Knipe takes Leinster Boys title in exciting finish
Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush) winner of the Titleist sponsored Leinster Boys Open Championship blasting from the bunker at the 15th green at Kilkenny Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
Royal Portrush's Jamie Knipe held his nerve on a heart-stopping final afternoon to lift the Titleist Footjoy sponsored Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship by a stroke at Kilkenny.
The Ulster talent carded a level par 71 in the morning to go into the final round just two strokes behind Bray's Alan Fahy, who shot a 70 to lead by one from Ring of Kerry's Tommy O'Driscoll on level par.
Jamie Knipe. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
Knipe, O'Driscoll, Kilkenny's Brian Crowdle and Laytown & Bettystown's Thomas Mulligan then battled for the lead for the rest of the day but it was the Royal Portrush man who came out on top.
He carded a three over 74 to win by one from O'Driscoll on five over 289 and by two from halfway leader Fahy, who shot 78 to share third with Kilkenny's Brian Crowdle and Laytown & Bettystown's Thomas Mulligan.
Fahy title chances looked over when he bogeyed four of his first five holes and then followed another bogey at the 10th with a triple bogey seven at the 11th.
But having recovered with a birdie at the 13th and an eagle three at the 14th, he took six at the last when a par could have forced a playoff.
He wasn't the only one wondering what might have been.
Knipe bogeyed three of his last four holes but O'Driscoll, who was remarkably consistent throughout the four rounds, couldn't take advantage and shot 76 to finish a shot behind on 290.
Thomas Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown) playing left handed from the trees at the back of the 16th green during the final round. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
Mulligan, meanwhile, double bogeyed the 12th and 16th to come up one two short alongside Fahy and Crowdle, who shot 74.
The Under 16 Category was won by Marc McKinstry of Cairndhu on 303 while recently-crowned Leinster Under 15 Boys Open champion Cameron Raymond of Newlands captured the Under 15 prize on 306.
Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship 2014
Sponsored by Titleist Footjoy
Final Results Par 71 CSS R4 72
289 Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush) 73 71 71 74
290 Tommy O'Driscoll (Ring Of Kerry) 71 72 71 76
291 Brian Crowdle (Kilkenny) 74 72 71 74, Alan Fahy (Bray) 73 70 70 78, Thomas Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown) 70 73 73 75
295 David Carey (Carton House) 77 71 72 75, Ted Collins (Dun Laoghaire) 75 73 76 71, Karl Eccles (Clandeboye) 75 72 74 74
297 Ryan Long (Cairndhu) 74 72 72 79
298 Charlie Hendrick (Grange) 77 70 74 77
Alan Fahy (Bray) playing from the bunker at the 18th green during the final round. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
299 Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush) 73 69 79 78
300 Alastair McQuillan (Cushendall) 73 81 72 74
301 Marc Boucher (Carton House) 74 76 77 74
302 Jack Howard (Fota Island) 70 77 77 78
303 Marc McKinstry (Cairndhu) 74 76 77 76
304 Mark MacGrath (Limerick) 81 74 74 75, John Bolger (Courtown) 77 74 80 73
305 Jamie Dunne (Borris) 82 73 72 78, Barry Fitzpatrick (Castle) 75 68 83 79, Jack Brown (The Heath) 74 78 79 74, James McVicker (Knock) 71 77 79 78
306 Marc Norton (Belvoir Park) 81 74 77 74, Patrick Brennan (Belvoir Park) 79 75 82 70, Cameron Raymond (Newlands) 75 75 76 80
307 Harry Duggan (Kilkenny) 77 76 74 80, Mark Power (Kilkenny) 76 76 80 75, Michael Cooke (Waterford) 76 76 77 78
308 Rob Brazill (Naas) 77 74 81 76, Glenn Fry (Greystones) 77 74 79 78, Oisin Devereux (Carton House) 77 73 79 79
309 Gareth Carr (Mullingar) 75 76 77 81
310 David Clince (Craddockstown) 80 75 82 73, Eoin Kelly (Co. Meath) 80 75 75 80, Sean Walsh (Carton House) 75 78 79 78, John Molyneaux (Ballybunion) 74 74 82 80, Luke Cummins (West Waterford) 74 72 82 82, James Lennon (Carlow) 73 80 81 76
311 Louis O'Hara (Athenry) 81 74 79 77, Liam Grehan (Mullingar) 76 78 85 72
312 Darragh Smith (Castle) 78 74 86 74, Jack Madden (Dungannon) 78 72 79 83
Brian Crowdle (Kilkenny) driving from the 5th tee during the final round. Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
313 John Cleary (Elm Park) 78 74 78 83, Sean McParland (Greystones) 77 77 81 78, David Hill (Roscommon) 77 77 78 81
314 Ben Graham (Scrabo) 80 74 84 76, Conor Harte (Castle) 80 74 80 80
316 Kevin Power (Kilkenny) 75 73 85 83
317 Conor Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 78 75 86 78
318 Cameron Mills (Shandon Park) 73 81 84 80
319 Jonathan Doherty (Ballina) 79 74 83 83, Declan Kelly (Hermitage) 76 78 85 80
Kevin McIntyre (Chairman, Leinster Golf, GUI) presenting Jamie Knipe (Royal Portrush) with the Titleist sponsored Leinster Boys Open Championship trophy after his victory at Kilkenny. Also in the picture are Keith Bardon (Titleist Footjoy) and Denis Brophy (Captain, Kilkenny Golf Club). Picture by Pat Cashman www.cashmanphotography.ie
Non Qualifiers
155 Dylan Burke (Cahir Park) 80 75, Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu) 78 77, Eric Rumley (Kinsale) 77 78, Spencer Adamson (K Club) 77 78
156 Jack Johnston (Clandeboye) 83 73, Gavin Fitzmaurice (Balcarrick) 80 76, Mark Doogue (Baltinglass) 80 76, John Murphy (Kinsale) 79 77, Sean Doyle (Athlone) 79 77, Michael Ryan (New Ross) 79 77, Jack Dempsey (Newbridge) 79 77, Adam McCormick (Scrabo) 78 78, Rory Williamson (Holywood) 78 78, Devin Morley (Oughterard) 78 78, Cathal Butler (Kinsale) 77 79, Caolan Kennedy (Forrest Little.) 75 81
157 Eoin Conway (West Waterford) 82 75, Nick Moore (Monkstown) 81 76, David Travers (Carton House) 80 77, Bill Murray (Waterford Castle) 79 78, Shane McGagh (Claremorris) 79 78, Ryan Corry (Clandeboye) 79 78 , Daire Creavin (Killeen Castle) 79 78 , Rory Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 79 78 , Marc McCormack (Ashbourne) 79 78 , Cathal Nolan (Galway) 78 79 , Conor, , , , , Wynne (Co. Sligo) 78 79, Robert Browne (Castle) 77 80, Darragh Walsh (Carton House) 77 80, Greg Milne (Faithlegg) 77 80
158 Eric Byrne (Birr) 82 76, Niall Hearns (Mountrath) 82 76, Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) 82 76, Henry Clark (Shandon Park) 80 78, Charlie Denvir (Milltown) 78 80, Ross Mohan (The Island) 78 80, Daniel Molloy (Castle Barna) 77 81, Tommy Doran (Balbriggan) 76 82, Craig Bolger (Carlow) 76 82
159 Sean O'Regan (Edmondstown) 85 74, Jake Vickers (Balbriggan) 85 74, Lee O'Meara (Castle Barna) 83 76, William Small (Tandragee) 80 79, Stephen Kelliher (Killarney) 80 79, Jack Healy (Westport) 79 80, Charles McGoldrick (Enniscrone) 79 80, Paul Kelly (Glasson) 78 81, Ross Steedman (Courtown) 77 82
160 Scott Campbell (Greenacres) 80 80, George Morgan (Grange) 80 80, Eoin O'Hehir (Naas) 75 85
161 Mark Rea (Donaghadee) 83 78, Harry Walsh (Waterford Castle) 81 80, Jack Doherty (Westmanstown) 80 81, Andrew Magee (Powerscourt) 79 82
162 Jamie Larkin (Naas) 86 76, A.j. McCabe (Malahide) 85 77, Paul Twohig (Fota Island) 85 77, Edward Kennedy (Woodbrook) 83 79, Conor Flanagan (Tullamore) 82 80, Luke Donnelly (Callan) 82 80, Peter Cummins (Lurgan) 80 82, Bill Hannan (Carton House) 80 82, Gary Ward (Kinsale) 79 83, Jason Conway (Donegal) 77 85
163 Dayle Donohoe (Enniscorthy) 85 78, Michael Culhane (Limerick) 83 80, Sam Sweeney (Seapoint) 82 81, Cian Feeney (Co. Sligo) 81 82, Stewart McCaw (Royal Belfast) 80 83, Mark Travers (Carton House) 79 84
164 Paul Murphy (Rosslare) 85 79, Stephen Sharpe (Balbriggan) 83 81, Jack McGarry (Rosslare) 81 83
165 Garreth Hogan (St. Anne's) 84 81, John Corbett Jnr (Thurles) 82 83, Fergus Mc Cambridge (Cushendall) 82 83, Ben Murray (Castle) 82 83, Ciaran Smyth (Greenore) 79 86, Anton Brennan (Athenry) 76 89
166 Danny Leahy (Curragh) 82 84, Evan Hughes (Thurles) 81 85, Alan Riordan (Blarney) 80 86
167 Eoghan Collins (Laytown & Bettystown) 86 81, Conor Keown (Greystones) 83 84
169 Cillian Moloney (Fota Island) 88 81, Lee Birrell (Newbridge) 81 88
170 Peter Rolston (Shandon Park) 84 86, Paul Tobin (Cork) 81 89, Cian Hutchinson (Carton House) 79 91
171 Joe Joslin (Castle Barna) 88 83, Brendan O'Neill (Citywest Resort) 86 85
172 Aaron Bagnall (Millicent) 85 87
173 Daniel Curry (Coollattin) 94 79, Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 86 87
80 Ronan Whelan (New Ross) 80
89 Jason O'Reilly (Tramore) 89
WD Niall Kennedy (Tramore) WD, Dylan Brophy (Castleknock) WD