Paul Coughlan and Matthew McClean shared tenth place at the Brabazon Trophy as Italy’s Biagio Andrea Gagliardi took the title at Hankley Common Golf Club.
Coughlan closed with a final round of 71 while McClean finished with a 72 as both players ended the week on level-par, eight shots behind Gagliardi.
Castleknock’s Coughlan had a rollercoaster day, mixing six birdies and as many bogeys on Sunday. The former Munster Strokeplay winner opened with a birdie but dropped his first shot of the day on the par-3 2nd.
The Irish international rolled in back to back birdies on the fifth and sixth holes and he turned in 36 after two bogeys in a row from the seventh.
Coughlan fell over par for his round and the championship after a bogey on the eleventh but three birdies in four holes lifted him back into the top-10 and he managed to stay there despite closing with back to back bogeys.
McClean of Malone Golf Club was steadier although he did bogey two of his last five holes but he mixed three birdies and two further bogeys to clinch a top-10 place.
The Belfast based optometrist has done his Walker Cup chances no harm recently with back to back third place finishes at the Lytham Trophy and Irish Amateur Open Championship prior to this week.
At the top, Gagliardi won by two shots ahead of England’s Freddie Turnell after closing with a final round of 70.
The Italian endured a rollercoaster back nine, having birdied three of his first nine holes. He double bogeyed the tenth and went on a birdie, bogey run from the thirteenth to the clubhouse.
Scoring HERE
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