Jody Fanagan is through to the quarter final of the US Senior Amateur Championship.
The Milltown man was a comprehensive 5&3 winner over Steve Ivan in the last-32 before coming from one down late on to pip Steve Harwell at the death in their last 16 tie.
Fanagan, bidding to become the first international champion in Senior Am history, rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt to win the 16th hole and go 1 up on third seed Harwell.
Then he lipped from 4-feet for par to close out the match on 17 before executing an exquisite pitch from rough to the left of the 18th green.
Despite the sidehill lie and little green in which to work, Fanagan, competing in his first USGA championship, delicately launched his ball into the fringe and watched it trickle 7 feet below the hole.
Harwell had a chance to force extra holes but saw his birdie attempt from 12 feet die short of the hole. Fanagan then calmly converted the par putt to seal the win.
It was reminiscent of his play in the 1995 Walker Cup when he teamed with future three-time major champion and countryman Padraig Harrington to defeat Tiger Woods and John Harris in foursomes, part of a 3-0 performance in a GB&I victory at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
“That was nice,” said Fanagan of his up and down on 18.
“It’s in there somewhere. Sometimes it comes out and sometimes it doesn’t. I got a lovely lie and I could just pitch it into the first cut and hope it comes out [right]. It came out beautiful.”
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