Majestic McGimpsey makes it three in a row

Garth McGimpsey romped to his third successive Irish Seniors Amateur Close title at Porrtumna. It may be a cliché, but the winning shot of the Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship for 2013 was the shot of a champion, and it came from Garth McGimpsey, who brilliantly sealed a third successive title with a superb three-under 69.

A curling, downhill, 45-foot putt from the back of Portumna’s 18th green gently dropped into the hole and was greeted by a thunderous roar from the large crowd enjoying the brilliant sunshine.

With that, McGimpsey knew he had finally completed his task. Having started the day two shots behind Doneraile’s Michael Quirke and Mourne’s Hugh Smyth, he had six shots to spare in the end.

Although Smyth fell away on the front nine, eventually finishing nine strokes behind on 228 after an 80, Quirke put up a stern challenge to McGimpsey and was only two behind following a birdie at the 15th

However, he found the water on the 17th, effectively ending his challenge, but finished runner-up despite dropping another shot at the last for a closing 77.

Tipperary’s Arthur Pierse clinched the over-60s trophy while Cork’s Peter Cowley won the over-65s prize and Blainroe’s Alastair Smith the over-70s prize.

Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship, Sponsored by Tourism Malaysia

Portumna Golf Club, Wednesday 3rd – Friday 5th July

Final results

219 G McGimpsey (Bangor) 75 75 69

225 M Quirke (Doneraile) 75 73 77

226 A Smith (The Island) 75 76 75

227 A Pierse (Tipperary) 75 75 77 (WINNER OF THE 0-60 TROPHY), J Mitchell (Tramore) 74 78 75

228 T Cleary (Cork) 78 72 78, A Morrow (Portmarnock) 76 76 76, P Cowley (Cork) 76 75 77 (WINNER OF THE O-65 TROPHY), H Smyth (Mourne) 74 74 80

229 P Rogers (Dundalk) 74 77 78

230 M Ahern (Skerries) 76 75 79, N Duke (Killiney) 71 81 78

231 D O’Donovan (Bandon) 75 77 79, R Fitzgerald (Tramore) 73 76 82

232 L MacNamara (Rosslare) 80 77 75, R McDowell (Royal Belfast) 79 74 79, D Morris (Limerick) 77 78 77

233 N Patterson (Milltown) 79 81 73

234 M Kelly (Killeen) 81 74 79, B Donlon (Birr) 79 79 76

235 B McDonnell (K Club) 79 78 78, T Hayes (K Club) 74 80 81

236 B Burke (Moate) 76 81 79

237 B Whitaker (Elm Park) 81 79 77, M

Coote (Tralee) 79 78 80, D Corcoran (Thurles) 78 77 82, J Harte (Portumna) 77 80 80

238 I Smyth (Clandeboye) 80 78 80, M Eager (Lucan) 78 80 80, D Conway (Portmarnock) 77 78 83, J Gilbert (Malone) 74 79 85

239 J McVeigh (Carlow) 80 79 80, R Brooker (Skerries) 79 81 79, G Reeves (Limerick) 77 82 80

240 P Cooley (Portstewart) 80 79 81

241 N Pyne (Ennis) 79 81 81

242 A Smith (Blainroe) 78 83 81 (WINNER OF THE O-70 TROPHY), K Heavin (Moate) 78 80 84

243 P Hurst (Castlebar) 81 79 83

244 M Foley (Faithlegg) 80 80 84

245 W Miscampbell (Malone) 75 83 87

Non-Qualifiers:

161 R Timlin (Galway) 82 79, B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 81 80, D Egan (Loughrea) 81 80

162 V Smyth (Co. Louth) 85 77, L Troy (Thurles) 84 78, W O’Brien (Ballykisteen) 81 81, K O’Mahony (Galway) 80 82, J O’Malley (Rathdowney) 79 83, J Dempsey (Curragh) 78 84

163 J O’Donoghue (Tipperary) 82 81, N Mannion (Dun Laoghaire) 81 82, N Finnegan (Gort) 80 83, J Cuffe (Monkstown) 78 85

164 L Galvin (Moate) 84 80, T Goode (Lucan) 83

81, P Comerford (Corrstown) 82 82, O McDonagh (Tuam) 82 82, J Cullen (Esker Hills) 80 84, S Coyne (Killarney) 79 85, S Hosty (Galway) 77 87

165 E Coughlan (Moate) 86 79, G Murphy (K Club) 83 82, T Lilly (Slade Valley) 82 83, G O’Kennedy (Athlone) 82 83, E Crawford (Mourne) 78 87, P Harrington (Muskerry) 78 87

166 M Darcy (Oughterard) 86 80, N O’Riordan (East Cork) 85 81, J Gilhooly (K Club) 83 83, L Horgan (The Heath) 82 84, M Donohue (Portumna) 81 85

167 D Noone (Balbriggan) 89 78, D McHugh (Douglas) 86 81, P Lynch (Slade Valley) 83 84, M Galvin (Limerick) 83 84, J Houlihan (Dooks) 82 85

168 K Lapsley (Dunfanaghy) 87 81, G O Keeffe (Waterford) 82 86

171 P Fogarty (Moate) 86 85, M Martin (Clandeboye) 84 87

172 P Hautz (Delgany) 88 84, G Eagleton (Virginia) 83 89, D Sheedy (Lahinch) 82 90

173 G Pierse (Lahinch) 88 85

176 R Lynam (Moate) 91 85

177 R Cotter (Delgany) 89 88

181 L Wall (Cahir Park) 93 88

WTD S Prendergast (The Royal Dublin) 78 WTD

CSS

Round 1 73

Round 2 74

Round 3 74