Thornton cruises to six-shot Irish PGA win

Irish PGA champion Simon Thornton. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieSimon Thornton won the 101st Irish PGA Championship by an impressive six shots from Gary Murphy at Seapoint.

The 31-year old Englishman - now playing out of Newcastle, Co Down and a Team Ireland sponsored player - closed with rounds of 71 and 66 on the final day to finish with a record low total of 19-under-par 269.

Thornton was disappointed that he failed to complete 72 holes without a bogey - he dropped his only shot of the week at the par four 11th in his final round - but he could not have been happier with his victory.

He said: “After the halfway cut, my target was to finish without a bogey at 20-under-par but I missed out on that. However, it feels great to have won the title with such great players as Des Smyth in the draw.”

Gary Murphy finished second after following a course record, eight under par 64 with a closing 69 to finish to finish on 13-under-par with six-time champion Smyth closing with a 70 for joint third place alongside newly qualified Seamus McMonagle (67).

101st Irish PGA Championship, Seapoint (€25,000) August 4-6

Final Scores:

269 Simon Thornton  (Team Ireland) 66 66 71 66 (€3,000)

275 Gary Murphy (Unattached) 70 72 64 69 (€1,990)

276 Des Smyth (Unattached) 67 68 71 70; Seamus McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) 70 66 73 67 (€1,495 each)

278 Barrie Trainor (Mayobridge) 68 71 67 72 (€1,205)

279 John Dwyer ( Ashbourne) 68 71 71 69 (€1,120)

280 Damian Mooney (Ballyliffin) 70 71 71 68 (€1,015)

282 Michael Collins (Mallow) 74 67 70 71; David Higgins (Waterville) 69 69 74 70 (€790 each)

283 Glen Robinson (St Helen’s Bay) 67 76 69 71; Neil O’Briain (Unattached) 67 70 74 72 (€685 each)

285 John Murray (Malahide) 70 73 72 70; Brendan McGovern (Headfort) 72 68 71 74 (€540 each)

286 Cian McNamara  (Limerick) 72 72 71 71; Michael McDermott  (Pure Golf) 74 71 66 75; John Kelly ( St Margaret’s) 76 70 68 72; Peter Martin (Riverside Golf Academy)74 69 72 71; Patrick Devine  (Royal Dublin) 70 70 71 75.

287 Brian O’Donovan  (Douglas) 72 75 71 69; Mark Staunton ( Castleknock) 68 71 74.

288 Donal Gleeson (Old Conna) 71 72 73 72; Graeme Dunlea ( Adare Manor) 73 75 75 65; David Mortimer (Galway) 69 73 75 71.

289 Colin Lyttle ( Ballyclare) 71 74 71 73; Chris Moriarty (Donaghadee) 72 75 71 71; Niall Kearney  (Royal Dublin) 70 73 71 75.

290 Philip Walton (Unattached) 75 69 73 73;  Robert Giles (Greenore) 76 68 72 74; Paul Stevenson (Portadown) 72 70 76 72.

291 Padraig Dooley  (Cork) 74 70 74 73; Wayne O’Callaghan (www.wayneocallaghangolf.com) 75 74 72 70;  David Ryan (Cahir Park) 69, 69 76 77.

292 Daniel Sugrue  (Killarney)  69 74 74 75; Michael Allan  (Leopardstown) 69 74 73 76.

293 Darren McWilliams ( Blackwood) 76 70 76 71.

294 Mark O’Mahony ( Castleknock) 72 74 72 76;  John Sugrue  (Tralee) 73 69 78 74; Mark Whelan  (Castlewarden) 76 73 74 71.

295 Enda McLoughlin (Wicklow) 75 73 73 74;Eddie Doyle  (Natural Golf School) 74 75 72 74.

296 Graham Callaghan  (Hollywood Lakes) 76 71 69 80; Kenny Fahey  (Golfing Union of Ireland) 75 73 74 74.

297 Brian Kerley ( Green Life) 72 72 75 78;  Gerard Hall ( Edenderry Golf Academy) 73 74 76 74; John Dignam  (Slade Valley) 74 74 75 74; David Winters  (Seapoint) 70 79 75 73.

300 Marc Kynes  (Greystones) 73 76 76 75;  Kevin Foy  (Stepaside) 76 73 79 72.

301 Enda Maguire  (Dundalk) 74 73 78 76;  Jimmy Bolger  (Kilkenny)73 75 75 78.

303 Brendan McDermott (Unattached) 75 73 71 84;  Gerry Burke (The Curragh) 76 73 76 78; Steven Ritchie ( Shandon Park) 73 76 76 78; Eamonn Brady  (Clontarf) 77 72 79 75;  John Dolan (Scrabo) 78 71 76 78.

304 Rory Doran (Royal County Down) 78 70 76 80.

CUT

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