Andrew Stracey, from the Littlestone golf club in Kent, fired a final round of 78 to win the Irish Seniors Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by the Algarve Tourist Board, at Bangor Golf Club.

A one handicapper, Stracey was contesting the Championship for the first time having celebrated his 55th birthday last November, and following his opening rounds of 71 and 70 he held a convincing 5 stroke lead over Doneraile's Michael Quirke.

Quirke steadily closed the gap during the final round, in which he opened with par-birdie-par before playing solid golf to edge within two strokes of Stracey with three holes to play. Stracey birdied the sixteenth hole but his lead was reduced to one thanks to a fantastic eagle three from the Corkman.

The two finished with pairs of pars and Stracey became the first English winner of the event since Cliff Hartland from Huddersfield secured his third title in a row in 1992.

Irish Seniors International John Carroll (Bandon) captured the trophy for Over 60's players while Peter Cowley (Cork) won the Over 65's trophy.

After 54 Holes:

219: A Stracey (England) 71 70 78

220: M Quirke (Doneraile) 73 73 74

223: S McParland (Greenore) 75 73 75

224: T Cleary (Cork) 79 74 71, W Donlon (Birr) 77 72 75, P Posnett (Shandon Park) 76 74 74

225: N Duke (Killiney) 72 74 79

226: A Donkersley (England) 78 70 78, V Smyth (Co. Louth) 72 76 78

227: M Kelly (Killeen) 78 75 74, P Cowley (Cork) 77 75 75 (Winner Over 65's Trophy), D Lane (England) 73 75 79

228: B Edgar (England) 80 74 74, H Smyth (Mourne) 80 71 77, A Morrow (Portmarnock) 73 78 77, R Berry (Rossmore) 71 78 79

229: S Hopkins (Wales) 77 72 80, J Carroll (Bandon) 75 79 75 (Winner Over 60's Trophy), M Coote (Tralee) 75 75 79

230: A Carman (England) 75 75 80, L MacNamara (Woodbrook) 72 77 81

231: M Eager (Lucan) 81 74 76, B Burke (Moate) 80 74 77, E McCartan (Greenore) 80 73 78, N Swenson (USA) 79 74 78, G Mellerick (Fota Island) 77 78 76, J Hackler (USA) 74 78 79

232: D Murphy (Scotland) 83 74 75, B Mills (Clandeboye) 80 72 80, J O'Grady (K Club) 77 77 78, A Smith (Blainroe) 76 78 78

233: R Whiteside (England) 80 76 77, S Baker (England) 78 79 76, A Higgins (The Royal Dublin) 77 80 76

234: R Gill (Scotland) 75 79 80

235: P Slater (England) 81 74 80, N Russell (Clandeboye) 77 74 84, G Rees (Wales) 73 77 85

236: R Cotter (Delgany) 81 76 79, R Tolly (USA) 78 78 80, M Morris (Portmarnock) 78 76 82, J Browne (Belvoir Park) 77 78 81, G O'Keeffe (Waterford) 76 79 81

237: B O'Leary (Greystones) 73 83 81

238: J Paton (Scotland) 83 74 81, J Baldwin (USA) 80 77 81

241: S Sander (USA) 76 78 87

242: M Temple (USA) 77 77 88
    
DQ:  P Crellin (England) 81 77 DQ, S Hosty (Galway) 78 81 DQ, R Wallace (Spa) 87 82 DQ

Non-qualifiers:

158: S Ellis (Scotland) 81 77, B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 80 78, A Brown (England) 79 79

159: T Goode (Lucan) 84 75, I Stewart (Curragh) 83 76, M Foley (Faithlegg) 82 77, G King (England) 80 79,
I Dickson (Scotland) 78 81, C Hurst (The London) 74 85

160: S Rhorer (USA) 83 77, B Stewart (Scotland) 83 77, P Harrington (Muskerry) 81 79, J Johnston (Scotland) 78 82

161: J Broadfoot (Scotland) 83 78, L White (USA) 81 80, J Kirwan (England) 81 80, T Hayes (K Club) 81 80, 
T Coughlan (Walmley) 80 81, R Walker (England) 79 82

162: J Gilhooly (Edmondstown) 86 76, P McBride (Co. Armagh) 84 78, N Woods (Bangor) 84 78, D Jackson (Clandeboye) 83 79, S O'Donovan (Co. Sligo) 82 80, T McEvoy (Hatfield) 82 80, S Pond (England) 81 81,
 M Galvin (Limerick) 81 81, P Rafferty (Carnalea) 80 82

163: L Gort (Isle of Man) 86 77, I Mason (England) 83 80, D Noone (Balbriggan) 82 81, P Kinloch (Scotland) 81 82, F McCarroll (North West) 81 82, L Murray (Mourne) 80 83, M Martin (Clandeboye) 80 83, G Ross (USA) 79 84

164: G Jackson (England) 84 80, N Patterson (Milltown) 84 80

165: R Timlin (Galway) 86 79, T Fox (Co. Louth) 86 79, S McClure (Massereene) 85 80, W Miscampbell (Malone) 85 80, A Cooper (USA) 84 81, K Raftery (Forrest Little) 82 83, R McDonnell (Co. Louth) 82 83, 
W Leggett (The Island) 82 83, J Scullion (Carrick-on-Shannon) 80 85

166: G Parkhill (Carrickfergus) 87 79, J Anderson (England) 86 80, J Kinloch (Scotland) 84 82, S McGuinness (Royal Portrush) 84 82, J McCrory (Knock) 82 84, T Saunders (Ennis) 82 84, B O'Gorman (Rossmore) 82 84

167: B Madden (Edmondstown) 86 81, G Finn (Cork) 85 82, M McNally (Powerscourt) 85 82, P Morgan 
(Co. Sligo) 83 84

168: R Nordlund (USA) 84 84

169: P Hautz (Delgany) 83 86, W Davis (Rosslare) 80 89

170: E Connolly (Blainroe) 89 81

171: R Millar (Kirkistown Castle) 89 82, D Bentham (England) 86 85

172: S Lynch (Minchinhampton) 89 83, W Erwin (USA) 86 86, D Morris (Limerick) 85 87, D McClure (Knock) 
84 88

173: V Adams (England) 89 84, J Mullen (Laytown & Bettystown) 88 85, B McGranaghan (Galway) 87 86

176: J Cecchini (USA) 90 86, P O'Kane (USA) 88 88

177: M Marshall (Mahee Island) 84 93

179: J Thomas (England) 89 90

180: P Coyne (Dun Laoghaire) 90 90, J Coey (Clandeboye) 89 91

181: D Grant (Knock) 92 89

185: G Adde (Sweden) 94 91, L Weir (Claremorris) 92 93

NR  A Lee (Mullingar) NR, P Smyth (Killiney) NR, J Maguire (Co. Louth) 83 NR, A Campbell (Fortwilliam) 86 NR, D McCart (Scotland) 82 NR, T Campion (Athlone) 82 NR, I Sanderson (Bangor) 91 NR, M Greene (Mourne) 93

NR

DQ:  T McNeill (Moyola Park) DQ

RT:  B Whitaker (Elm Park) RT, K Burns (Lisburn) 88 RT, H Mackeown (Portmarnock) 79 RT, B O'Malley 
(The Royal Dublin) 78 RT, B Reddan (Co. Louth) 78 RT, D Harte (Fota Island) 76 RT, S Coyne (Killarney) 84 RT