Tullamore’s Stuart Grehan drives at the third on his way to victory in the 2012 Irish Youths Amateur Close Championship at Loughrea Golf Club. Picture by Pat CashmanTullamore’s Stuart Grehan beat Youghal’s Conor Coyne in a nerve-wracking three hole play-off to claim the Irish Youths Amateur Close title at Loughrea.

A four under 67 in the third round put him in position to challenge for the title and despite losing a ball off the tee on the first hole in the final round, he birdied the 16th and parred the last two holes for a one over 72 to force playoff with Coyne on one under 283.

Coyne cut a swathe through the field on the final day with rounds of 67 and 70. But he was less inspired in extra time.

While both players parred the first, Coyne took a five to Grehan’s four at the second extra hole, the par-three fourth.

A solid par at the difficult par-four fifth sealed victory for Grehan after Coyne found trouble in the trees on the right.

Stuart Grehan poses with the Irish Youths trophyStackstown’s Shaun Carter finished just outside the playoff mark with a 73 for 285, while Ardee’s Eugene Smith left his charge too late with a final round 68 leaving him tied for fourth with Skibbereen’s Kieran Lynch on two over 286.

Irish Youths Amateur Close Championship, Loughrea Golf Club (Par 71)

283 S Grehan (Tullamore) 74 70 67 72, C Coyne (Youghal) 76 70 67 70 (Grehan won after a three-hole aggregate play-off)

285 S Carter (Stackstown) 69 72 71 73

286 E Smith (Ardee) 73 74 71 68, K Lynch (Skibbereen) 73 72 68 73

287 T McLarnon (Massereene) 71 73 69 74, R Dawson (Faithlegg) 69 72 72 74

289 A Doran (Ardee) 70 76 72 71

290 D Byrne (Greystones) 71 72 75 72

292 C Fairweather (Knock) 69 78 74 71

293 S Cannon (Loughrea) 74 73 70 76, J Conroy (Bray) 72 74 75 72, E Farrell (Ardee) 72 74 74 73, C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 72 68 72 81, I O’Rourke (Cork) 71 70 74 78

294 A Myles (Newlands) 71 75 74 74

295 C Woodroofe (Blainroe) 73 74 74 74

296 R Mullarney (Galway) 74 74 73 75, C Lavery (Rossmore) 73

74 72 77, S Bleakley (Balmoral) 72 74 72 78, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 68 76 74 78

297 R McCullough (Massereene) 76 74 74 73, C Rafferty (Greenore) 73 74 76 74, S O’Hara (Co. Sligo) 73 74 75 75, D Byrne (Athenry) 70 75 77 75

298 Q Carew (Edenderry) 74 75 73 76

299 J Whelan (Newlands) 75 74 72 78, A Lowry (Esker Hills) 73 72 76 78

301 J Robinson (Royal Portrush) 75 72 79 75, M MacGrath (Limerick) 71 78 76 76

302 E McGuinness (East Clare) 72 76 74 80

303 G Collins (Rosslare) 76 73 79 75, S O’Donoghue (Portarlington) 74 74 76 79

304 H Coyne (Carton House) 73 76 76 79

306 B O’Reilly (Athenry) 75 75 83 73

310 N Worth (The Island) 77 70 81 82

318 J Fletcher (Warrenpoint) 79 69 86 84

WTD S Flanagan (Co. Sligo) 73 76 78 WTD, S Bryan (Delgany) 74 73 81 WTD

Non-qualifiers:

151 M Burke (Ballinrobe) 77 74, J Roche (Bray/NUIM) 76 75, J Corbett (Ballinasloe) 74 77, G Mungovan (Headfort) 73 78

152 H Scott (Castle) 81 71, R O’Connor (Co. Sligo) 77 75, D Reddan (Nenagh) 77 75, A Hanley (Corrstown)

77 75

153 D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 74, J Walsh (Castle) 78 75, E Cradock (Gort) 77 76, J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 77 76, S McShane (Holywood) 77 76, D Brady (Co. Sligo) 77 76, J Breen (Knock) 75 78, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 74 79

154 A Brennan (Athenry) 81 73, D Brennan (Shannon) 79 75, J Igoe (Roscommon) 77 77, S O’Connor (Skerries) 77 77, A Magee (Powerscourt) 74 80

155 T Collins (Dun Laoghaire) 82 73, C Glynn (Carton House) 82 73, R Monroe (Oughterard) 80 75

156 L O’Dwyer (Forrest Little) 81 75, D Conlon (Athenry) 78 78

157 S Maloney (Dunmurry Springs) 86 71, E Cantwell (Kilkenny) 81 76, C Melvin (Corrstown) 79 78, D Fitzgerald (Limerick) 78 79, T Lindsay (Fortwilliam) 78 79, J Neiland (Blainroe) 77 80, P McKeever (Castle) 75 82, J Webster (Castle) 75 82

159 C Hegarty (Carton House) 83 76, C Curran (Dundalk) 80 79, A D’Arcy (Ballinrobe) 78 81, L Grehan (Mullingar) 77 82

160 A Talbot (Carton House) 80 80, K Murphy (Charlesland) 79 81

161 C Gorevan (Carton House) 84 77, C

Carroll (Shandon Park) 84 77, C O’Sullivan (Fota Island) 80 81, C Flanagan (Old Conna) 79 82

162 T Shiel (Portumna) 76 86

163 M Gielty (Grange) 80 83

165 A Rock (Cork) 89 76, L O’Hara (Athenry) 86 79, D O’Connor (Athlone) 85 80, R O’Dwyer (Callan/NUIM) 84 81

170 R Dervin (Ballina) 86 84

172 B Quilligan (Hermitage) 90 82