As the wind whipped across the Dollymount strand, Gavin Moynihan stood tall and true, a champion astride Royal Dublin once more.
Second
time around, winning the Irish Amateur Open Championship was a sweeter
success for the 20-year-old. In 2012 he came from the blind side to
become the youngest ever champion. This time he led from the front.
"The
first time I was just trying to make the cut. I wasn't even thinking
about winning. This is definitely better, the last one was tougher to
win but this felt tougher," said Moynihan, who finished with five
straight pars to sign for a 74 that gave him a three shot win on four
under.
Level with clubmate Kevin LeBlanc at the
start of play, Moynihan began birdie-birdie to edge ahead. LeBlanc kept
in touch until the seventh when a bogey put him two behind but it was
to and fro throughout a fascinating finale. Both players faltered as the
wind got over 25mph -- at one stage Moynihan had to back off a putt as
gusts of up to 40mph swept across the links.
Moynihan
dropped three shots in four holes at the start of his back nine and had
to hole a 10-footer for bogey on the 10th. LeBlanc failed to
capitalise, his putter going cold for the first time this week.
"If
I held a few putts today it would have been the difference," said the
17-year-old, who had good looks at birdie on 14 and 17 but couldn't
convert. As Moynihan played smart, pars were enough to keep his closest
challenger at bay. No one had emerged from the chasing pack either so he
headed to 18 knowing a four would suffice.
"I
told my caddy if he's (LeBlanc) not on the green, I'm winging it left, I
don't care," said Moynihan, who was safely in the fairway with a
three-wood while LeBlanc found rough on the right. His approach came up
short so Moynihan played left of the green, leaving himself a 67-yard
pitch for his third. While LeBlanc closed with a double bogey, a
three-putt from close range dropped him into a tie for third, Moynihan
coolly rolled in his par putt.
"I think it is a
bit more special," Moynihan said of his second Irish Amateur Open
victory. "I couldn't wait to get back here the start of the year. It was
in my mind the whole year. I've played here four times, missed the cut
once, won twice and lost in a playoff."
With
this victory, Moynihan is a certainty for September's Walker Cup and it
gives him a licence to thrill for the rest of the summer. His next
chance comes at the end of May when he tees it up alongside the
professionals at the Irish Open in Royal Co Down. And he's predicting
big things for LeBlanc.
"Kevin is going to win this, definitely, it suits him. He's playing way ahead of his years. Nothing fazes him," said Moynihan.
LeBlanc, who turned 17 last Wednesday, had plenty of positives to reflect upon.
"I played good all the week, I did everything I wanted to do," he said. "I'll learn a lot."
Apart
from Moynihan, the biggest winner of the week was Cormac Sharvin. The
rising star from Ardglass birdied the 18th to sneak into second place,
which gives his Walker Cup credentials a huge boost.
"It doesn't do my Walker Cup selection any harm," said Sharvin, who birdied three of his last six holes to finish at one under.
"I
got off to a slow start. I was three over through 11 so didn't have
much going. The front nine was there to be taken, straight downwind. You
needed to be two or three under and then hold onto it on the back nine.
I did it in reverse which is nice I suppose."
Royal
Dublin's Jeff Hopkins and Dundalk's Caolaon Rafferty both carded 69s,
the best rounds on the final day. Hopkins finished in a tie for fifth at
one over alongside Jonathan Yates (Naas), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)
and Stuart Grehan (Tullamore). Rafferty climbed into a share of 15th on
four over. Co Louth teenager Thomas Mulligan finished in a tie for 11th
on his championship debut. The 16-year-old carded a 75 to end the week
at two over.
Tonight Gavin Moynihan is the king of Royal Dublin once more.
Photos: Top and middle, Gavin Moynihan. Bottom, Kevin LeBlanc. Photos by Casman Photography
CSS: Rd 1 = 75; Rd 2 = 76; Rd 3 = 75; Rd 4 = 76
284: Gavin Moynihan (The Island) 69 76 65 74
287: Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass) 72 71 72 72
288: Ewen Ferguson (Scotland) 76 70 71 71, Kevin LeBlanc (The Island) 71 71 68 78
289:
Marco Iten (Switzerland) 72 76 71 70, Stuart Grehan (Tullamore/MU) 72
74 72 71, Jonathan Yates (Naas) 72 71 71 75, Jeff Hopkins (The Royal
Dublin) 70 76 74 69, Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) 70 76 71 72, Evan
Griffith (Wales) 69 72 75 73
290: Jack McDonald (Scotland) 72 75 69 74, Thomas Mulligan (Co. Louth) 69 75 71 75
291: Greig Marchbank (Scotland) 72 77 72 70, Marco Penge (England) 71 73 73 74
292:
Aaron Grant (Dundalk) 75 72 70 75, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 74 76 73
69, Tom Gandy (Isle of Man) 71 72 72 77, Lukas Lipold (Austria) 70 73 73
76, Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) 69 77 70 76
293: James
Allan (England) 74 72 73 74, Rowan Lester (Hermitage) 72 73 70 78, Gary
Collins (Rosslare) 70 77 71 75, Jack Hume (Naas) 69 70 78 76
294: Stuart Bleakley (Shandon Park) 74 74 73 73
295: Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 78 68 73 76, Gary Hurley (West Waterford/MU) 71 76 72 76
296: Richard Bridges (Stackstown) 73 77 71 75, Tomas Bessa (Portugal) 72 72 76 76
297:
Michele Cea (Italy) 78 76 68 75, Axel Boasson (Iceland) 77 70 75 75,
Shaun Carter (The Royal Dublin) 73 77 71 76, Christian Braeunig
(Germany) 72 75 76 74, Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) 71 74 76 76, Craig
Ross (Scotland) 71 72 73 81
298: Nicholas Poppleton (England)
77 72 71 78, Damon Coulson (England) 75 72 75 76, Barry Anderson (The
Royal Dublin) 74 72 76 76, Luke Trocado (South Africa) 69 79 73 77,
Richard James (Wales) 69 74 71 84
299: Declan Loftus (Castlebar/MU) 77 72 74 76, Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little.) 75 77 71 76
300: Jake Whelan (Newlands/MU) 76 72 69 83
301: Alex Gleeson (Castle) 76 73 74 78, Conor O'Rourke (Naas) 73 75 74 79
302: Sean Flanagan (Co. Sligo/MU) 76 71 75 80, Tim Harry (Wales) 71 74 77 80
303: Matthew Jordan (England) 74 75 74 80
306: Eugene Smith (Ardee) 77 74 71 84
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