Westmeath sportspeople can do no wrong at the moment and Liam Grehan channeled some of the fighting spirit the Lake County showed against Cavan last weekend to clinch his first victory in South Africa on the Betway Big Easy Tour.
Grehan carded a final round of 66 to get into a playoff with Englishman Matt Millar on ten-under-par and he was able to hold off his opponent to take the title and his first since moving to the country last year.
The Big Easy Tour is a feeder tour to the Sunshine Tour and Grehan was eager for some competitive action during a two-week break before heading to Zambia on Monday.
“I wasn’t going to play we have two weeks off before Zambia on Monday but I had been practicing loads and feeling pretty good so I entered. I felt I was better off playing some competitive golf,” said the K Club touring professional.
“I was using it as a week to try out a few things I had been working on and played lovely, the putter heated up thankfully because I had been playing nicely and not holing a lot but it came through today so I’m delighted.”
The Mullingar man was five back going into the final day after an opening 67 and a seventeen-par round of 70 where the putts just weren’t dropping. After a bogey at the first he got back on the horse with birdies at the 2nd and 4th. Now with a taste for birdies he rolled in three in a row on the 6th, 7th and 8th before adding another two birdies on the 10th and 13th to reach double figures.
“Once you see a couple going in you can get momentum so it was nice to come from behind and grab the win today.
“It’s such a good opportunity to feel what it’s like to be in contention no matter what tour it’s on. The players out here are good and hopefully this will stand to me.”
After a superb par on 14 things threatened to unravel after he bogeyed the par-3 15th but he gathered himself to birdie the last and keep his hopes alive.
“I got to ten-under through 13 and made a great sand save on 14. Fifteen was 195 metres to the flag down ten and the pin was up the back. I played it like a 165 shot so I must have been pumped after being on a good run because I flew my 8-iron 200 metres, it hits a downslope and rebounds 74 metres back to the flag! It was the best four of my life, punched a 7-iron through the trees short of the green and got up and down and made a 12-footer for birdie on 18 to get into a playoff.
“It wasn’t all plain sailing but when it mattered I fought hard and I am proud of that so I think that will stand to me.”
Leave a comment