Dobbin claims Mullingar glory with 72nd hole birdie
Fionn Dobbin etched his name alongside some of greats of Irish golf when he held his nerve to birdie the final hole and win the 63rd Mullingar Scratch Trophy.
The Malone golfer - pictured above by Inpho’s James Lawlor - arrived on Bank Holiday Monday tied at the top with Edmondstown’s Thomas Abom and in challenging conditions at Mullingar Golf Club, the 19-year-old produced a composed final day to secure the biggest win of his amateur career.
Rounds of 70, 67, 72 and 74 left Dobbin on five-under-par, one clear of Greystones’ Dylan Holmes, who surged into contention with a superb closing 67.
With the tension mounting, Dobbin knew a birdie was needed at the last to avoid a playoff, and he delivered.
“I’m over the moon to win,” said Dobbin, who double bogeyed the 16th and bogeyed the 17th to find himself tied with clubhouse leader Holmes on four under.
“I thought I had it won after 15; 16 was obviously not the greatest but happy to have a putt on the last to win and I knew I needed to do it so it was good to come through in the end.”
“I checked (the scoring) coming up the 18th just after I hit my tee shot. He (Holmes) had a great finish so put the pressure on me. I knew I needed to birdie the last, so I’m delighted to come through.”
Dobbin began the final round one shot ahead of Lorcan O’Connor (Edmondstown), and the pair remained neck and neck through the front nine, but a double bogey on 10 from O’Connor opened the door, and Dobbin capitalised to build a four-shot lead.
“Through 10 and in the early stages of the back nine I was kind of just trying to tick off the holes,” said Dobbin.
“Make pars, just to get through without anything crazy because obviously tough enough conditions so pars are your friend.”
A birdie on 12 followed by some excellent par saves on 14 and 15 saw the Lisburn native hold his lead but just as he looked in control, a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17 gave Holmes an opportunity.
The West of Ireland champion played flawlessly down the stretch, firing five birdies in his last eight holes to set the clubhouse target at four-under. With the title on the line, Dobbin stood on the 18th tee needing birdie.
“I just had a little chat with him (Dad) just saying you need to birdie the last,” said Dobbin.
“He said it’s fine just stay in there, each shot as it comes, and it turned out alright.”
Dobbin found the fairway, left his approach just short of the green, and chipped to six feet. He held his nerve, rolled in the putt, and celebrated with a fist pump and an emotional embrace with his father.
“Unbelievable,” said Dobbin.
“Went through a little rough patch with my golf for a few months in America so really happy now. As summer has went on, I’ve gotten better and better so good to just cap off and go back to America with a win.”
Mullingar Scratch Trophy, sponsored by Pinergy Sherry Fitzgerald Davitt & Davitt, Mullingar GC (Par 72)
View detailed scoring here.
Final
283 1 Fionn Dobbin (Malone) -5 70 67 72 74
284 2 Dylan Holmes (Greystones) -4 73 66 78 67
285 3 Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown) -3 70 68 72 75
286 4 Mark Gazi (Tralee) -2 69 71 73 73
287 T5 Jake Foley (Elm Park) -1 72 70 74 71, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) -1 68 69 79 71
289 7 Adam Smith (Mullingar) +1 70 69 74 76
290 T8 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) +2 74 72 72 72, David Reddan (Castleknock) 2 71 69 73 77
291 T10 TJ Ford (County Sligo) +3 72 70 72 77, Jack Murphy (Douglas) +3 68 71 74 78, Evan Monaghan (Tullamore) +3 72 73 76 70
292 T13 Jordan Boles (Charleville) +4 71 72 75 74, Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas) +4 74 68 76 74, Conor Hickey (Dooks) +4 76 70 72 74, Gavin O’Neill (Malahide) +4 76 69 72 75
293 T17 Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin) +5 71 72 77 73, Calum Ward (Carton House) +5 73 70 77 73, David Kitt (Athenry) +5 72 69 76 76, Morgan Cain (Fota Island) +5 74 67 73 79, Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park) +5 71 70 79 73
294 T22 Liam Abom (Edmondstown) +6 78 69 77 70, Aaron Ryan (Thurles) +6 72 74 73 75, Luke O'Neill (Connemara Golf Links) +6 73 71 74 76
296 25 Ian O’Connell (Castleknock) +8 74 73 78 71
297 26 Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye) +9 67 74 76 80
298 T27 Cathal Penney (Athenry) +10 77 70 75 76, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) +10 73 74 75 76, Cian O’Connor (Roscommon) +10 73 67 79 79, James O’Rourke (Naas) +10 74 71 77 76, Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) +10 74 71 74 79
299 T32 Darragh Flynn (Carton House) +11 70 74 74 81, Matthew Giles (Greenore) +11 72 72 80 75
301 34 Ben Cahill (Dundalk) +13 77 68 79 77
302 35 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) +14 71 76 79 76
303 T36 Conor Stapleton (Westport) +15 76 71 78 78, David Shiel (Enniscrone) +15 71 76 83 73
304 T38 Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle) +16 76 71 78 79, Darren McCormack (Corrstown) +16 72 69 82 81, Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate) +16 74 72 77 81, Grant Tabar (NCR Country Club) +16 73 71 80 80
305 T42 Darragh Grehan (Carton House Golf) +17 72 70 83 80, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) +17 74 72 78 81, Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire) +17 72 74 79 80.
After 54 holes
209 1 Fionn Dobbin (Malone) -7 70 67 72
210 2 Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown) -6 70 68 72
213 T3 David Reddan (Castleknock) -3 71 69 73, Mark Gazi (Tralee) -3 69 71 73, Jack Murphy (Douglas) -3 68 71 74, Adam Smith (Mullingar) -3 70 69 74
214 T7 TJ Ford (County Sligo) -2 72 70 72, Morgan Cain (Fota) -2 74 67 73
216 T9 Jake Foley (Elm Park) E 72 70 74, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) E 68 69 79
217 T11 David Kitt (Athenry) 1 72 69 76, Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 1 67 74 76, Gavin O Neill (Malahide) 1 76 69 72, Dylan Holmes (Greystones) 1 73 66 78
218 T15 Jordan Boles (Charleville) 2 71 72 75, Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas) 2 74 68 76, Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 2 74 72 72, Conor Hickey (Dooks) 2 76 70 72, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 2 70 74 74, Luke O'Neill (Connemara Golf Links) 2 73 71 74
219 T21 Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 3 72 74 73, Cian O’Connor (Roscommon) 3 73 67 79, Rory Gallagher (Galway Bay) 3 74 71 74
220 T24 Jack McDonnell (The Royal Dublin) 4 71 72 77, Calum Ward (Carton House) 4 73 70 77, Charlie Cooley (Belvoir Park) 4 71 70 79
221 27 Evan Monaghan (Tullamore) 5 72 73 76
222 T28 Cathal Penney (Athenry) 6 77 70 75, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) 6 73 74 75, James O’Rourke (Naas) 6 74 71 77
223 T31 Darren McCormack (Corrstown) 7 72 69 82, Ross McCormack (Palmerstown House Estate) 7 74 72 77
224 T33 Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 8 78 69 77, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) 8 74 72 78, Ben Cahill (Dundalk) 8 77 68 79, Grant Tabar (NCR Country Club) 8 73 71 80, Matthew Giles (Greenore) 8 72 72 80
225 T38 Conor Stapleton (Westport) 9 76 71 78, Ian O’Connell (Castleknock) 9 74 73 78, Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle) 9 76 71 78, Darragh Grehan (Carton House Golf) 9 72 70 83, Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire) 9 72 74 79
226 43 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 10 71 76 79
230 44 David Shiel (Enniscrone) 14 71 76 83