Loftus denies McLarnon Intervarsity title at 22nd

Declan Loftus during last year's East of Ireland Championship. Picture: Thos Caffrey / www.golffile.ie

NUI Maynooth’s Declan Loftus drilled home 12-foot birdie putt at the fourth sudden-death hole to claim a memorable victory in the Irish Intervarsity Championship at The Heritage.

The Castlebar player defeated University of Ulster’s Tiarnan McLarnon, the reigning Irish Youths champion, in a dramatic playoff after they had finished tied on 10 over 226 after 54-holes.

Both McLarnon and Loftus had to battle to get into the playoff. McLarnon pitched and putted from 20 yards at the 18th, his 10-foot par putt just wriggling in to the hole to set the target.

Loftus looked to be out of contention after reaching the turn in six over, but he showed great fortitude on the back nine, which he played in one over.

In the playoff, the first two holes were halved in pars, and then McLarnon missed a major chance from five feet for what would have been a winning par at the third.

At the short fourth, McLarnon’s tee shot finished 30 feet behind the flag, while Loftus played his approach to within 12 feet of the hole.

McLarnon made a decent effort at his putt, but in the end Loftus finished like a champion, rolling in his birdie two to clinch the title.

Meanwhile, UCD’s Chloe Ryan won the Ladies Championship by six shots from defending champion Paula Grant (Lisburn) with UCC’s Jean O’Driscoll in third place.

Irish Intervarsity Championship, The Heritage GC

Men’s Championship

226 Declan Loftus (Castlebar) 70 77 79, Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) 77 70 79 (Loftus won at 4th extra hole)

227 Conor O'Rourke (Naas) 75 75 77

228 Gary Hurley (West Waterford) 76 75 77

229 James Lindsay (North West) 80 78 71

230 Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen & West Carbery) 76 76 78

231 Ryan Gribben (Warrenpoint) 78 74 79

232 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little.) 81 78 73

233 Jonathan Yates (Naas) 75 81 77

234 David Byrne (Athenry) 80 78 76, Eoin Cantwell (Kilkenny) 80 76 78, Ryan O'Dwyer (Callan) 78 78 78, Matthew McClean (Balmoral) 78 76 80

235 Craig Melvin (Corrstown) 77 74 84, Jack Solan (Rathsallagh) 73 77 85

236 Alan Lowry (Esker Hills) 79 76 81

237 Shane McGlynn (Carton House) 80 81 76, Mark Morrissey (Mount Wolseley) 80 81 76, Ross Kenny (Naas) 81 77 79

238 Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe) 84 77 77

239 Shaun Carter (Stackstown) 79 81 79

240 Ronan O'Grady (Tullamore) 78 81 81

241 William Russell (Clandeboye) 80 82 79, Eoghan O'Donovan (Craddockstown) 83 77 81, Anthony McDaid (Douglas) 79 78 84

244 Declan Reidy (Co. Sligo) 81 80 83

245 Enda Cradock (Gort) 85 80 80

246 Gerard MacNamara (Woodbrook) 83 83 80, Matthew McGowan (Ballybofey & Stranorlar) 84 82 80

248 Ben Murray (Waterford Castle) 80 93 75, Ryan O'Doherty (Enniscrone) 88 80 80, Gavin Young (Birr) 80 86 82

249 Gary Shaw (Mullingar) 87 82 80

250 Eoin O'Brien (Clontarf) 86 81 83, Derek Power (Goldcoast) 78 84 88, Gareth Mann (Tullamore) 85 77 88

251 Iain Collins (Bray) 90 82 79, Mal Wylie (Balmoral) 83 85 83, Sam Power (Waterford Castle) 83 83 85

253 Damien McDonough (Galway) 85 86 82

256 Mark Mulvany (Corrstown) 86 89 81

257 Kevin Holland (The Heath) 89 81 87

260 Gavin Tobin (Headfort) 86 89 85

262 David Fitzgerald (Tralee) 86 86 90

265 Robert Monroe (Oughterard) 88 88 89

272 Stephen Rowland (Abbeyleix) 89 94 89

168 Dylan O'Connor (Faithlegg) 90 78 , Daragh McIntyre (Westmanstown) 84 84 

170 Brian Lenihan (Castleisland) 90 80 

172 Darragh Hogan (Killeen Castle) 85 87 

189 Shaun Walsh (Castleisland) 91 98 

Ladies’ Championship

151 Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) 76 75

157 Paula Grant (Lisburn) 81 76

159 Jean O'Driscoll (Muskerry) 81 78

160 Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) 84 76, Shannen Brown (The Heath) 79 81

164 Roisin Brady (Co. Louth) 81 83

170 Jessica Boal (Larne) 87 83

173 Kate Whyte (Lucan) 88 85