Ballinasloe’s Aidan Grenham came out on the right side of a back nine battle with local favourite James McParland to claim the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with a Disability at Roganstown Golf and Country Club.
Grenham carded back to back rounds of 76 for a ten-over total and a two shot win and his first national title.
“Over the moon with it,” said Grenham after coming off 18.
“I got off to a tricky start again today but battling it down going into the back nine. Just played safe, middle of the greens, try get out of there with pars and see where it left me.”
Teeing off in a share of the lead with McParland, the Galway man got off to a rough start with four bogeys in six holes although he softened the blows with birdies on the 4th and 8th. Despite a bogey on the 9th he was one clear heading into the back nine after McParland had turned in 39 following bogeys on the 1st, 4th, 7th and 8th.
Things turned on the back nine. Grenham made three straight pars while McParland bogeyed the 10th and triple bogeyed the 11th. The gap was then four after McParland birdied the par-3 12th.
Grenham was solid coming down the closing stretch carding just two bogeys on 13 and 17 as he held off a brave challenge from McParland who bogeyed 15 but laid down the gauntlet with a terrific 2 on the par-3 17th.
McParland was inches away from a 30-foot birdie putt from dropping to cut the gap to one on the 18th green which would have made for a nervy two putt for Grenham but with the gap remaining at two, it was just a formality.
“I was hitting it pretty well coming into the week, so I had a feeling I could post a good number and see where it left me. So, I’m delighted with the win.”
Having claimed the Women’s Overall Net prize at the ISPS Handa Irish Close for Golfers with Disabilities, Cathy Fitzgerald was successful again at Roganstown. The Killeen Castle golfer backed up her Net 68 in Round One with a Net 74 to finish at Net level par to claim the Net Stroke Play prize, finishing one shot clear of Adam Lockhart (Kirkistown Castle).
“Delighted, I didn’t think I’d do it today,” said the Killeen Castle golfer.
“Adam Lockhart gave me a tip on putting during the practice day, so I put the birdie down to him today.”
“It’s probably the lowest I’ve ever played to and I have to thank my playing partners as well and all of Golf Ireland for a fantastic event.”
In Sport Class Standing 1, it was Adam Dalton who took the title, finishing clear of Timmy Moloney (Co Tipperary). Dalton currently lives and plays out of Jersey, but was born in Galway, making his win all the sweeter as he got to enjoy it with friends and family. Speaking on The Golf Ireland Pod in the run up to the event, Dalton said this championship was the one he gets really excited for as ‘it feels like home’.
In Sport Class Standing 2, Paul O’Kelly secured victory with a five-shot win after ending the tournament on +21. In doing so, the Portmarnock golfer notched up another win this year, after his early season form saw him enjoy similar success at the ISPS Handa G4D @ The West back in April at County Sligo.
In Sport Class Standing 3, it was Grenham who came out on top.
In Sport Class Intellectual, Matt Middleton reigned supreme with an overall score of +30, pipping Tullamore’s Caolan Munnelly by three strokes.
Elmgreen’s Patrick Morgan won the Sport Class Vision Impaired prize, continuing the good form he showed by winning the same category at the ISPS Handa Irish Close in County Meath at the end of May.
Marty McGrath (Kilrea) secured the Net Stableford for Handicaps of 18.5+, while Thomas Mullins (Portarlington) won the Men’s Overall Net categorie with a total of 79 Stableford points and Dianne Conway (Shandon Park) was victorious in the Women’s Overall Net category.
View the final scores here
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