South of Ireland Championship: How do you fathom what Simon Ward has done this season? From nowhere, it seems, the 19-year-old from Carrickmacross, who plays out of the famed links at Co Louth, has appeared on the scene to leave an indelible imprint on the amateur game.

Yesterday he made up for losing in the final of the Irish Close to impressively claim the 105th South of Ireland championship over the Old Course.

In a superbly entertaining final between two of the most in-form players around, Ward earned his first "major" with a 2 and 1 win over Dunmurry's Darren Crowe, who only a fortnight earlier had claimed his maiden championship win in the North.

Here, Ward's refreshing mien - with his bright-orange shirt, pinstripe trousers and clubhead belt-buckle to go with an engaging smile - showed a ruthless streak when it came to the art of getting the ball into the hole.

Earlier in the day, Ward had booked his place in the final with a 2 and 1 win over Limerick's Pat Murray, while Crowe was victorious by a similar margin over another Limerickman, Michael O'Kelly.

It set the scene for a final showdown between players who have enjoyed hugely satisfying seasons, and neither disappointed.

The final swung one way and then the other, as Crowe ultimately suffered defeat in the South for a second successive year.

Ward's first sight of the Old Course links was on Saturday when, unable to get a practice time until the evening, the teenager decided to take in a spot of sightseeing at the Cliffs of Moher. Taking the drive out the Liscannor road, and peering in over the stone walls, Ward immediately fell in love with the course.

"I saw the rolling hillocks, the magnificent greens. Everything just looked to be in place and I got a good feeling, good vibes, about the championship," he remarked.

As all golfers know, it is important to be comfortable in your environment. Ward, despite only playing the course for the first time in this championship, felt at home on the links, where creative shots are an important part of the game.

Normally, the short game and putting are the strong points of his game, but here his long game too fell into place.

"I don't know what it is, but it seems that the tougher the course, the better I play," said Ward, who had reached the Irish Close final in June, only to lose to Rory McIlroy.

This time there was to be no defeat. Crowe got off to a flying start, winning the first two holes. On the second, he rolled in a 50-footer from off-the-green for an eagle, the putt never being destined for anywhere other than the bottom of the hole.

Unfazed, however, Ward was back on level terms after winning the fourth, in birdie, and the fifth, in par. The game was well and truly on.

Ward edged ahead on the seventh, where Crowe's approach was pushed right onto a cart path alongside a sand hill and his recovery shot ran into a greenside bunker, from where he failed to save par.

But a conceded birdie on the short eighth, when Ward was in a greenside bunker, left the pair all-square again.

On the homeward run, Ward gained an initiative he was never to lose. On the 10th, Crowe was short and left of the green, from where he failed to get up and down. Ward one up.

On the 12th, Crowe rescued a half by holing a 35-footer for par; and the 25-year-old Belfastman looked set to square matters on the 13th, a par four of 279 yards, which he reached with his drive.

However, Ward boldly rolled in a 15-footer for birdie to share the hole.

"I knew I had to hole that," he observed later.

The importance of the putt was to be shown on the 14th, where Ward went two up after Crowe's tee-shot found a fairway bunker.

But the most decisive shot of all came on the 15th, a tough par four of 466 yards.

Having (again) found the fairway off the tee, Ward was faced with a 205-yard approach to the elevated green.

His three-iron shot was superbly struck, rolling to 10 feet behind the flag; and he duly rolled in the birdie putt to be three up.

Although Crowe won the short 16th, Ward closed out the match on the 17th, halving the hole in par, for a much merited win.

SEMI-FINALS: D Crowe (Dunmurry) bt M O'Kelly (Limerick) 2 and 1; S Ward (Co Louth) bt P Murray (Limerick) 2 and 1. Final: Crowe lost to Ward 2 and 1.