Emotional win for Arthurs at Baltray

Forrest Little's Eoin Arthurs romped to an emotional four-stroke win in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.

But the Dubliner, 24, was only marginally happier than proud dad John, who stood to collect over €2,000 after slapping down a €30 bet with a Swords bookie.

Three off the pace with two rounds to play, Arthurs fired a third round 69 to edge a stroke ahead of overnight leader Dara Lernihan from the Castle on five-under

Then he finished the job in style with a closing 71 to post a six-under par total and edge closer to senior honours with Leinster and Ireland.

Delighted to lift his first big title, Arthurs beamed: "It feels unbelievable. I'm over the moon. After starting with a 66 I was really disappointed to shoot 76 in the second round.

"I was only three behind and one of my friends texted me and told me I wasn't out of it by a long chalk. Turned out he was right."

It was a brilliant win for the driving range operator and club fitter, who failed to deliver on fast starts in the West of Ireland and Irish Amateur Open Championships earlier this year.

He revealed: "One of the guys in the club said well done when I shot the 66 in the first round. But he told me that I had to go out and shoot another good score or I'd be remembered as One-Round-Arthurs.

"That's why I was so disappointed to shoot 76 on Saturday. But I putted well all week, especially from long range and that was the key."

After earning international honours at Boys level in 2000, Arthurs hopes to go on and play for Leinster in this season's Interpros.

He added: "My ambitions this season were to win a title and play for Leinster and Ireland. I think I might be good for the Leinster team now. But I really want to play for Ireland again and this is a great start."

East of Ireland Amateur Open, Co Louth (Par 72)

282 E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 66 76 69 71
286 C O'Malley (Westport) 71 71 71 73, D Lernihan (Castle) 68 71 73 74
287 P O'Hanlon (Curragh) 70 75 70 72
288 S Lowry (Esker Hills) 72 77 67 72, P Cutler (Portstewart) 71 73 71 73, J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 69 72 74 73
291 P Murray (Limerick) 78 72 73 68, N Grant (Knock) 73 68 78 72
293 D Sutton (Lockerbie) 74 70 71 78, E Kennedy (Rosapenna) 73 75 75 70, C Doran (Banbridge) 71 79 71 72
294 A Hogan (Newlands) 76 73 72 73
295 D Morgan (Mullingar) 74 75 72 74
296 K Crowley (Lee Valley) 75 75 72 74, C Curley (Newlands) 74 77 70 75, S Ward (Co Louth) 73 77 76 70, R McCarthy (The Island) 71 73 79 73, H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 69 77 75 75
297 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 75 68 75 79
298 E O'Sullivan (The Island) 77 73 74 74, M Mullen (Wexford) 73 74 74 77
300 R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 71 79 77 73, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 71 76 72 81, N O'Connor (Elm Park) 70 78 75 77
301 R Weldon (Hermitage) 77 74 72 78, F Rafferty (Dungannon) 72 77 73 79, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 70 78 77 76
302 G Dunne (Seapoint) 75 72 78 77, K Bornemann (Douglas) 71 78 77 76, A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 71 74 81 76
303 P Buckley (Kanturk) 73 76 73 81, N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 71 73 77 82
304 E McCormack (Galway) 77 73 73 81
305 W Kelly (Killeen) 76 74 77 78, R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 72 79 78, M Shanahan (West Waterford) 75 74 75 81
306 D Carroll (Grange) 75 74 80 77, N Goulding (Portmarnock) 74 75 75 82, G Lawlor (Citywest) 73 76 76 81
307 C Cunningham (Carton House) 74 75 76 82, E Marsden (Tullamore/NUIG) 73 76 76 82
308 D Ruddy (Thurles) 76 71 78 83, B Walton (Island/NUIM) 75 74 82 77, A Dowling (Hermitage) 72 74 80 82
309 B Fennelly (Royal Dublin) 77 73 76 83, J McGinn (L & B) 76 75 79 79, A McCormick (Scrabo) 75 76 78 80, J Waldron (Muskerry) 74 77 78 80
314 R Durnin (Laytown & Bettystown) 76 75 79 84