Ronan Mullarney’s final event before embarking on his maiden Challenge Tour campaign didn’t exactly end the way he’d envisioned, even if he walked away as the champion at Toro Tour San Roque.
A sublime second-round eight-under 64 saw the Galway man open up a five-stroke advantage ahead of the final round, but a storm was brewing and torrential overnight and early morning rain forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s play and Mullarney was subsequently crowned the victor.
Since his two-tournament trip to Southern Spain was more about sharpening his game ahead of the Challenge Tour’s season-opening SDC Open at South Africa’s Zebula Golf Estate on February 1st, the win, whilst of course being welcome, was a little bittersweet as the lost final round has deprived him of his last competitive warm up round.
He alluded as much after his second round when he said: “For once, playing in a competition, the score isn’t the be all and end all for me, and it usually would be. I’m happy just to leave feeling sharper than when I came.”
Still, it bodes well as he started the year in similar fashion 12 months ago with a victory on the Southern Spain winter tour before going on to win twice on the Alps Tour and finish top on the Order of Merit, thereby confirming his graduation to the European Challenge Tour.
Leave a comment