Paul McGinley had to settle for a tied-seventh finish on a packed leaderboard as Philip Price proved the most consistent on the final day to triumph at a high-scoring Irish Legends hosted by the McGinley Foundation.
The Welshman closed with a level-par 71 at the Old Tom Morris Links at Rosapenna as the leaders fell away around him, and at level-par for the week was crowned champion as he held off five players by one shot.
Price had started the day two shots behind leader Steen Tinning, but the Dane bogeyed his first three holes to quickly lose his lead and, although he was tied for the lead with two holes to play, a bogey at the 17th dropped him back to one-over after a closing 74.
That opened the door, and Price gladly took advantage, four birdies and four bogeys leading to a 71 that saw him post the clubhouse target at level-par.
Sweden’s Jarmo Sandelin birdies two of his last four holes, England’s Paul Eales finished birdie-eagle and fellow Englishman Peter Baker concluded his week with two birdies, but all three would finish alongside Tinning and Emanuele Canonica – who closed with a 73 – at one-over.
McGinley’s hopes faded with a run of three straight bogeys to end his front nine and he compounded those with two more dropped shots in the first six holes of his back nine, and a three-over 74 meant he finished at two-over for the tournament, tied for seventh.
A closing 74 from Brendan McGovern saw him finish just outside the top-20 in a share of 22nd at eight-over-par, while a much improved Philip Walton closed out his week with a two-over 73 to tie for 57th at 20-over-par.
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