Happy ending as McGeady claims Irish PGA
Michael McGeady with the Irish PGA trophy. Picture Fran Caffrey www.golffile.ieDerry’s Michael McGeady ended a five year major title dought when he birdied the par-five 18th to win the Cassidy Golf 103rd Irish PGA Championship by a stroke at Roganstown Golf and Country Club.
The 33-year old, who failed to push on after winning on the Challenge Tour in 2008 and admitted recently that he simply couldn’t afford to enter the European Tour Q-School, closed with a four under 67 to edge out Monkstown’s Cian McNamara and Ballyliffin’s Damian Mooney on nine under par and pocket a cheque for €3,500.
McGeady started the day tied for third, a stroke behind co-leaders Michael McDermott and Mark Staunton, but birdied the par-five fourth, fifth and 10th and followed a bogey four at the 12th with birdies at the 14th and 18th to set the target.
McDermott came to the last needing an eagle three to force a play-off but took six and ended up alone in fourth on six under after a 71.
Meanwhile, European Tour star Shane Lowry put his missed cut in the Portugal Masters behind him and caddied for pal Dara Lernihan, who finished on six over after a 74.
Cassidy Golf 103rd Irish PGA Championship, Roganstown Golf & Country Club (Par 71)
Final
(Click here for scorecards)
275 Michael McGeady (Unattt) 66 72 70 67 (€3,500)
276 Cian McNamara (Monkstown) 70 70 68 68, Damian Mooney (Ballyliffin) 73 69 66 68 (€2,125 each)
278 Michael McDermott (Pure Golf Leopardstown) 65 73 69 71 (€1,660)
280 Neil O’Briain (Old Conna) 70 71 70 69, Mark Staunton (Ballinasloe) 70 68 69 73 (€1,375 each)
281 Colm Moriarty (Glasson) 70 70 71 70, Michael Collins (Mallow Golf Range) 74 68 69 70 (€1,092 each)
282 David Mortimer (Galway) 69 73 71 69, Glen Robinson (St Helen’s Bay) 73 69 71 69, Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) 74 67 71 70 (€845 each)
283 Gary Wardlow (American Golf) 74 73 69 67, Brian McElhinney (Foyle Golf Centre) 73 71 69 70, Noel Murray (Massereene) 70 70 71 72, Peter Martin (Colin Park Golf Academy) 74 67 70 72,
284 Brendan McGovern (Headfort) 74 69 72 69
285 Donal Gleeson (Old Conna) 79 69 69 68, Ciaran Molloy (Unatt) 74 71 68 72,
286 Wayne O’Callaghan (Fernhill) 73 73 72 68, Tim Rice (Unatt) 73 76 68 69
287 Daniel Sugrue (Killarney Golf & Fishing Club) 73 71 74 69, John Dwyer (Ashbourne) 76 68 71 72
289 David Foley (Dromoland Castle GC) 71 73 74 71, Patrick Devine (Royal Dublin) 72 77 69 71, Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny) 74 71 72 72, Michael Allan (Pure Golf Leopardstown) 71 72 73 73
290 Padraig Dooley (Drive Golf Performance Ltd) 75 73 72 70, Dara Lernihan (Elm Park) 76 70 70 74
291 Kenny Fahey (GUI National Academy) 73 74 73 71
292 John Dignam (Slade Valley) 76 72 73 71
293 Brendan Walton (Island) 76 74 74 69, Graeme Dunlea (Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort) 73 78 72 70, Daniel Beattie (Deer Park) 77 74 70 72
294 Jussi Pitkanen (Dave Pelz Scoring Game School) 75 75 73 71, David Reilly (Westmanstown) 78 74 71 71, Eamonn Brady (Clontarf) 73 73 76 72, Geoffrey Loughrey (Roganstown Golf & Country Club) 70 76 73 75
295 Paul Stevenson (Portadown) 77 72 77 69, Hazel Kavanagh (Carr Golf Services) 78 74 72 71, Peter McCarroll (Allen Park Golf Centre) 75 72 75 73
296 Gerry Burke (Curragh) 72 78 76 70, Peter Jones (Coollattin) 75 77 73 71, Brian Kerley (Green Life Golf Centre) 73 77 73 73
298 Conor Deegan (Dun Laoghaire) 78 74 74 72 ,
299 Noel Callan (Faughan Valley) 78 73 75 73
300 Conor Thornton (Dundalk) 76 71 82 71, Patrick Small (Galway) 76 76 73 75
301 Shane Deegan (Spawell Driving Range) 74 76 79 72, James Quinlivan (Mullingar) 74 74 74 79
302 Martin McTernan (Co. Sligo) 72 79 78 73, Roderick Park (Park Consulting Services) 78 72 78 74
303 Ronan Collins (Callaway Golf Europe Ltd) 74 74 78 77
305 Michael O’Shea (Rathsallagh) 73 75 78 79
308 Paul Masterson (Coollattin) 73 76 86 73