Keating claims North of Ireland crown in dramatic finish
Dylan Keating (Seapoint) celebrates winning the North of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship
Photo: Inpho | Nick Elliot
Dylan Keating showed nerves of steel to claim the North of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship with a dramatic one-shot victory at Royal Portrush.
The Seapoint golfer secured the first Irish men’s championship of his career just one month after winning the Ian Bamford Scratch Trophy at the same venue.
View the final round scores here
“To do it here is incredible,” said Keating.
“It’s the best course in the world. The condition of it and the scenery. I feel like it’s nearly home here after my couple of wins. I just love it here”
Keating opened with a one-under-par 71 on Wednesday before a superb second round 69 gave the 23-year-old the overnight lead at four-under-par after carding the only under-par round of day two.
With conditions improving for the closing day, the chasing pack began to close in during Friday morning’s third round. Keating carded a one-over 73, opening the door for the leading contenders.
Dylan Keating with family and fellow Seapoint members. Photo: Inpho | Nick Elliot
Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) was one of those to take advantage. Six birdies helped him to a superb three-under 69, moving him to within two shots of the lead heading into the final round.
Playing in the penultimate two-ball alongside James Hewitt (Tandragee), Curran made a blistering start to the afternoon. An eagle on the Par 5 second applied early pressure to the leader. With Keating opening with a bogey in the group behind, Curran quickly moved into the lead as he followed up with a birdie on 3.
Keating’s challenge suffered a further setback with a triple bogey at 4 and a double at 7, while Curran continued to look composed at the top of the leaderboard.
“I put it in the Dunluce Lodge off seven and then hit my next one left and then missed a short one,” said Keating.
“I just had to stay patient. I knew there was going to be some chances coming up.”
The Seapoint golfer took those chances with birdies at 9, 11 and 12 helping him battle back into contention as he closed the gap on Curran.
The pair were tied at two-under thru 15 holes, having separated themselves from the chasing pack as the championship headed towards a dramatic finish.
Calamity Corner once again lived up to its name when Curran bogeyed the Par 3 16th to drop back to one-under. Moments later, Keating produced the decisive moment of the championship, driving the green at 17 before converting his birdie putt to retake the outright lead.
A closing par at the 18th would see Keating finish at two-under-par to secure the biggest victory of his amateur career, completing a remarkable turnaround having suffered two heavy blows early in the final round.
“I remembered how I was down the stretch in the scratch cup here to birdie the last and win,” said Keating.
“I trusted myself and my coach Shane reminded me that I won a lot of Boys’ tournaments and I was great down the stretch. I leaned on that and reminded myself that going down the stretch I can make a couple of birdies and clutch up to get the win. I’ve done that today and I’m really proud of myself.”
North of Ireland Amateur Open, Royal Portrush (Valley/Dunluce)
Final
286 Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 71 69 73 73
287 Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) 70 76 69 72
289 Simon Ward (Belvoir Park) 71 76 68 74, Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan) 68 74 73 74
292 Dylan Harbourne (Grange) 71 77 74 70
293 Gerard Dunne (Co. Louth) 72 78 74 69, Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) 72 77 71 73, James Hewitt (Tandragee) 72 73 71 77
294 Patrick Keeling (Roganstown) 75 74 75 70
295 Aaron Marshall (Lisburn) 75 77 71 72, Matthew McClean (Malone) 69 79 73 74
296 Ryan Griffin (The Royal Dublin) 72 77 72 75, Rían Carvill (Warrenpoint) 73 79 71 73, Tommy Mangan (Apawamis) 74 77 71 74
297 Eoin Sullivan (Portmarnock) 76 73 72 76, Bence Bertenyi (Zala Springs GC) 75 74 73 75
298 Alexander Brand (Bern) 72 78 71 77, Dylan Holmes (Greystones) 74 73 77 74, John William Burke (Ballyhaunis) 73 78 72 75
300 Conor Byers (Langley Park) 77 73 76 74, Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 77 75 75 73, Cormac Ó Muirithe (Belmullet) 74 77 72 77
301 Tom van Balen (Rosendaelsche) 73 77 75 76, Finn Jolly (Dun Laoghaire) 73 79 74 75, William O’Riordan (Greystones) 77 74 77 73, Benjamin Oberholzer (Clandeboye) 73 78 71 79, Harry Gillivan (Portmarnock) 72 79 77 73
302 James Marriott (West Surrey) 75 76 74 77, Ollie Marsh (Wanneroo) 75 76 74 77
303 Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) 75 75 79 74, Jamie Anderson (Greystones) 74 78 78 73
304 Patrick Tuffy (Strandhill) 75 77 73 79, Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) 77 74 77 76
305 Odhrán McBride (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 75 77 75 78, Alex Kerins (Carton House) 73 79 80 73
307 Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown) 77 74 74 82
Missed the cut
153 Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle) 76 77, Max Berrisford (Ilkley) 72 81, Luke Cunningham (Galway Bay) 75 78, Cian Harkin (The Island) 71 82, Mark Cadden (Roganstown) 69 84, Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 78 75, Daryl Callister (Castletown) 73 80, Shea Dorman (Bangor) 76 77, Ben Best (Rathmore) 78 75, Luke Kelly (Dunfanaghy) 75 78
154 Ciaran Murphy (Grange) 78 76, Richard Sykes (Dun Laoghaire) 77 77, Evan Hogg (Belvoir Park) 80 74, Conor Hickey (Dooks) 72 82, James Fox (Portmarnock) 75 79, Marcus Wahlund (Losby Golfklubb) 74 80, Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) 74 80
155 Ian Lynch (Rosslare) 73 82, David Reddan (Castleknock) 73 82, Noe Kappeler (Bern) 81 74, Charlie McDonnell (Concra Wood) 77 78, William Walshe (Delgany) 76 79
156 Matt Murphy (Clandeboye) 77 79, Stephen Coulter (Warrenpoint) 72 84, David Joyce (Powerscourt) 77 79, Mikie Grealy (Galway Bay) 77 79, Thomas Beaumont (Bangor) 74 82, Henry Croft (Ilkley) 78 78, Cormac Pearson (Faithlegg) 77 79, Adam Christie (Castlerock) 76 80, Rafael Poli (Holywood) 76 80, D A Shaw (Belvoir Park) 78 78, Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) 75 81
157 Jack McKenna (County Louth) 76 81, Rory McConnell (Belvoir Park) 77 80, Padraig O Dochartaigh (Gweedore) 77 80, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 72 85, Ross Healion (Newforest) 80 77, Lewis Gowdy (Bangor) 79 78, Oscar Murphy (Royal Portrush) 74 83, Scott Jones (Belvoir Park) 80 77, Dylan Beirne (Carrick on Shannon) 77 80
158 Sean Murphy (Grange) 79 79, Gary Collins (Rosslare) 77 81, Adam Barr (Ballymena) 79 79, Jack McIlhatton (Massereene) 77 81, Jay McWilliams (Tandragee) 78 80, Nathan Sproule (Cliftonville) 82 76
159 David Shiel (Enniscrone) 79 80, Michael McBride (Gweedore) 81 78, Ryan Symington (Lisburn) 79 80, Sean Downes (The Royal Dublin) 75 84
160 Noah Bickerstaff (Hilton Templepatrick) 77 83, Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) 83 77, Patrick Greene (Holywood) 79 81, Sam Allister (Belvoir Park) 80 80, Mark Greenwood (Carton House) 77 83
161 Tadhg Burns (Headfort) 82 79, Jordan Boles (Carton House) 76 85, Adam Allahbachani (Powerscourt) 81 80, Eric West (Mid Ocean Club) 79 82, Éanna Mulhare (Birr) 80 81, Eoin Magill (East Clare) 77 84
162 Paddy Quill (Cork) 82 80, Kyle Holmes (Portstewart) 82 80, Samuel Gammell (Naas) 77 85, Conor Madigan (Kanturk) 82 80, Conor McErlane (Hilton Templepatrick) 81 81, Valter Andersson (Woodbrook GC) 81 81, Gavin Duffy (Edenderry) 78 84, Stuart Nesbitt (Royal Portrush) 79 83, James McMaster (Holywood) 74 88
163 James Park (County Sligo) 80 83, Max Thallon (Bangor) 79 84, Morgan O'Sullivan (Ballyneety) 81 82, Christopher Caulfield (Carton House) 83 80
164 David O'Malley (Black Bush) 75 89, Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 78 86, Max Carson (Royal Belfast) 77 87, Harley Phipps (Co. Louth) 78 86
165 Sean Keeling (Roganstown) 80 85, Ruairi O'Connor (Co Sligo) 81 84, Matthew Carolan (Royal Belfast) 81 84, William Beatty (Royal Portrush) 81 84
166 Jonny Hall (Galgorm Castle) 84 82, Ellis Kinnaird (Mississippi) 79 87
167 Jamie Doyle (Rosslare) 78 89, Andrew Gavin (Black Bush) 83 84, Kevin Robinson (Castlewarden) 84 83, Jack Moffett (Fortwilliam) 79 88
168 Conor Toner (Mourne) 81 87
189 Ben Murray (Naas) 91 98
WD Kosei Kirwan (Knightsbrook) 82 WD, WD Stephen Evans (Harleyford) WD WD
NR Matthew Kane (Larne) 72 NR, Conor Clarke (Balmoral) 78 NR.
