Mullingar revenge for Dylan Holmes
Greystones' Dylan Holmes held off a final-round charge from former winner Paul O'Hanlon to claim a wire-to-wire victory in the 64th Mullingar Scratch Trophy.
The 2025 West of Ireland champion (19) extended his five-shot halfway lead to seven strokes over Jake Foley and O'Hanlon when he made an eagle and six birdies in a third round 69 to get to 13 under par.
But despite being briefly caught by a charging O'Hanlon as he headed down the back nine, he birdied the 16th and 18th to card a two-under 70 and win by three shots from the 2007 champion on 15-under par.
"I feel brilliant, yeah; it's nice to get a win this year," said Holmes, who joined Ryder Cup stars Philip Walton (1982), Darren Clarke (1989), Paul McGinley (1991), Pádraig Harrington (1994), Rory McIlroy (2006) and Shane Lowry (2008) on the illustrious list of past champions.
"I haven't had many good events so it's nice to get a win finally."
He added: "It's brilliant to put your name on a trophy with all those people; it's not often you get to do it, so anytime is brilliant".
It was also a relief after he was pipped for the title by Malone's Fionn Dobbin's 72nd-hole birdie 12 months ago.
Foley reduced Holmes' lead to three shots when he turned in two-under and the Wicklow man, playing five groups behind in the last match, started with two bogeys.
Holmes recovered to play the front nine in one over as he sandwiched a bogey at the sixth between birdies at the fourth and ninth.
But he was soon level with 2007 champion O'Hanlon, who started on the 10th and went on to shoot a second successive 66 to set the target at 12-under.
"I got off to a ropey start," Holmes said. "When you're seven shots ahead, without thinking, you are almost in the wrong headspace.
"I'm really proud of how I battled and how I faced adversity because I played really poorly on the front nine and made a lot of good up and downs from 50/60 yards."
While he birdied the 11th, 12th and 14th, bogeys at the 10th and 13th left him briefly tied for the lead with former professional O'Hanlon (38) with just four holes to play.
The key came at the 16th, where Holmes made birdie just as O'Hanlon made one of just two bogeys in a stunning eight-birdie round.
"I didn't know until 16 (how close it was)," Holmes explained. "I saw someone was going to probably get to twelve (under) and then I hit a terrible second shot into 16, which was probably a result of me knowing.
"But I managed to hole a 20-footer for birdie, which was a big momentum switch in my head; it meant I needed to just par the last two".
A birdie at the last gave him three strokes to spare over O'Hanlon and six over a resurgent Sean Keeling, who closed with a 68
"I'm delighted, it wouldn't have been good if I came second twice," Holmes said of last year's loss to Dobbin. "It was nice to get revenge, I suppose."
Mullingar Scratch Trophy, Mullingar GC (Par 72), sponsored by Sherry Fitzgerald, Davitt & Davitt and Pinergy
Final
273 Dylan Holmes (Greystones) 66 68 69 70;
276 Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House) 72 72 66 66;
279 Sean Keeling (Roganstown) 73 66 72 68;
281 Jake Foley (Elm Park) 73 70 67 71;
282 Cian O'Connor (Roscommon) 72 71 68 71;
283 Jordan Boles (Carton House) 70 73 71 69, Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) 69 71 71 72, Morgan Cain (Fota) 71 70 73 69;
284 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 76 66 72 70, Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 71 70 76 67, Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) 66 74 74 70, Rafael Poli (Holywood) 69 70 73 72;
286 Ross Latimer (Clandeboye) 72 71 73 70, Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay) 70 72 76 68;
287 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 69 73 70 75, Mark Gazi (Tralee) 72 69 73 73, Jonathan Yates (Kilkenny) 72 71 70 74;
288 Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 71 74 75 68, Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 76 67 73 72, Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn) 70 72 75 71, Robert Walsh (Kinsale) 72 72 75 69, Adam Smith (Mullingar) 72 69 71 76, Barry Howlin (The Heritage) 68 76 67 77;
289 Barry O'Connell (Douglas) 75 70 75 69, Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 73 72 73 71, Alex King (Faithlegg) 75 67 72 75, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 72 72 72 73;
290 Darren McCormack (Corrstown) 75 70 74 71, Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle) 74 69 73 74;
291 Sam Kelly (The Island) 73 72 72 74, Colum Kenny (Portmarnock) 73 72 74 72, Ross McKeever (Castle) 70 74 68 79, Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) 77 66 72 76;
293 Cian Harkin (The Island) 71 74 71 77;
294 Aaron McNulty (Lahinch) 75 69 75 75;
295 Brendan Farrell (The Standard Club) 71 72 74 78, Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown) 74 70 75 76;
296 Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay) 70 73 76 77;
297 Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell) 77 68 75 77;
300 Neil Patterson (Baltinglass) 74 71 76 79.
After 54 holes
203 Dylan Holmes (Greystones) 66 68 69;
210 Jake Foley (Elm Park) 73 70 67, Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House) 72 72 66;
211 Barry Howlin (The Heritage) 68 76 67, Patrick Curran (Edmondstown) 69 71 71, Cian O'Connor (Roscommon Golf Club) 72 71 68, Sean Keeling (Roganstown) 73 66 72;
212 Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 69 73 70, Ross McKeever (Castle) 70 74 68, Adam Smith (Mullingar) 72 69 71, Rafael Poli (Holywood Golf Club) 69 70 73;
213 Jonathan Yates (Kilkenny Golf Club) 72 71 70;
214 Conor McCarthy (Headfort) 76 66 72, Jordan Boles (Carton House) 70 73 71, Alex King (Faithlegg) 75 67 72, Mark Gazi (Tralee Golf Club) 72 69 73, Harry McArdle (Warrenpoint) 66 74 74, Morgan Cain (Fota) 71 70 73;
215 Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) 77 66 72;
216 Ross Latimer (Clandeboye) 72 71 73, Jack McDonnell (Royal Dublin) 76 67 73, Harris Fleming (Galgorm Castle Golf Club) 74 69 73, Cian Harkin (The Island) 71 74 71, Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 72 72 72;
217 Brendan Farrell (The Standard Club, Georgia) 71 72 74, Sam Kelly (The Island) 73 72 72, Bruce MacDonald (Lisburn) 70 72 75, Graham Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 71 70 76;
218 Liam Abom (Edmondstown) 73 72 73, Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay Golf Resort) 70 72 76;
219 Darren McCormack (Corrstown Golf Club) 75 70 74, Colum Kenny (Portmarnock) 73 72 74, Robert Walsh (Kinsale Golf Club) 72 72 75, Lorcan O'Connor (Edmondstown Golf Club) 74 70 75, Aaron McNulty (Lahinch) 75 69 75, Paraic McGrath (Galway Bay) 70 73 76;
220 Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 71 74 75, Shane McDermott (PGA National Slieve Russell) 77 68 75, Barry O'Connell (Douglas) 75 70 75;
221 Neil Patterson (Baltinglass) 74 71 76.
