IRISH AMATEUR CLOSE CHAMPIONSHIP:PAUL O'HANLON became a heavyweight at Belvoir Park yesterday as he stormed from behind in two games to win the Golfsure Irish Amateur Championship and soar to the top of the Order of Merit.
In a superb final, the Curragh 23-year-old defeated Dara Lernihan (21) from the Castle at the second tie-hole after overcoming Andrew McCormick (Scrabo) on the final green in the semi-finals.
Lernihan had beaten Cian Curley (Newlands) by 4 and 2 in the other semi.
"It is something of a blur just now but I felt pretty good about my chances this week. I putted very well and I really enjoyed this course. It's the fist time I have been to Belvoir Park," said O'Hanlon.
The first three holes were swapped with Lernihan one up and he went two holes ahead when O'Hanlon conceded the fifth after being over the green. The loser turned three holes ahead after chipping and putting for birdie four but bunker trouble cost him the short 11th as he dropped back to two up. There was only one hole in the match after 13 where Lernihan suffered bogey five but the Castle plus-three man recovered the lost ground by making birdie two at the 14th from 12 feet.
A missed four-footer for birdie prevented Lernihan from shooting three ahead again at the short 16th and he lost the next to a 12-foot O'Hanlon birdie putt. Still, the loser had a chance at the last after playing a wonderful bunker shot to four feet but, again, missed the putt for the hole to be halved in fours.
O'Hanlon was down the middle at the second tie-hole with his opponent to the left from where he had to chip out 100 yards short of the green with his third approach 15 feet from the flag. O'Hanlon was on in two and got down in two stabs while Lernihan missed his 15-footer to end the battle.
The 20 holes action lasted just three hours and 20 minutes.
"I'll have to go and see how Dara is as I really feel very sorry for him. I just snatched the title from him. I have been pretty good at sticking in down the stretch and I had to do that twice today," reflected O'Hanlon who had entered for the British Amateur next week but will pull out now.
However, O'Hanlon who, like Lernihan, plays off a plus-three handicap, will play in both the North and South Championships and will, of course, retain his place in the Irish team later in the season.
In the morning semi-finals it looked early on as if McCormick was heading for his first national final as he led by four holes after eight but around the loop things went sour for the big Scrabo man with O'Hanlon winning seven of the remaining 10 holes.
In the other match, Lernihan was three up on Curley after eight and also 12, then won the 13th with bogey five. He lost the 15th to birdie four but the match ended at 16 as Curley conceded that hole after hooking his drive and taking three off the tee.
