IRISH 1-2 FINISH IN EUROPEAN MEDIA

CHAMPIONSHIP AT CARNOUSTIE

There's something about the Carnoustie championship links that seems to draw the best out of Irish golfers.

Following in the slightly more famous footsteps of compatriot Padraig Harrington last July, it was a Irish 1-2 finish in the shape of photographers Brian Gavin from Limerick and County Wicklow's Matt Browne to the European Golf & Travel Media Association's Carnoustie Country Challenge, sponsored by Visit Scotland, at Carnoustie today.

Brian, who plays off 13 of a handicap, finished with the final day's joint best Stableford points haul of 29 over the long and testing Open championship venue.

That gave him a final total of 97pt – after earlier rounds at Monifieth, Montrose and Carnoustie Burnside (competitors discarded their lowest point score of the first three days – which enabled him to pip overnight leader Matt Browne by one point.

Matt, who plays off 17, signed off with 24 pt, which represented a five-point swing in favour of Gavin

"I drove well and hit a lot of fairways," said new champion Gavin. "And that's important on any course in any tournament but particularly here at Carnoustie where it's a long slog and wayward drives mean you really do have a long second (or third) if you want to hit the green."

Ireland could also claim to have produced the third-place finisher as well. Jo Maes, the Belgian who is the EGTMA supreme, lives and works on the Emerald Isle.

Jo finished with 27pt at Carnoustie for a total of 92.

Linards Lapa from Latvia, which has only two 18 hole and one nine-hole courses and fewer than 300 golfers, will be a hero when he returns home. Playing off 26, he scored 27 point to finished fourth with 86pt to his credit.

The women's title was won by England's Sue Farmer who is lives and works on the Algarve in Portugal. Sue, playing off 20, finished 9pt clear of her rivals with a final points total of 92.

Lia Grooters (Netherlands), a 32-handicapper, came second on 83 with Geraldine Bradley (Northern Ireland) and Cork's Ann Mooney sharing third place on 80pt.

To all the Continental media men and women, it was a dream come true to be playing over the Carnoustie championship links.

FINAL TOTALS

(Stableford points scores in sequence at Monifieth, Montrose, Burnside, Carnoustie Links); lowest of first three scores discarded).

MEN

97 Brian Gavin (Ire) (13) 27 23 41 29.

96 Matt Browne (Ire) (17) 28 36 36 24.

92 Jo Maes (Bel) (8) 30 20 35 27.

86 Linards Lapa (Lat) (26) 26 24 33 27.

84 Louis Roren (Nor) (12) 32 27 26 25.

82 Neil Webber (Eng) (11) 28 13 31 23, Alan Hedley (Eng) (10) 30 32 29 20.

78 Bert Haller (Ger) (15) 29 7 27 22, John Russell (Por) (19) 27 31 27 20.

77 Barry Ward (Eng) (16) 23 23 31 23.

74 Mike Rees (Eng) (13) 26 29 27 18.

71 Geoffrey Farmer (Por) (13) 26 24 21 21.

65 Gerard Karas (Lux) (15) 22 23 22 20.

64 Joao Patricio (Por) (21) 17 10 32 15.

60 Vic Bernstein (Bel) (10) 26 19 17 15.

51 Dennis Shaw (Eng) (16) 24 23 27 -.

47 Emmet Riordan (Ire) (18) 17 17 17 13.

23 Noel Gavin (Ire) (10) - - - 23.

WOMEN

92pt Sue Farmer (Por) (20) 37 27 28 27.

83 Lia Grooters (Net) (32) 25 30 30 23.

80 Geraldine Bradley (NIr) (25) 27 10 35 18, Ann Mooney (Ire) (19) 30 17 33 17.