EAST OF IRELAND:MOYOLA PARK'S Chris Selfridge snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and became the first player since Garth McGimpsey in 1988 to complete the Irish Close-East of Ireland double when he beat Knock's Nicky Grant following a dramatic three-hole aggregate play-off at County Louth.
Just eight days after lifting the Close title at Royal Portrush, the 20-year-old University of Toledo star got up and down from 122 yards for what proved to be a winning par four at the third extra hole, the ninth, when 25-year old Grant appeared odds on to lift his first amateur major but three-putted from close to 50 feet.
“It feels fantastic, winning championships back to back,” said a delighted Selfridge, who was eight strokes behind overnight leader James Fox of Portmarnock entering yesterday’s final 36 holes. “I never thought I would get one win, never mind two. My target this year was just to try to get into contention a few times.”
The pair finished locked on two under par 286 after a dramatic final day at that saw a host of players caress the famous old trophy only to see it slip from their grasp over the final hour.
Fox led by four shots overnight from Co Sligo’s Gary McDermott on five under but slipped to a morning 76 to find himself tied for the lead with Newlands’ Andrew Hogan (68) on one under heading into the final round with another 10 players within four shots.
The 29-year-old Portmarnock player flew the flag well but eventually finished a shot outside the play-off alongside Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell and defending champion Richard O’Donovan of Lucan on one under par when he took three from just off the 17th green and then narrowly failed to birdie the last from 18 feet off a bunkered tee shot, closing with a valiant 72.
Campbell, who had his uncle Paddy Gribben on the bag, three -putted the last from 60 feet for par five and a closing 68 to miss out on the play-off by one.
But he wasn’t the only man wondering what might have been.Hogan, who was two under for the championship playing the 18th, lost a ball in the jungle right of the fairway and took seven for a 73 to slip to sixth on level par.
Selfridge hit a third round 69 to go into the final round tied with O’Donovan on level par, just a shot behind the leaders. Out early and playing in a two-ball, he raced around in two under 70 to set the target at two under par 286 as the leaders were rounding the turn but only Grant could match him, finishing with a birdie at the 18th for a 69.
The Moyola Park player wondered if his four-foot birdie miss at the 18th might cost him dear but spent the next two and a half hours chatting with coach Johnny Foster and texting friends as Fox, Hogan, Grant and company jousted with a moderate southerly breeze.
In the three-hole aggregate play-off, both men did well to par the first – Grant from the right rough and Selfridge from a fairway bunker. Grant then made a great up and down from the hill left of the green for his par five at the second, leaving the protagonists level playing the ninth and facing the possibility of sudden death.
The Knock player was fortunate to clear the bunkers on the left with a rescue but soon looked odds on to win when Selfridge bunkered his four iron tee shot in the first trap on the left. However, it was the Derry man who prevailed when he laid up, hit a 52 degree wedge from 122 yards to three feet and looked on as Grant hit his second to 45 feet, came up eight feet short and missed for par.
