GOLF: In Essensce the North West of Ireland Open approximated a survival of the fittest, mentally and physically, a four-day endurance test in which American-born Swede, Adam Mednick, prevailed. The Glashedy links at Ballyliffin was assailed by gales and rain on two days, the other two rounds played with blue skies and soft sea breezes.
Mednick was a deserving champion, not least in finishing the tournament on seven under par, five shots clear of Costantino Rocca and Andrew Coltart. The leading Irishman was Philip Walton, tied sixth on level par.
On Saturday, the competitors were twice taken from the course due to gale-force winds. The delays meant that 29 players had to finish their rounds yesterday morning and at that juncture the Italian, Massimo Florioli, was one ahead of Mednick and two clear of Rocca.
Florioli buckled to a 76 while Mednick produced six birdies en route to a four-under-par 68. It wasn't the low score of the day - that honour fell to Coltart (67), the Scot having shot a course record 66 on Friday - but it was easily enough to eclipse the challenge mustered by his rivals.
The 35-year-old Swede had five previous victories on the European Challenge Tour but since managing to regain his tour card at the Qualifying School last season for the fourth time in 12 years, he has improved considerably, epitomised in last week's tied 16th finish at the Welsh Open.
Now he has a victory to celebrate and the attendant benefits of a year's exemption on the European Tour proper and breaking into the top 120 on the Volvo Order of Merit.
He was understandably pleased with his success. "It has been a fantastic week. When I first came here and drove up the driveway, I said this place looks fantastic. Ballyliffin is right up there with the best of them. I love links courses. We don't play enough of that type of golf.
"This means the world to me. I am right on the borderline for not getting into tournaments in the future and I haven't had many starts this year so this win allows me to play this season and next exactly as I want. I will travel to Glasgow tonight and just get ready for the Scottish PGA Championship."
Coltart once again produced a high quality round but for Rocca, a bogey on the last denied him second place on his own. A former winner of the tournament, the Italian will also rue a moment of petulance on the last hole following a wild drive that provided a painful experience for playing partner Jean Francois Lucquin.
Annoyed, Rocca swished angrily with his driver and in doing so caught the Frenchman on the foot. Mortified, he was immediately contrite, and Lucquin was able to complete the final hole.
For Walton, it was a mixture of satisfaction and regret, the latter a reference to his bogeys on 10, 11 and 12 that took him from two under and two shots off the pace to one over.
"It was down to those three holes," he said. He three putted the 11th and 12th, on which hole he was unlucky. "It was a tough week but I am very happy with my game. This is a great golf course, an absolute gem, and if you don't concentrate it can hurt you quickly and severely.
"I am 99 per cent sure of getting an invite into the Scottish PGA Championship next week."
The next best placed Irishman was Dunfanaghy's Ciaran McMonagle, a late invitee, who made the most of his chances, finishing tied 19th. Damien McGrane (tied 30th), John Dwyer (tied 45th), Francis Howley (tied 45th), Michael Hoey (tied 52nd) and Gary Murphy (tied 79th) completed the home representation over the weekend.
FINAL TOTALS
(Irish in bold, Brit unless stated): 281 - A Mednick (Swe) 76 68 69 68 (€37,191).
286 - A Coltart 76 66 77 67, C Rocca (Ita) 71 69 74 72 (€19,380 each)
287 - A Forsbrand (Swe) 71 73 75 68, JF Lucquin (Fra) 75 67 74 71 (€10,310 each)
288 - A Crawford (Aus) 77 68 75 68, Philip Walton (Ireland) 75 70 71 72, M Florioli (Italy) 71 70 71 76 (€6,694 each)
290 - J Rask (Swe) 75 72 75 68
292 - M Reale (Ita) 78 68 73 73 293 - P Broadhurst 76 72 74 71, T Moore (SA) 73 74 75 71, D Park 75 72 77 69, M Sanders 72 72 79 70, J M Arruti (Spa) 71 72 78 72, A Hogh (Den) 71 72 79 71
294 - A Oldcorn 77 69 75 73, P Nyman (Swe) 76 69 80 69
296 - Di De Vooght (Bel) 78 69 80 69, Ciaran McMonagle (Ireland) 74 72 80 70, N Colsaerts (Bel) 75 71 78 72, I Pyman 76 70 78 72, P Magnebrant (Swe) 72 73 78 73
297 - A Renard (Den) 77 71 80 69, E Little 74 73 77 73
298 - H Walters (SA) 77 74 78 69, R Gustave (St Lucia) 79 71 76 72, M Archer 78 71 82 67, J Kingston (SA) 77 70 76 75. 299 - V Phillips 83 68 78 70, M Nilsson (Swe) 80 70 79 70, I Hutchings (Rsa) 78 72 76 73, S Bebb 78 72 81 68, O Bergman (Swe) 80 70 78 71, M Bernardini (Ita) 76 71 78 74, Damien McGrane 72 73 80 74
300 - K Svensson (Swe) 76 73 81 70, S Khan 74 72 83 71 301 - G Baruffaldi (Ita) 81 69 78 73, A Sherborne 78 72 80 71, G Fox 81 69 77 74, A Butterfield 81 69 80 71, K Storgaard (Den) 76 73 80 72, D Lucas 76 71 82 72
302 - J Hepworth 76 74 81 71, Alan McLean 78 72 76 76, John Dwyer 75 75 82 70, TJ Munoz (Spa) 76 73 83 70, K Baraka (Ger) 78 71 85 68, T Schuster (Ger) 79 69 81 73, Francis Howley 75 73 78 76
303- Hurd 79 71 79 74, B Barham 74 76 80 73, D Geall 81 69 80 73, Michael Hoey 77 71 83 72, C Suneson (Spa) 76 72 79 76
304 - S Little 76 74 80 74, F Henge (Swe) 75 75 83 71, R Dinsdale 77 71 82 74, O Edmond (Fra) 77 69 77 81
305 - A Ljunggren (Swe) 79 72 83 71, B Vaughan (Rsa) 77 74 80 74, M Pendaries (Fra) 79 72 81 73, R Sterne (Rsa) 77 73 80 75, G Hamerton 75 75 82 73
306 - D Dixon 78 73 84 71, T Norret (Den) 79 72 82 73, L Claverie (Spa) 76 74 81 75, Michael Welch 74 73 84 75
307 - F Bisazza (Ita) 76 75 82 74, I Giner (Spa) 78 73 85 71, D Patrick 75 76 83 73, F Widmark (Swe) 75 76 83 73, J Little 77 74 87 69, M Knight (Swi) 77 70 80 80
308 - G Rojas (Arg) 79 72 85 72
309 - S Reale (Ita) 81 70 82 76, R Sjoberg (Swe) 79 72 87 71
310 - G Van Der Valk (Ned) 78 73 83 76, Gary Murphy 78 73 85 74, S Gardiner (Aus) 76 74 86 74, K Brink (Swe) 78 71 91 70, A Bossert (Swi) 76 72 86 76
311 - F Guermani (Ita) 80 70 85 76
312 - N Kraiij (Ned) 72 79 86 75, J Gronhagen (Swe) 78 73 82 79
314 - T Beancenez (Fra) 77 74 87 76.
