Pinto wins as Murray takes 23rd in Portugal
Pat Murray. Picture by Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieLimerick’s Pat Murray closed with a 74 to finish 23rd in the Portuguese International Amateur Open at Montado Hotel & Golf Resort near Lisbon.
The South of Ireland champion was the only Irish player to make the 54-hole cut as he went into the final round tied for 15th on one under.
Gonçalo Pinto with the Portuguese International Amateur Open trophyHe made an early birdie at the 157-yard third but bogeys at the seventh, ninth, 10th and 13th put paid to his hopes of a top-ten finish before he picked up a late birdie four at the 17th.
Portugal’s Gonçalo Pinto, who was four clear with a round to play, took the title by two strokes from England’s Jerome Titlow when he closed with a 71 to finish on 11 under par.
“I’m extremely happy, it’s a reward for my hard work,” said Pinto, a two time Portuguese national champion from Vilamoura Golf Club. “The objective was to win but I knew it was going to be difficult. Happily, I played very good golf and improved every day though the putts didn’t go in today.
“It’s great to win at home. Winning an international event at home is the high point of my career so far.”
Pinto is the third Portuguese player to win the title, following in the footsteps of Ricardo Oliveira in 1990 and Pedro Figueiredo in 2008.
Portugal’s three man team of Pinto, João Carlota and Miguel Gaspar won the team title with an aggregate of 417, seven better than Denmark (424) with England third (427).