Cormac Sharvin drove the 18th green and two-putted for a winning birdie to beat Conor O’Rourke on the first playoff hole to claim his first TouchStore Irish PGA Championship after a sensational battle at Limerick Golf Club.
Sharvin got up and down for a birdie on the 54th hole for a 69 to tie O’Rourke’s 67 on 15-under. He repeated the feat when he ripped a driver into the heart of the 18th green and eventually sunk a five footer for the victory to emerge from a back nine battle that will live long in the memory.
“Relief to be honest,” Sharvin said of his emotions. “It was one of those days where I didn’t putt well, I missed a lot early. Felt like I was out of it coming down 12 and 13 and I dug deep managed to birdie 14 and had a bonus on 15 for eagle. Conor came back at me with birdies on 16 and 17. I was one behind down the last hit a really good drive and chip to the 18th.
“That six footer was tough because I didn’t feel comfortable on the greens all day but that gave me the confidence into the playoff to go on and win.”
Teeing off with a two shot lead, Sharvin saw his advantage vanish as he fell one behind O’Rourke with back to back bogeys on the 9th and 10th. O’Rourke moved two shots clear on 13-under with a birdie on the 11th. From there though the gloves were off and it was two heavyweights going at it.
After O’Rourke bogeyed to lead by just the minimum, Sharvin turned the tide of this championship on its head with a birdie on the par-3 14th before he holed from 50-feet for eagle on 15. O’Rourke did birdie but he was now one behind Sharvin.
Sharvin of Killeen Castle had to deal with some body blows himself coming down the stretch as his one shot lead became a one shot deficit when K Club’s O’Rourke birdied 16 and 17. Needing to find one last burst, Sharvin, who had struggled on the greens most of the day, did just that in regulation and extra time to take the trophy.
“It was a really enjoyable battle over the last five or six holes. My drive in the playoff was half toed which helped it to get over the trap. A little bit of luck which you need to win and that was mine to land it on the green. I rolled it up to six feet and I would have liked it a little bit closer but it was a nice feeling to hole that putt.”
Sharvin’s maiden Irish PGA Championship title is a reminder of the superb talent he has as he joins Pádraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke on the roll of honour.
“I said it earlier in the week that it would mean the world. It’s such a prestigious trophy and my name is on there forever and they can’t take it off! It’s great to be part of history.”
Sharvin’s victory is also is a reminder of just how far he has come in the last three seasons.
Having reached “rock bottom” as he put it, Sharvin went down the PGA route and when he won the K Club Pro-Am in 2024, he didn’t even have a suit for the prize presentation so low were his expectations. He defended that title last year and after winning the Irish PGA Championship he looks a hot runner to make it a hat trick at the K Club next week.
“I was at rock bottom a few years ago with my golf game and was really struggling. I didn’t have control of the golf ball and it was a really tough battle. I haven’t been playing great the last month or so to be honest and been struggling, searching for things in my swing and hitting loads of balls.
“After the second round in Carlow last week I hit the ball really well and didn’t touch my clubs until this week because I wanted to keep that feeling going into this week. I was chasing something that wasn’t there. I know how to play golf and it’s about letting that out and I felt I did that.”
A late surge from PGA in Ireland captain and defending champion Simon Thornton where he closed with four successive birdies came up shy on twelve-under after a 66 as he took third place while McGuirks’ Conor Ryan refused to back down in his 67 to claim fourth on eleven-under.
Three-time winner Niall Kearney began the day four back but managed to claw himself to within one heading into the back nine. His challenge faded and he had to settle for a 70 and a ten-under total for fifth place.
18-hole co-leader Daniel Sugrue of Dooks shared sixth place on seven-under with Jack Ryan of Castletroy and Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick. Keith Shannon, local man Tim Rice and Damian Mooney rounded out the top-10 on six-under.
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