Tim Rice’s injury troubles appear to be behind him after the Limerick man shot a four-under 68 to take victory at the East Coast Energy Bellewstown Pro-Am for his first win in almost 12 months.
The 2024 Elavon Order of Merit winner’s season has been hampered due to a hand and wrist injury that required surgery, but there was little sign of it at Bellewstown where he got off to a flying start by eagling the 10th – his first – and then adding another on 15 with a birdie in between to race to five-under through six holes.
Back-to-back bogeys either side of the turn threatened to derail his charge, but he recovered to play the final eight holes in one-under and take a one-stroke win over Cian Geraghty, Tara Delaney, Paul Behan and Paul Eivers who all shared second place on three-under.
Ian Halpin and Simon Thornton were one shot further adrift and sharing sixth place at -2, with Jack Madden in eighth the only other player in red figures on the day.
Rice’s return to the winner’s circle comes at the perfect time with the Limerick man set to contest the Touchstore 116th Irish PGA Championship on his home turf of Limerick Golf Club this week.
The 2017 Championship winner at Moyvalley will be one of the favourites given his familiarity with the narrow fairways at Ballyclough, but four-time winner, defending champion and current Elavon Order of Merit leader Simon Thornton remains the man to beat.
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