McCormack wins Connacht Mid-Am with "impossible" bunker shot

Eddie McCormack added the Connacht Mid-Amateur title to his win in the Ulster Mid-Am last month. Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

Galway's Eddie McCormack stood over an 'impossible' bunker shot at the rear of the 18th green where getting up and down would have been taken by anyone, only to see the ball gain pace on its way to the hole, strike the pin, and drop into the hole fo birdie and victory in the Connacht Mid-Amateur Open Championship, writes the Connacht Branch.

Winner of the Ulster Mid-Amateur already this season, a one over 71 gave McCormack a two-shot win over Ballybunion's Peter Sheehan on five over par with overnight leader Gary O'Flaherty third on eight over after a 76.

Connacht Mid Amateur Open Championship, Galway Golf Club (Par 70 SSS 72 and CSS Rd.1 – 73, Rd.2 73 & Rd. 73)

Detailed scores

215 Eddie McCormack (Galway) 73 71 71

217 Peter Sheehan (Ballybunion) 76 68 73

218 Gary O'Flaherty (Cork) 74 68 76

219 Joe Lyons (Galway) 75 72 72

220 Billy Donlon (Birr) 72 74 74, Sean Alley (Co. Tipperary) 74 72 74, Eamonn Haugh (Castletroy) 72 73 75

224 Joe Bernie (Athenry) 75 77 72, David Kelleher (Portmarnock) 74 74 76

225 Tom Nolan (Galway) 75 76 74, Serryth Heavey (Co. Sligo) 74 73 78

226 Mark Collins (Killeen Castle) 75 75 76

227 Joe Crangle (Fortwilliam) 74 74 79

228 Pat Bevins (Carlow) 75 74 79

229 Tony McClements (Holywood) 79 75 75, Peter Kane (Ashbourne) 76 75 78, Liam Halpin (Westport) 76 75 78

231 Rob Fitzpatrick (Dunmurry Springs) 72 77 82

232 Ciaran Campbell (Carton House) 76 74 82

233 Dara Bruen (Castlerea) 76 75 82

235 Conor Waters (Athenry) 75 81 79, Colm Murphy (Clandeboye) 80 75 80

236 Cathal Madden (Loughrea) 76 78 82

237 Denis Cullen (Carton House) 75 82 80, Fergus Harrold (Castletroy) 77 78 82, Ronan Maher (Mullingar) 75 74 88

238 Kevin Canavan (Corballis Links) 78 74 86

241 Michael Eaton (Holywood) 78 79 84 

Non Qualifiers

158 David Scully (Galway) 83 75, Colm McIlroy (Holywood) 82 76, John Bodkin (Tuam) 78 80, Rory Timlin (Galway) 74 84, Michael Darcy (Oughterard) 73 85

159 Denis O'Donovan (Charleville) 80 79, Martin Ruane (Galway) 80 79, Ronan Cooney (Lahinch) 80 79, Alan Doherty (Corrstown) 80 79, Eddie Mulholland (Galway) 79 80, Ken Irwin (Castlebar) 76 83

160 Gordon Hutchinson (Royal Belfast) 80 80, Declan McInerney (Lahinch) 78 82, David Lally (Mullingar) 76 84

161 Gordon Eivers (Forrest Little.) 83 78, Ian Smyth (Clandeboye) 80 81

162 Martin Higgins (Claremorris) 78 84

163 Dermot McKenna (Blainroe) 79 84

164 Gerard O'Farrell (Galway) 82 82

165 Damien Coyne (Tuam) 84 81

166 Andrew Norrby (Balmoral) 82 84

167 Trevor Dooley (Forrest Little.) 80 87

168 Alan Moran (Tuam) 83 85

169 Daniel McGrath (Tuam) 85 84

170 Frank Ford (Oughterard) 84 86

171 Gary Currie (Fortwilliam) 92 79, Ben Rittweger (East Clare) 89 82

174 Martin Colohan (Fortwilliam) 87 87

177 David Geraghty (Blainroe) 87 90

179 Shane O'Donoghue (Clonmel) 88 91

182 Fergal O'Flaherty (Co. Sligo) 88 94 

NR Colin Cassidy (Portmarnock) NR 76, Derek Basquill (Enniscrone) 74 NR, Gerard Noone (Claremorris) 77 NR, Noel Crawford (Mourne) 78 NR, Paul Glynn (Galway) 79 NR, Liam O'Reilly (Oughterard) 81 NR, Bobby O'Donoghue (Castletroy) 81 NR, Gary Purtill (Dromoland) 84 NR, Christian Leonard (Beaverstown) 86 NR, Brendan Penney (Athenry) 87 NR, Richard Williams (Naas) DQ 80, Barry Gormley () DQ 80, Mario Costelloe (Roscommon) 80 WD, Gerry O'Sullivan (Galway) 87 WD