Winner Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) with the 2016 Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship trophy after his victory at The Royal Dublin Golf Club today (08/05/2016). Picture by Pat Cashman

The stage was so spectacular set up that the performers could hardly fail.

With the Royal Dublin at her Sunday best, the yellow whins and springy turf caressed in their glorious, technicolour best by a zephyr breeze as midday haze gave way to golden sunshine, the Flogas Irish Amateur Open arguably produce one of the most entertaining final afternoons since it was first staged 124 years ago.

For a while it looked as though the eventual champion Colm Campbell would suck all the excitement out of the day as he stood up on the ninth tee two under for the round and six strokes ahead as he rifled another bullet into the heart of the green.

Nice shot to 9 by @ColmCampbell87 but Jack Hume hits it close. Start of the fight ask? He's T2 with Max Boegel, -10 pic.twitter.com/8EYQu9sKWH
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) May 8, 2016

But Naas’ Jack Hume, the 22-year world amateur number 10 and hero of last year’s record-setting Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team, had other ideas on a course measuring 7,147 yards (just 140 yards short of its full length).

By hitting an eight iron to three feet at the ninth, he made the first of five birdies in the last 10 holes that almost gave 29-year old Campbell and his loyal band of following from Warrenpoint, a nervous breakdown.

As Campbell began the back nine bogey-birdie-bogey to fall back to 15 under, Hume went on the charge, holing for birdie from 18 feet at the 13th, 12 feet at the 14th and 10 feet at the 16th to reduce the gap to just one stroke.

Campbell, the 2014 East of Ireland champion, looked to have his second major title in the bag when he holed a 25 footer for birdie at the 17th to go two ahead on 16 under par and then hit a seven-iron to 30 foot at the last with Hume 20 yards left, just off the green

Jack Hume (Naas) holes his huge birdie putt at the 18th in the final round of the 2016 Flogas Irish Amateur Open. Picture by Pat Cashman — Jack Hume (Naas) holes his huge birdie putt at the 18th in the final round of the 2016 Flogas Irish Amateur Open. Picture by Pat Cashman

But Hume would not go quietly and opting to putt rather than chip off a bare, lie, holed a double-breaking 60 footer for birdie and a 69 that set the target at 15 under par 273.

Campbell had two putts for the win and duly took then, lagging his downhill birdie putt up to just two feet before tapping in for a 70 and a winning, 16 under par 272 total that gives him a start alongside Hume and one other Irish amateur in next week’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at The K Club.

“I’m thinking don’t three putt,” Campbell confessed afterwards when asked what it was like to stand over his 30 footer following Hume’s 60 foot special. “Don’t leave myself a three, four footer. To be fair it was a nice putt, it was downhill, sort of wee bit of right to left.

“It was a nice putt to be able to tap in and become the Irish Amateur Open champion."

And that's a birdie sir @ColmCampbell87 holes 2 clear pic.twitter.com/93eRkG6I25
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) May 8, 2016

On the last two holes, which were full of drama, he singled out the putt at the 17th.

"That’s probably the loudest roar I’ve ever heard since I've been playing anyway." he said with a grin. "That was a huge turning point because you go to 18 with only a one-shot lead and it makes it a wee bit more difficult.

“I made two really good swings on 18. I hit a really nice rescue off the tee and hit a lovely seven iron from 190 yards into about 25 or 30 feet. And then Jack does what he does.”