Nolan snatches Leinster Boys with closing birdie

Galway's Liam Nolan

Galway's Liam Nolan finished with four successive threes to edge out Royal Dublin's Max Kennedy by a stroke and win the Leinster Boys Amateur Open title at The Heritage.

The champion produced a sensational par-birdie-par-birdie finish of four threes in a row to claim the title in style.

Tied for second with defending champion Aaron Marshall going into the final round, one stroke behind Kennedy, a par three at the 15th left him was level with the holder with three to play.

But he then matched his rival's birdie at the 16th, parred the short 17th to remain level and then closed with a birdie three at the dangerous 18th to win by the slimmest of margins on two-under-par with a level par 72.

Kennedy shot a 74 to finish second with Lisburn's Marshall tied for third with Connemara's Luke O'Neill on two-over par, edging out the Connacht man for the Under 17 title on a countback.

Bray's Darragh Rochford shot a best of the day, two under-70 to finish tied for 11th on seven-over

Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship The Heritage Golf Club (Par 72)  

CSS: R1 74, R2 74, R3 74

Sponsored by Titleist Footjoy Ireland

Detailed scores

Final

214 L Nolan (Galway) 71 71 72 

215 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 70 71 74 

218 A Marshall (Lisburn) 74 68 76; L O’Neill (Connemara) 73 70 75 

219 E Murphy (Dundalk) 74 72 73; D Kitt (Athenry) 74 71 74 

220 C Denvir (Elm Park) 75 71 74 

221 J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 74 74 73; S Doyle (Black Bush) 73 73 75 

222 K Patton (Lisburn) 76 72 74 

223 D Rochford (Bray) 75 78 70; R Galligan (Elm Park) 73 76 74; E Sullivan (Carton House) 73 73 77 

224 R Cowhey (Elm Park) 77 75 72; S Murphy (Portumna) 76 74 74 

226 J McCabe (Roganstown) 78 75 73; S Irwin (Killeen) 77 72 77; S Dowling (The Island) 76 74 76; C Glennon (Glasson) 74 75 77 

227 O O’Driscoll (France) 76 73 78; A Cashin (Tramore) 75 75 77; S O'Brien (Nenagh) 71 77 79 

228 J Robinson (Lisburn) 78 76 74 229 K Morrison (Greenacres) 76 78 75; J Keane (Lahinch) 71 77 81 

230 D Connolly (Castle Dargan) 80 72 78; A Smith (Mullingar) 78 71 81; S Downes (Royal Dublin) 77 76 77; D Leufer (Athenry) 77 75 78 

231 C Murtagh (Balcarrick) 78 74 79 

232 C Dawson (Tramore) 76 77 79; L Keyes (Dun Laoghaire) 75 79 78; P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 73 80 79 

233 E Shipp (Headfort) 79 74 80; C Cunningham (Galway Bay) 78 73 82; J Brown (The Heath) 77 71 85; R McNelis (Fintona) 73 81 79 

235 E Walsh (Mallow) 76 75 84 

236 T Smyth (Castle) 77 77 82 

237 R Hynes (Oughterard) 78 76 83 

239 D O’Malley (Black Bush) 80 74 85