Paul McBride claimed the €20,000 first prize cheque as he cruised to a four-shot victory at the K Club Pro-Am.
McBride, who led by one shot overnight after an opening 65 at the South, replied with a superb 66 that included six birdies and an eagle on the North course to set a morning target of thirteen-under. An afternoon of score refreshing passed by stress free as his total was never under threat and he clinched his third victory of the season.
“It feels great, I didn’t think it would be caught this morning but you still have doubts in your head, someone can go out and go nuts especially here on the South. But I am delighted to win, really delighted,” said McBride who birdied his first hole the ninth, eagled 13 and added more birdies on 15, 17, 18, 6 and 7.
“I was packing at home, have to fly to an event in England tomorrow. I was refreshing it and saw nobody was getting near me so I knew I was going to win at that point.”
This was McBride’s third appearance at the €100,000 K Club Pro-Am, Europe’s largest pro-am. In the previous two editions he had also started his week on the South but had seen his chances of victory come unstuck on the North. Shooting the 66 on the Ryder Cup course when he needed to most made the victory even sweeter.
“I’ve shot over par on the North the first two times before today so yeah to win it that way is satisfying. It’s great money for a pro-am the most lucrative in Europe. It’s great to be able to play it and it is run so well it feels like a tour event at times so to win is great.”
There will be no time to celebrate for the Island golfer who is jetting off this morning to the Clutch Pro Tour as the circuit nears its climax with McBride chasing a HotelPlanner Tour card for next season.
“I’m 30 I’m not young anymore in comparison to some of the lads coming out. This year has been good and I need to finish the year out strong.”
In second place claiming a share of the €10,000 was Mallow’s James Sugrue and England’s Josh Crumpling on nine-under while Scotland’s Craig Lee, Richard Weldon of Black Bush and Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick claimed shares of fourth spot on seven-under-par.
Six players rounded off the top-10 in a share of seventh place on five-under including defending champion and reigning Irish PGA champion Cormac Sharvin of Killeen Castle, Sean O’Donoghue of Mount Wolseley, Waterville’s David Higgins, Dermot McElroy, Manuel Morugan and Richard Wallis.
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