European Tour's Irish Open and Niall Kearney claimed the prestigious Brabazon Trophy.
"I don't know what it is about Irish golf at the minute, but we're on some roll," said GB&I Walker Cup provisional squad member Dunbar, who was part of the Ireland side that won last year's Home Internationals at Muirfield.
"I'd never played at St Andrews before and just got the call last Monday to say I was in the field. It's a big event at an unbelievable place and to win is huge for me, especially in a Walker Cup year."
For a long spell on the final afternoon it looked like it would be a straight battle for the title between Welshman Rhys Enoch and Motherwell's Paul O'Hara after they reached the five-under and four-under mark respectively after nine holes.
At that point, Dunbar was four off the pace, but the tournament turned dramatically on the closing stretch as the leaders stumbled. Enoch spilled shots at 11, 12, 13, 15 and 17 in a 74 for 287 to slip to third, while halfway front-runner O'Hara three-putted 11, four-putted 12 and smacked his drive out of bounds at the infamous Road Hole 17th on his way to a 75 and a share of fourth on 288 with England's Luke Goddard and Australian Daniel Nisbet
Dunbar took full advantage, covering his inward half in one-under-par to edge to a narrow victory. "The 12th and 13th was where the damage was done," lamented O'Hara, whose older brother Steven won the Links Trophy in 2001. "I was going well up until then and felt I could've won it."
Dunbar, pictured above with trophy by courtesy of John Stewart, St Andrews Links Trust staff, finished strongly to be first past the winning post. He came to the front with late birdies at the 14th, 16th and 18th - bogey at the Road Hole 17th - for 35 home.
Dunbar, who has been helped by Ryder Cup player and fellow Ulsterman Darren Clarke over the last couple of seasons, had 10 birdies over the four rounds but the vital, almost trophy-winning hole for him, was the par-4 third in an outward half of 32 of his third round. He achieved an eagle 2 there - and that made the difference between him and runner-up Matt Haines in the final analysis.
Haines signed off with 73 and 70 for 286.
Haines came home in 33 at the last time of asking, birdieing the 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th - bogeying the Road Hole 17th, to pip Rhys Enoch, a student at East Tennessee State University, for second place. Enoch's brother Ben was tragically killed in a car crash on his way to the Lytham Trophy a few weeks ago.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 287 (1x71, 3x72)
285 Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) 71 73 71 70.
286 Matt Haines (Rochester & Cobham Park) 71 72 73 70.
287 Rhys Enoch (Truro) 71 71 71 74.
288 Luke Goddard (Hendon) 71 75 69 73, Daniel Nisbet (Australia) 74 71 72 71, Paul O'Hara (Colville Park) 68 72 73 75.
289 David Coupland (Boston) 71 74 74 70.
290 Tommy Fleetwood (Formby Hall) 71 77 71 71, Nigel Edwards (Whitchurch) 69 78 73 70, Matthew Nixon (Ashton under Lyme) 73 70 73 74.
292 James Frazer (Pennard) 73 75 69 75, Matteo Manassero (Italy) 68 80 72 72.
293 Miles Mackman (Broome Manor) 72 77 73 71.
295 James Robinson (Southport & Ainsdale) 76 73 75 71, Steven McEwan (Caprington) 76 72 71 76, William Wilcox (US) 73 75 76 71, Pontus Gad (Sweden) 73 75 74 73, Alexander Levy (France) 73 74 74 74, Ross Kellett (Colville Park) 67 77 76 75.
296 Anders Kristiansen (Norway) 74 75 72 75, Wallace Booth (Comrie) 72 76 69 79, Sam Hutsby (Liphook) 71 76 74 75, Ben Westgate (Trevose) 72 75 74 75, Derik Ferreira (South Africa) 72 75 75 74.
297 Jason Barnes (Chart Hills) 71 77 75 74, Mike McCoy (US) 68 79 73 77, Gregory O'Mahony (US) 74 72 78 73, Oliver Farr (Ludlow) 74 72 73 78.
298 Michael Stewart (Troon Welbeck) 73 76 73 76, Adam Runcie (Abergele) 72 76 73 77, Jurrian van der Vaart (Netherlands) 74 74 72 78, Joe Vickery (Newport) 72 75 75 76.
299 Alexandre Kaleka (France) 72 74 75 78.
300 James White (Lundin) 74 75 76 75, Joel Stalter (France) 71 76 78 75.
301 Tom Lewis (Welwyn Garden City) 70 79 75 77.
302 Jack Senior (Heysham) 75 74 73 80.
303 Stuart Phillips (Royston) 70 78 79 76, Sam Matton (Bowood) 71 78 84 80.
304 Jamie Howie (Royal St David's) 73 76 77 78.
308 James Field jun (US) 70 79 81 78.

Withdrew - Jason Palmer (Kirby Muxloe) 69 77 76 w/d