GRAEME ROBERTSON PIPPED IN THREEMAN IRISH PLAY-OFF

Graeme Robertson was beaten in a three-man play-off for the Irish men's open amateur stroke-play championship at Royal Dublin Golf Club today (Sunday).
The Glenbervie man, pictured, did very well to tie with two Irishmen, title-holder Gavin Moynihan and Robbie Cannon, on 295 after the regulation 72 holes, considering that he had a nightmare second round of 81.
He strung together rounds of 72 and 73 to get into the play-off.
Moynihan (The Island GC)  was eliminated at the end of a three-hole aggregate play-off. At the first sudden-death hole, Robertson was bunkered in two and could not hole a par-saving putt. Victory and the title went to Cannon, a Balbriggan Golf Club member, with a par.
Ironically, although technically he finished second to Cannon, Robertson later received THIRD prize. The officials explained that the play-off was to decide who was the champion. Thereafter the placings were decided on a card countback for those tie-ing and Moynihan's 73 bettered Robertson's 73 on a comparison of the inward half figures.
Young Ewan Scott continued his good form of this year by finishing joint fourth on 296.
So Graeme Robertson failed gallantly to follow in the footsteps of Scots who have won this title, such as Richie Ramsay and Lloyd Saltman, to name but two, but in a Walker Cup team selection year, it was a performance that will stand him in good stead.
 

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72)

295 Graeme Robertson (Glenbervie) 69 81 73 73, Gavin Moynihan (Ire) 76 73 73 73, Robbie Cannon (Ire) 70 75 75 75.  Cannon bt Robertson at first sudden-death play-off hole after they had tied at the end of a three-hole aggregate play-off. Moynihan was eliminated at the end of the three-hole stage.

296 Ewan Scott (St Andrews) 75 76 72 73, Dermot McElroy (Ire) 76 73 75 72, Teemu Bakker (Fin) 75 77 71 73, Richard O'Donovan (Ire) 76 73 73 74, Geoff Lenehan (Ire) 76 73 72 75, Jack Hume (Ire) 71 74 74 77.

OTHER SCOTS' TOTALS

300 Scott Borrowman (Dollar) 78 71 76 75, Sam Binning (Ranfurly Castle) 74 76 73 77 (T18).

304 Jack McDonald (Kilmarnock Barassie) 72 80 76 76, Connor O'Neil (Pollok) 72 73 79 80 (T29).

MISSED THE CUT

155 Fraser McKenna (Balmore) 80 75, Gordon Stevenson (Whitecraigs) 77 78, Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) 74 81.

156 Alexander Culverwell (Dunbar) 79 77, Matthew Clark (Kilmacolm) 79 79, Neil Henderson (Renaissance) 75 81.

157 James Hendrick (Pollok) 77 80, Ross Bell (Downfield) 80 77.

158 Jamie Savage (Cawder) 75 83.

159 James White (Lundin) 77 82

160 James Ross (Royal Burgess) 81 79.

161 Malcolm Pennycott (Isle of Arran) 83 78.

FROM THE IRISH GOLF UNION WEBSITE

Balbriggan’s Robbie Cannon has won the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Royal Dublin in dramatic fashion after a four hole playoff that went to sudden death.

With defending champion Gavin Moynihan (The Island), Graeme Robertson (Scotland) and the 34 year old fitness coach Cannon all tied on seven-over par after regulation play concluded, a three hole aggregate playoff ensued and with Moynihan being eliminated after the first three holes, it was left to Cannon and Robertson to go back to the final tee box again for sudden death.
For details of the play-off and detailed scores: http://gui.intelligentgolf.ie/competition.php?compid=3030

Both players found the fairway with their irons off the tee, Cannon leaving himself 204 yards to the flag. He hit a sublime five iron to thirty foot while Robertson, who had 35 yards less found the lip of the right hand greenside bunker and the ball nestled right in the centre of the trap.

Despite a valiant shot to twelve foot, the Scot left himself with too much work to do and when Cannon left his birdie effort just 18 inches from the hole, Robertson had a must make putt which he missed and Cannon holed out to become the third Ireland player in four years to win the coveted trophy.

Moynihan, last year’s champion, finished as runner-up on a count-back, while Robertson, who had a hole in one at the twelfth in round one, ended up in third.

Ireland’s Dermot McElroy, Richard O’Donovan and Geoff Lenehan all finished in a tie for fourth on eight-over par, alongside Finland’s Teemu Bekker and Ewan Scott from Scotland.

Also on that mark was Jack Hume, the runner up at Lytham last week, held a two shot lead with two holes to play and having made bogey on the penultimate hole, he needed a par to win on the last.

Having found sand from the tee, he blasted out to the fairway and still had 200 yards to the flag. A wayward shot left of the green meant that the Rathsallagh member from Naas had to get up and down from left of the green to make the play-off. A mishit chip shot and a missed putt ended Hume’s hopes of making the play-off and he finished on eight-over also.

Rory McNamara and Colm Campbell rounded off the top ten on nine-over par.

 

FINAL TOTALS

Par 288 (4x72) 

295 R Cannon (Balbriggan) 70 75 75 75 (after play-off); G Moynihan (The Island) 76 73 73 73; G Robertson (Scotland) 69 81 72 73

296 D McElroy (Ballymena) 76 73 75 72, R O'Donovan (Lucan) 76 73 73 74, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 76 73 72 75, T Bakker (Finland) 75 77 71 73, E Scott (Scotland) 75 76 72 73, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 71 74 74 77

297 R McNamara (Headfort) 73 74 75 75, C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 72 76 73 76

298 R Dawson (Faithlegg) 72 75 74 77, J Rutherford (England) 71 75 78 74

299 N Kimsey (England) 76 75 73 75, M Kippen (England) 72 75 73 79, P Murray (Limerick) 71 78 73 77

300 S Borrowman (Scotland) 78 71 76 75, C Geraghty (Laytown and Bettystown) 76 75 73 76, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 76 73 75 76, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 75 77 77 71, T McLarnon (Massereene) 74 77 75 74, S Binning (Scotland) 74 76 73 77, R Bridges (Stackstown) 73 79 75 73

301 R Arnorsson (Iceland) 76 76 73 76

302 C Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 77 77 76, S Healy (Claremorris) 71 78 76 77, A Kearney (Castlerock) 70 75 78 79

303 J Fox (Portmarnock) 71 78 75 79

304 M Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 75 73 78 78, J McDonald (Scotland) 72 80 76 76, C O'Neill (Scotland) 72 73 79 80, N Grant (Knock) 71 81 75 77

305 J Greene (Carlow) 76 76 74 79, S O'Hara (Co. Sligo) 74 76 73 82

307 W Jones (Wales) 75 77 79 76

308 D O'Donovan (Muskerry) 79 72 78 79, S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 79 72 75 82, R Connolly (Rathsallagh) 75 77 74 82, P McBride (The Island) 74 76 81 77

309 K Le Blanc (The Island) 73 76 80 80

312 S Moran (Carton House) 73 79 80 80

317 J Shufflebotham (Wales) 77 75 81 84, G McGrane (The Royal Dublin) 76 76 83 82