The Irish Times/Red Bull Final 5 National Finals: John O'Sullivan talks to eventual men's winner Derek Whelan who booked his place at Pinehurst

The new course at Headfort provided a beautifully manicured backdrop to The Irish Times/Red Bull Final 5 men's national final. The Christy O'Connor Jnr designed layout was bathed in sunshine with only a light breeze with which the qualifiers had to contend, albeit over a testing parkland course.

The innovative competition attracted a total of 16,000 entrants taking in the men's and ladies club qualifiers. There were three places available at the Meath venue for the World final to be held at the renowned Pinehurst Golf and Country Club from November 15th-19th. The package for the lucky trio includes flights, accommodation and three rounds of golf against representatives of other European countries and the USA.

The format involved an 18-hole stableford competition for which there was separate prizes but the competition within a competition that all the qualifiers wanted to win was the Red Bull Final 5: basically a strokeplay tournament over the final five holes. The competitors were each given a percentage of their overall handicap that was subtracted from the number of strokes that they took over that five hole stretch.

White knuckles and pallor were evident on the first tee, a testing par four.

Strokesavers were pored over but it was instructive to note the number of players that took on a cavernous bunker on the left side of the fairway. It required a carry of about 220 yards in the air, into the prevailing breeze.

The majority found a sandy grave or worse still a trip into a copse with dense undergrowth.

However it really was a 13-hole preamble to the main event, which started on the 14th tee. This was emphatically illustrated by the eventual winner Derek Whelan, a 13 handicap golfer who plays out of the Killeen course and is also a member at St Helen's Bay.

"I had a real topsy turvy round, starting off with six points on the front nine holes. It was a really diabolical start. After the turn I realised that it was a competition of two halves so decided to focus strongly from the 10th hole onwards. I started to score well."

This fact was illustrated by an impressive tally of 22 points on the back nine.

"I was fortunate that my playing partners were so supportive. I was level par gross on the final five holes. I made birdie on the second par five. I was on in three, leaving myself with a 12 foot birdie putt and just read it well and in it went."

The potential card wrecker was the par three, 17th hole over water that played about 165 yards across the breeze. Taking up a vantage point there for an hour, many a hope was dashed as grips tightened, swings became quicker and landing on terra firma proved beyond all but the most stout hearted.

Whelan smiled: "The nerves, the knees and the heart were all going and my playing partners were the exact same. They all felt that they were playing the shot for me.

"There was a big debate in my mind should I go for a six (iron) and push it (in terms of distance) or go for a soft five (iron): I elected for the latter and ended up pin high and nearly holed the birdie putt."

Water lingered for the tee shot on the 18th hole.

Whelan, who owns Harold Engineering in Harold's Cross admitted: "I was very nervous and just wanted to make sure the drive went over the water. I had a good look at the strokesaver to see where safe ground was and aimed for the left-hand bunker and (it) went even further left.

"My second shot was a seven wood that finished about 20 yards short of the green, pitched on and missed the par putt. I was happy with the way I played the holes but you're never sure what will be required when you're out there.I'm absolutely thrilled."

He's not stranger to success having won a monthly medal in April at St Helen's Bay and also the Lisbon Amateur Pay and Play competition amongst other competitions.

He will be joined on the plane to Pinehurst by Dungannon 22-handicapper Marc Clements and Ian Blake who plays off a 14 handicap out of The Island Golf club.