Rory Leonard survived a playoff to win the Ulster Mid-Amateur Open Championship at Portsalon.
Leonard and Ian Lynch couldn’t be separated through 54 holes with both players shooting rounds of 74 to finish on three-over-par.
Both players had contrasting starts to their final round with Banbridge’s Leonard opening with five successive pars but three bogeys in four holes before the turn saw him surrender his lead.
Lynch of Rosslare made the turn in one-under after recovering from a bogey on his second hole to post birdies on the fourth and eighth.
However, the tide turned again as Lynch saw his lead disappear with three dropped shots in two holes early in his back nine.
In the end, he will look back with regret over a double-bogey seven on the par-5 11th which has ultimately cost him. But he compounded his error with a bogey on the 12th hole.
Lynch also bogeyed sixteen but redeemed himself with a crucial birdie on 17 to match Leonard on that hole.
Leonard had put together a solid back nine with a birdie, bogey run on thirteen and fourteen.
Both players recorded pars on 18 to take this thriller to extra holes.
In the end, it was Leonard who was the last man standing following a three-hole playoff.
Dunmurry’s Niall Carroll was third on five-over but will rue a closing double-bogey on 18 which ultimately saw him miss out on the playoff by two shots.
Scoring HERE
Leave a comment