Thomas Abom drilled a nine iron from 146 yards to three feet on the second playoff hole and sunk the putt to become the first player from Edmondstown Golf Club to win a national championship as he edged out local member Richard Sykes at the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship in Dun Laoghaire.
The 19-year-old was just delighted to card an under par round in a men’s event when he co-led after round one. A novice at this level after coming through the Golf Ireland underage ranks, his display this week will tag him as someone with great resilience after recovering from three double bogeys in round two and passing up putts to win on the 72nd and 73rd.
“It’s class it was a long day, I’m overridden with emotion and it just feels great. What a relief to make that putt at the end and it feels really good!” said Abom who will begin his undergraduate degree in Maynooth University next month.
“I knew I had par to win on 18 and the putt just slipped by but I remained calm and I still felt good about my game going into the playoff. The first playoff hole I knew the putt was close but it was fine but the birdie on the last is how you want to win a tournament, stitch a nine iron to three feet and make the putt.”
Abom was two-over for his round through eleven and two behind Sykes but he rallied with birdies on 12, 13 and a two-putt birdie on 17 and the ability to knuckle down when the going gets tough and play “scrappy golf” is a mindset he relishes.
“Over the years I am used to playing scrappy golf, so it doesn’t scare me if I start missing greens because I know short game is good. There were definitely phases today where I was hitting it all over place and my short game kept me in it. I caught fire with the swing coming in and hit some good shots so I am happy with the resilience I showed.”
The final day in Dun Laoghaire was played over 36 holes and if the afternoon round was good, the morning wave was packed with drama.
Overnight leader Sean Keeling saw his four shot lead disappear as he took a nine at the par-4 15th and seemingly out of it at +10 through 13 holes for his round he rallied with three successive birdies to card a 79 and amazingly only trail Abom by four heading into the final 18.
The 17-year-old’s challenge faded and soon it became a two horse race between Abom and Dun Laoghaire’s own Sykes who was roared on by a packed home gallery.
Abom had a slender one shot advantage but after a slow start he fell behind Sykes who carded birdies on the third and seventh to stretch his lead to two shots.
Sykes kept holding his nerve with some stress free pars until he sent his approach to the 72nd over the back. A slack chip left him 12-feet back up the hill and he missed to drop back to six-under alongside Abom and sign for a gut wrenching 71.
The drama wasn’t finished there, Abom made the easiest of birdies on 17 to move one clear and after a fabulous drive on 18 he hit a wedge to the front fringe.
The teenager opted to chip up the green which was tucked 24 yards on and ran the chip 8 feet by and his par putt lipped out.
Sykes was given a second bite of the cherry but it was Abom who continued to be the aggressor, lipping out on the first playoff hole before ripping a drive on the 18th once again.
This time he learned from his mistake forty minutes earlier and clubbed up to a 9 and hit the shot of his life.
“After I hit it I said ‘it’s good’ because I knew I had the distance. It’s the best shot of my career, you can’t top that, right at the pin and you can’t top that under the circumstances.”
Amateur golf often produces great stories and a wonderful footnote to this tale was that Thomas had his sister Anna caddying for him throughout the week.
A special moment no doubt, but there was a cunning reason for the decision as Anna had won the Senior Scratch Cup here last year and her guidance paid dividends when it mattered most.
“We were laughing about it, she won the Scratch Cup here last year so I thought I’d bring her on the bag and use some local knowledge and it seemed to work out, it makes it extra special having Anna on the bag, I’m very happy.”
Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley will be hoping he has done enough to secure an Irish Open spot as he birdied the 18th to card a final round of 69 to finish on three-under-par while Ballybofey’s Ryan Griffin carded the low round of the day (66) to finish on one-under alongside Keeling who will have to wait a little longer for a maiden men’s title.
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