Maynooth University’s Ryan Griffin came from eight shots adrift to beat fellow Maynooth student Alan Fahy in a playoff to win his second R&A Student Tour Series title at Parador de Malaga Golf Club.
Griffin shot a six-under 66 that included eagles at the first and 14th holes. A birdie at the last got him in the clubhouse on seven-under and he and Fahy headed for extra holes when Fahy returned a closing two-over 74 that included a penultimate hole bogey.
Fahy, the defending West of Ireland champion, saw a birdie effort to win on 18 slip by but he has returned to form ahead of the Rosses Point date next month.
A birdie on the first playoff hole gave Griffin (Ballybofey&Stranorlar) the win and his first since the Portugal event in 2022 where he finished joint winner with Maynooth teammate Jordan Boles.
“When I was doing the pins this morning I said to myself if I can post seven-under I’d be in with a good chance because it’s breezy and it’s not an easy track, so delighted to do that and put the work together,” Griffin said.
The 22-year-old admitted his closing 66 was one of the best rounds of his life: “It’s up there definitely. It’s nice to get the win out of it, so it will be near the top.”
The psychology student likes the Iberian Peninsula and he will head to the Student Tour Series final in St Andrews second in the Order of Merit, behind Maynooth’s Aaron Marshall.
“It’s a nice change from back home and you have to tell yourself that when things aren’t going so well that you’re lucky to be out here and the sun’s shining.”
“I needed to do something this week to get myself back in the Order of Merit mix because I was a few points off and this will really shoot me up there,” Griffin said.
Marshall finished a shot outside the playoff in third after a level-par 72 after his late charge was scuppered by a closing bogey.
Maynooth trio Liam Abom (8th), David Kitt and Simon Walker (both 10th) rounded off the top-10.
Maynooth University’s Kate Dwyer was ninth in the women’s section after a 77.
Scoring HERE
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