Simon Thornton delivered a flawless performance in his native county to secure a two-stroke victory in the Ardglass Pro-Am in County Down.
The Spa professional birdied two of his opening nine holes but turned it on on the back side, reeling off birdies on 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18 to move to -7, overtaking early pace-setter Tim Rice who set the clubhouse target at at -5.
Thornton’s bogey-free round was also his first in four 2025 starts.
“Yeah, I played solid today and obviously links is my type of golf as well,” Thornton said. “I know the game inside out, and I like Ardglass, it’s only half an hour from home, so, yeah, I, played nicely.
“I hit it really well off the tee and hit it in the right areas and I knew there was a few pins that you couldn’t go for when you’re coming across the angles of greens and things when it’s firm.
“It was just take your medicine and hit it to 20 ft and I holed a couple of 20-footers, so the rest was pretty straightforward, to be honest, picked up shots where I should have done.”
The win was particularly sweet given Thornton’s familiarity with both the place and the people.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s always nice to play local events, and there’s always a bit more buzz around it because there’s both new and familiar faces even at different golf clubs.”
The powerhouse leaderboard included Colm Moriarty and Reece Black who shared third at -3, Nicky Grant in solo third at -2, and recent Beaverstown Pro-Am winner Niall Kearney and Elm Park’s Adam Crotty sharing sixth at -1.
The victory is Thornton’s second of the 2025 campaign having claimed the season-opening Premier Pro-Am in Thurles and posted a pair of T2 finishes at Beaverstown and Rathsallagh. He also extends his lead in the Elavon Order of Merit.
“I am normally a slow starter in the region and don’t get going really until sort of halfway through, to be honest, but it’s nice to get going early,” he added.
Next up on the PGA in Ireland Region schedule is the Rathfarnham Pro-Am at Rathfarnham Golf Club on May 23rd, swiftly followed by the Flogas Pro-Am at Knightsbrook on May 26th.
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