Golf Ireland confirm nine Order of Merit winners for 2021

The 2021 Golf Ireland season has come to a close, concluding with the Leinster Under-14 Boys Open at Royal Tara last month.

Over the course of the season, nine Order of Merit titles were up for grabs with players travelling to the four corners of the country playing in national and regional events.

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe and Clandeboye’s Rebekah Gardner were the two biggest winners of the year, coming out on top in the Bridgestone Men’s Order of Merit and Women’s Order of Merit respectively.

O’Keeffe had a dominant 2021, winning the AIG Irish Men’s Close, the Munster Stroke Play Championship and he crowned off a terrific year by winning the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open.

Gardner won twice in 2021, coming out on top at the Connacht Senior Women’s and Girls Open, along with a first placed finish at the Ulster Women’s Open.

Malahide’s Gavin O’Neill won three times in the space of 14 days in June and July to win the Boy’s Under-18 Order of Merit. The Irish Boys Amateur Open Champion was also victorious in Castle Dargan at the Connacht Under-18 Boys Open and in Enniscorthy at the Leinster Boys Amateur Open.

Roscommon’s Olivia Costello won the Girls Order of Merit after a marathon season for the youngster. Although the Ireland Under-16 international did not win any events on the Order of Merit rota, she never finished outside the top-six in six events. This included a second place finish at Leinster Girls Championship and a Semi-Final appearance at the AIG Irish Women’s Close.

Pat Lyons is the Senior Men’s Order of Merit winner. The Cork golfer had four top-10s in Order of Merit-counting events, including a win at the Leinster Senior Men’s Open in Rosslare.

Carol Wickham won’t forget 2021 in a hurry, after a brilliant year for the Laytown and Bettystown golfer. Wickham won both the Irish Senior Women’s Close and the Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Open to win the Senior Women’s Order of Merit.

Carton House’s Paul O’Hanlon was victorious in the Men’s Mid-Amateur Order of Merit. The former Irish Close champion won the Irish Mid-Amateur Open and the Leinster Mid-Am to win the Order of Merit in style.

Douglas’ Jack Murphy won the Boy’s Under-16 Order of Merit. The Cork golfer won twice, earning the Leinster and Ulster Under-16 Boys Opens in an impressive year.

Irish Under-14 Boys Open champion Sean Murphy won the Boy’s Under-14 Order of Merit. The Enniscorthy golfer was also victorious at the Ulster Under-14 Boys Open.

2021 Golf Ireland Order of Merit Winners
Bridgestone Men’s Order of Merit – Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas)
Women’s Order of Merit – Rebekah Gardner (Clandeboye)
Boys Under-18 Order of Merit – Gavin O’Neill (Malahide)
Girls Order of Merit – Olivia Costello (Roscommon)
Senior Men’s Order of Merit – Pat Lyons (Cork)
Senior Women’s Order of Merit – Carol Wickham (Laytown and Bettystown)
Men’s Mid-Amateur Order of Merit – Paul O’Hanlon (Carton House)
Boys Under-16 Order of Merit – Jack Murphy (Douglas)
Boys Under-14 Order of Merit – Sean Cooper (Enniscorthy)