Shaw edges McIlroy in Mullingar playoff

Gareth Shaw with the trophy in the following day’s newspapers. Lurgan’s Gareth Shaw birdied the third play-off to deny Holywood’s Rory McIlroy victory in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy.

The pair finished tied on 10 under par 134 as 19-year-old Shaw, the winner of the North of Ireland championship two weeks ago, fired a course record eight under par 64 to set the clubhouse target.

McIlroy was just one shot behind first round leaders Mark O’Sullivan of Galway and Mullingar’s Dessie Morgan after a bogey free morning round of 67.

But the 16-year-old West of Ireland and Irish Close champion was forced to two putt the par five 18th from 35 feet for birdie to repeat the trick in the afternoon and tie with Shaw on ten under.

However, in extra time it was the Lurgan ace who came out on top after the first two play-off holes – the first and ninth - were shared in par figures.

Playing the par-four first for the second time, McIlroy went for a big drive but pulled it into nettles and eventually made a bogey five after a penalty drop.

Shaw found the centre of the fairway off the tee and after pitching to six feet, calmly holed the putt to add his name to the illustrious list of former winners.

Portmarnock’s Aengus McAllister claimed third place on seven under par after rounds of 70 and 67 with Morgan in fourth place after a closing 72 that contained far too many errors on the greens.

Shaw said: “It was unfortunate for Rory that his drive went in the bushes but hopefully it will make him feel a bit better that I birdied the hole to win. I didn’t want to win it with a par.

“It feels good to win this trophy. There are some great names on it and hopefully there will be bigger and better to come. But we’ll take it one at at time.”

A student at the East Tennessee State University, Shaw opened with a two under par 70 as former Irish Close champion O’Sullivan and home hope Morgan fired rounds of 66 to establish a new course record at the redesigned course.

But the North of Ireland champion soon found himelf clear at the top of the leaderboard as he scorched to the turn in seven under par 29.

After four birdies in a row from the third, Shaw picked up further shots and the eighth, ninth and 10th to lead on nine under par.

Ten under after draining a 15 footer for a two at the short 12th, Shaw looked to be in trouble when he drove out of bounds on the right of the 13th but hit his fourth shot to just two inches and saved bogey.

A tap in birdie at the 16th followed by two solid pars put him in the clubhosue on 10 under par and McIlroy had to birdie the 18th for his 67 to force extra holes.

The Irish Close and West of Ireland champion finally came unstuck with that wild drive on the third play-off hole but paid tribute to Shaw afterwards.

“I shot two good scores and I can’t say I am too disappointed,” McIlroy said. “It would have been nice to win but Gareth deserves it, he shot 64 this afternoon with a ball out of bounds.”

The rest of the Ulster contingent struggled to keep pace as the weekend’s Senior Cup exertions took their toll.

Warrenpoint’s Jim Carvill and Dunmurry’s Darren Crowe finish on two under par with British Amateur champion Brian McElhinney a shot further back.

Mullingar Scratch Trophy (sponsored by Owens Concrete) Par 72

134 G Shaw (Lurgan) 70 64 (won after 3rd playoff hole), R McIlroy (Holywood) 67 67;

137 A McAllister (Portmarnock) 70 67;

138 D Morgan (Mullingar) 66 72;

139 P O’Keeffe (Douglas) 71 68;

140 M McGinley (Grange) 72 68;

141 R Cannon (Balbriggan) 71 70, G Massey (Hermitage) 67 74, M O’Sullivan (Galway) 66 75;

142 J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 74 68, D Crowe (Dunmurry) 71 71;

143 B McElhinney (North West) 73 70, J McDermott (Stackstown) 70 73, B O’Connor (Hermitage) 69 74;

144 D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 73 71, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 73 71, R McCarthy (The Island) 73

71, P McDonald (Woodbrook) 72 72, T Nolan (Galway) 72 72, G Hall (Edenderry) 72 72, J Fox (Portmarnock) 71 73, A Morrow (Portmarnock) 71 73;

145 M Owens (Mallow) 73 72, J Moore (L’town & B’town) 72 73, C Doran (Banbridge) 70 75, K O’Neill (Strandhill) 69 76;

146 K Fahey (Connemara) 74 72, C O’Malley (Westport) 73 73, D Moran (The Island) 73 73, A Condren (Greystones) 72 74, B McSweeney (Woodbrook) 72 74;

147 B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 77 70, E McAnoy (Knock) 77 70, K Kearney (Roscommon) 75 72, G Nugent (Kilkenny) 74 73, A Pitcher (The Island) 72 75, D Carroll (Grange) 72 75, M McGeady (North West) 71 76, C Cunningham (Mullingar) 70 77

148 M McTernan (Co Sligo) 76 72, E O’Sullivan (The Island) 74 74, J Morris (Mullingar) 74 74, R Leonard (Banbridge) 74 74, S Carter (Mountrath) 72 76

149 P Devine (The Island) 79 70, G Mallon (North West) 75 74, A Dowling (Hermitage) 75 74, G Bowden (Hermitage) 75 74, J Hughes (Douglas) 74 75

150 D Coyle (Co Louth) 76 74, B Walton (The Island) 76 74, T Bourke (Strandhill) 75 75, G Carew (Edenderry) 73 77, J McGinn (L’town & B’town) 73 77

151 S Grant (Birr) 77 74, D O’Brien (L’town & B’town) 76 75, J Lyons (Galway) 76 75, S O’Flaherty (Hermitage) 74 77

152 M Rowe (Athlone) 80 72, G O’Connor (Malahide) 78 74, M Campbell (Stackstown) 75 77, C Clancy (Stackstown) 74 78

153 C McNamara (Limerick) 78 75

154 G Bohill (Co Louth) 79 75

155 M Power (Moate) 81 74, S Galvin (Kilkenny) 79 76

156 L Ryan (Stackstown) 79 77

157 M Butler (Athlone) 78 79, A Murphy (Newlands) 77 80

158 P Higgins (Mullingar) 79 79, D Lally (Tuam) 77 81

160 B O’Brien (Headfort) 79 81

161 A Dignam (Skerries) 86 75

162 K Lewis (Skerries) 76 86

163 K Metcalfe (Mullingar) 77 86

164 L Cunningham (Moate) 83 81

NR E Barton (Ballinasloe) 78 NR