Nolan edges out Kennedy and Islas for South American Amateur in Ecuador
Liam Nolan (centre) and Max Kennedy (right) with Vicente Encina at Quito Tenis & Golf Club
Galway’s Liam Nolan gave his Walker Cup prospects a boost when he edged out Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy by a stroke to win the South American Amateur Championship in Ecuador.
A player on the rise for the past few seasons, Nolan closed with an impressive, four-under 68 to set the clubhouse target at seven-under 281 at Quito Tenis & Golf Club.
It proved to be enough to claim the title by a shot from Kennedy, who shot 73 to finish solo second on six-under as overnight leader Jose Cristóbal Islas of Mexico came home in 41 and shot 77 to tie for third with Chile’s Vicente Encina on five-under.
As England’s Caley McGinty claimed the women’s title on an exciting final day, Nolan claimed his first major title when he took advantage of two double bogeys by Islas in his last nine holes.
The Galway man, who is one of 19 players in the GB&I Walker Cup squad, started the final round seven strokes behind Islas, who led by three shots from University of Louisville star Kennedy on 10-under.
Nolan turned in three-under 33 to close the gap and all three players were in the mix coming down the stretch after Islas opened the door by dropping four shots in his first four holes on the back nine to slip back to six-under.
Islas birdied the 15th to get back to seven-under par as Nolan and Kennedy bogeyed the hole before the par-five 17th proved key.
Nolan birdied the hole to join the lead for the first time and went on to set the clubhouse target at seven-under with a fine 68 as Islas hit a bad drive at the 17th and made a double bogey seven en route to a 77 and third-place as Kennedy shot a 73 featuring two bogeys and one bogey.
Caley McGinty with Lottie Woad and Mexico’s Vania Simont
Islas and Chile’s Vicente Encina tie for third on five-under 283 with Argentina’s Juan Martín Loureiro and Mexico’s Luis Carrera tied for fifth on three-under.
Nolan, who was runner-up in last year’s West of Ireland Championship, became the seventh non-South American to win the title and the third European after Callum Shinkwin (2013) and Paul Howard (2014).
McGinty won the women’s title by three strokes from compatriot Lottie Woad on five-under 281 with Douglas’ Clodagh Coughlan 24th on 323 after a 77 and Maynooth University’s Kate Dwyer 26th in 323 after an 83.
Meanwhile, the University of North Carolina’s David Ford birdied the 18th to win the Jones Cup Invitational by a shot on 12-under par at Ocean Forest
Matt McClean tied for 39th on five-over with Mark Power 51st on eight-over and Hugh Foley tied 52nd on nine-over after all three closed with 75s.
