Alan Gaynor of Co. Sligo Golf Club cruised to a nine-shot win to claim the Irish Open for Players with a Disability at Roganstown.
Gaynor followed up his opening round of 75 with a steady effort of 77 to set a ten-over total through 36 holes which saw him coast to the title.
“I’m very happy, it’s starting to sink in now. It’s great to be able to do it and to be the first Irish person to win it is very nice and something I will look back on in years to come,” said the Rosses Point man.
“It’s only the second time the event has been on, it’s only getting bigger and will continue to grow to I will always look back on this, to win the trophy is very special.”
The Irish international slept on a three-shot lead and a solid front nine of 39 saw him stretch his lead to eight shots after five pars and four dropped shots on the first, third, seventh and eighth holes.
Gaynor hammered home his advantage with a birdie on the par-5 10th before carding a bogey on 14. A double bogey seven on the long par-5 18th was irrelevant as he came home in 38 for a deserved win.
“I’ve had a few lead this year so I was OK today, I knew coming out what I had to do, played well today, had a bad double on the last but I think the job was done at that stage.
“Conditions were tough, I had a good front nine and played solid over the two days, didn’t make too many mistakes and that was the difference.
“Roganstown is a great venue it’s ideal to host a big event because when you have people travelling you want somewhere close to the airport with a hotel. The golf course here is really good with fantastic greens and the members have been very generous with their time so hats off to them it’s been a brilliant two years so far,” added Gaynor who will eye up the individual European Championship.
Monkstown’s Colin O’Sullivan was second on nineteen-over after rounds of 82 and 79 while Germany’s Jennifer Sräga was third on plus twenty having teed off within three of the overnight lead.
Local man James McParland shot a final round 8- to climb a share of fourth place with Paul O’Kelly on twenty-two-over while St Patrick’s Fiona Gray was the leading Irishwoman in sixth place.
Cian Arthurs also of Roganstown claimed eighth place.
In the Net strokeplay section Myro Waldvogel blitzed the field on the final day, moving up twelve places to win by a shot on one-over-par thanks to a 65.
Scoring HERE
Leave a comment