Brazill fires 65 to move one clear through 54 holes at East of Ireland
Robert Brazill (Naas). Picture by Pat Cashman
Naas’ Robert Brazill will be bidding to complete a remarkable comeback from injury and falling out of love with the game when he takes a one-stroke lead into this afternoon’s final round of The D Hotel-sponsored East of Ireland Amateur Open at County Louth.
The 25-year old, who achieved a lifelong dream in 2018 when he calmly rolled in a 12 footer for birdie on the final green to beat Alex Gleeson and win the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point, carded a remarkable seven-under-par 65 in this morning’s third round to lead by a shot on seven-under-par from Royal Portrush’s Jack Madden, who shot 71.
A prodigious hitter, Brazill was runner-up in the AIG Irish Close at Ballybunion in 2019 and began thinking about the professional game.
But he put himself under so much pressure he began to fall out of love with the game, then saw his world fall apart when he fell off a scooter and broke the scaphoid bone in his right wrist in March 2020.
His recovery has been a slow one but after losing more than 10 kg working with fitness consultant Peter O’Keeffe and honing his swing with three-time East of Ireland winner Noel Fox, he is slowly coming back.
Runner-up to Jack Hearn in the North of Ireland Strokeplay at Belvoir Park last Monday, he shot rounds of 71 and 73 to go into today’s third round seven strokes behind Scotland’s Shaun Hedger, who fell back to two-over-par when he made eights at the 16th and 18th and carded an 81 this morning.
“I took a year off and was working in groundworks, driving diggers and tractors,” Brazill said. “But I’ve been working with Peter since February and with Noel Fox too and that’s been massive.”
He started with a bogey after going long and left at the first but eagled the par-five second, hitting a five-iron to seven feet from 205 yards, then birdied the fourth, fifth and sixth, knocking in putts of 10 feet and 12 feet before lipping out for eagle from 25 feet.
Hit flicked a 77-yard wedge close to birdie the ninth, then made twos at the 15th and 17th, hitting an eight iron to five feet and a six-iron to 12 feet.
He had only a seven-iron to the 18th but found the back bunker and failed to get up and down, under-reading a right to left breaking seven-footer.
First-round leader Madden (22), a former Ulster Boys interprovincial, followed his opening 67 with rounds of 72 and 71 to get to six-under with Maynooth University star Hill from Athenry Golf Club third on five-under.
Laytown and Bettystown star Maguire, who won the Connacht Stroke Play and North of Ireland titles to earn his first Irish cap last year, also surged into contention with a 65, featuring four birdies and eagle threes at the sixth and 18th, leaving him just three behind on four-under.
Richard Knightly (68), Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell (71) and former West of Ireland and South of Ireland winner Caolan Rafferty (70) were four back on three-under in a tie for fifth
East of Ireland Championship, sponsored by The D Hotel, County Louth Golf Club (Par 72)
Final round tee-times (Rd. 3/Rd. 4)
1st
12:30 Mulholland, Buckley;
12:41 Hynes, Dooley, Williamson;
12:52 Cannon, Dunne, McKinstry;
13:03 Shiel, E Murphy, Smith;
13:14 Whelan, Maccanna, Lenehan;
13:25 Walker, Hearn, Hood;
13:36 McGlynn, Collins, Connolly;
13:47 Griffin, O'Keeffe, K Murphy.
1st/10th
12:30 Tiernan, Maguire, Hewitt;
12:41 Farrell, Ward, Harkin;
12:52 Deasy, Latimer, O’Neill;
13:03 Kennedy, Jones, Knightly;
13:14 Ronan, O'Connell, Brazill;
13:25 Doherty, Hogg, Rafferty;
13:36 Hickey, Fox, McDonnell;
13:47 Hill, Madden, Hedger.
After 54 holes
209 R Brazill (Naas) 71 73 65
210 J Madden (Royal Portrush) 67 72 71
211 A Hill (Roscommon) 71 69 71
212 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown GC) 75 72 65
213 R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 75 70 68, C Rafferty (Dundalk) 70 73 70; J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 74 68 71
216 L O'Neill (Connemara) 72 73 71; J Hearn (Tramore) 71 76 69; D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 69 74 73; J Fox (Portmarnock) 73 69 74; J Whelan (Grange) 72 76 68
217 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 72 73 72; J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 71 76 70; S O'Connell (Athenry) 70 74 73; R Griffin (Ballybofey & Stranorlar GC) 72 75 70; J Hewitt (Tandragee) 76 71 70
218 E Murphy (Dundalk) 77 72 69; B Ronan (Co. Louth) 75 70 73; S Hedger (West Kilbride) 70 67 81; G Dunne (Co. Louth) 73 76 69; J Doherty (Carton House) 73 71 74
219 R Latimer (Clandeboye) 75 71 73; R Cannon (Balbriggan) 78 72 69; R Williamson (Holywood) 77 73 69; G Collins (Rosslare) 71 76 72; G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 74 74 71
220 A Mulholland (Castlerock) 75 75 70; R Hynes (Royal Dublin) 77 73 70; K Murphy (Arklow) 75 72 73; C Hickey (Dooks) 72 71 77
221 S Jones (Belvoir Park) 74 71 76; S Walker (Roscommon) 74 74 73; M McKinstry (Cairndhu) 74 75 72
222 P Connolly (The Links Portmarnock) 71 76 75; M Deasy (Douglas) 75 71 76; S Ward (Belvoir Park) 74 72 77
223 C Harkin (Letterkenny) 75 71 77; E Farrell (Ardee) 72 74 77; A Smith (Mullingar) 71 77 75; P Buckley (Cork) 76 74 73
226 M Shiel (Galway Bay) 74 75 77; A Dooley (Carton House) 77 73 76; G Tiernan (Co. Louth) 75 72 79
227 S McGlynn (Portmarnock) 71 76 80
229 C MacCanna (Carton House) 73 75 81
230 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 74 73 83
