Enniscorthy’s Jason Rackard delivered some sensational golf on Sunday to lay claim to his first ‘major’ title, the prestigious Mullingar Scratch Trophy, sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt and Pinergy.
“I’m absolutely buzzing, I can’t believe it” he said afterwards. And buzzing he should be.
Having opened the tournament with a two-under total on Saturday, the 31-year old blitzed the midlands track in just 65 (-7) strokes on Sunday morning before completing the win with a final round 71 (-1) in the afternoon. This gave the Wexford golfer a ten-under winning total, two clear of Castle’s Robert Moran and four ahead of the Amateur Champ James Sugrue. Rackard also takes the lead in the Bridgestone Order of Merit with three events remaining.
“I probably played the best round of golf in my life this morning, then I started off a little bit cagey this afternoon I was two-over through nine and Rob (Moran) got close to me and it gave me a little bit of a boot. I put the head down and made birdie on 12. I hit a great 6 iron into six feet and holed the putt”.
From there, Rackard, a grandnephew of the hurling legends Nicky, Bobby and Billy Rackard, went on to birdie 14 and 16, enough to take the clubhouse lead from Moran who had earlier set the target for others to catch.
James Sugrue, the Amateur Champion, finished the tournament in third place. The Mallow golfer would be left to rue the nine bogies that blighted his three rounds.
The Mullingar Scratch Trophy is run by GUI Leinster Golf in association with Mullingar Golf Club.
Final Scores
Mullingar Scratch Trophy, Sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt and Pinergy
206 J Rackard (Enniscorthy), 70, 65, 71
208 R Moran (Castle), 71, 70, 67
210 J Sugrue (Mallow), 70, 69, 71
211 C Rafferty (Dundalk), 72, 69, 70; M Power (Kilkenny), 68, 71, 72
212 J Doherty (Carton House), 73, 72, 67
213 J Temple (Portmarnock), 70, 69, 74; A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire), 68, 73, 72; M Boucher (Carton House), 67, 74, 72
214 L Nolan (Galway), 74, 71, 69; J Mc Donnell (Forrest Little), 73, 71, 70; M Kennedy (Royal Dublin), 70, 73, 71
215 G Ward (Kinsale), 73, 68, 74; J Hill (Galgorm Castle), 70, 72, 73
216 L Grehan (Mullingar), 70, 73, 73; A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), 70, 72, 74
217 P O’Keeffe (Douglas), 72, 73, 72; D Shiel (Powerscourt), 71, 72, 74
218 J Hewitt (Tandragee), 74, 71, 73; J Whelan (Newlands), 71, 73, 74
219 J Byrne (Baltinglass), 74, 71, 74; C Ccampbell (Warrenpoint), 73, 72, 74; R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire), 72, 74, 73; J McCabe (Roganstown), 71, 76, 72
220 D Keating (Seapoint), 74, 74, 72; D Kitt (Athenry), 73, 72, 75; A Ryan (Thurles), 70, 73, 77
221 T McLarnon (Massereene), 74, 74, 73; S Carter (Royal Dublin), 71, 77, 73; R McCrudden(Royal Portrush), 70, 73, 78
222 G Dunne (Co. Louth), 74, 75, 73; M McClean (Malone), 74, 74, 74; A McCormack (Castletroy), 74, 74, 74
224 E Sullivan (Carton House), 72, 78, 74
225 G Lappin (Belvoir Park), 74, 76, 75; D Morgan (Carton House), 74, 73, 78
226 S Murphy (Portumna), 74, 78, 74; S Hogan (Nenagh), 74, 77, 75; R Latimer (Knock), 71, 81, 74
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