Sam Murphy blitzes Thurles to win Irish Boys by eight shots
Sam Murphy (Portumna) winner of the 2020 Irish Boys Under 18 Amateur Close Championship with his father Brian at Thurles Golf Club today (12/08/2020). Picture by Pat Cashman
Portumna’s Sam Murphy’s scorched to an incredible eight-shot win when he closed with a scintillating 65 to capture the Irish Boys title in impressive fashion at Thurles Golf Club.
The 18-year-old Galway golfer showed his liking for the course when he helped Portumna win the AIG Junior Cup there in 2018 and he showed his comfort level in no uncertain terms on the final day, rattling in seven birdies in a bogey-free effort to win going away on 12-under par.
A member of the national Under 18 panel, he shot rounds of 71 and 68 to lead take a two-stroke lead into the final round and never looked like being caught.
After picking up early birdies at the second and third to go to the turn in two-under-par, the chasing pack were left to fight it out for second place as Murphy refused to take his foot off the gas.
The new champion roared home in five-under-par 31, collecting birdies at the 10th,11th, 13th, 16th and 18th for the only bogey-free round of the day and only the second of the week following Dara McNicholl’s 67 in the second round.
“I’m over the moon now, I’m stuck for words,” said Murphy, who made 18 birdies over the three rounds against just six bogeys. “It’s been a really good day, I played really well. It’s everyone’s dream as boy golfer to win an Irish Under 18 Championship and I’m lucky enough to do it.”
Despite never looking like being caught, Murphy was relentless in his pursuit of the title.
“I kept an eye on the scoreboard but all I wanted to do was keep making birdies so I did that,” he added. “I birdied 16, going seven clear, so I was pretty comfortable coming down the last two. I just wanted to go as low as I possibly could today and see how much I could win by.”
Belvoir Park’s Luke Kelly finished runner-up on four-under-par after a closing 70 as Cork’s Morgan Cain shot 68 and Laytown and Bettystown’s Daniel Mulligan a 70 to tie for third on two-under.
It was also a memorable day for Youghal’s Charlie Flavin who made a hole-in-one at the 138-yard third as he tied for 23rd after a 76
Irish Under 18 Boys Open, Thurles (Par 72)
204 Sam Murphy (Portumna) 71 68 65;
212 Luke Kelly (Belvoir Park) 70 72 70;
214 Morgan Cain (Cork) 75 71 68, Daniel Mulligan (Laytown & Bettystown) 71 73 70;
215 Alex King (Faithlegg) 74 71 70, Gavin O’Neill (Malahide) 69 74 72;
216 David Marshall Jnr (Naas) 75 68 73, Rory Milne (Faithlegg) 72 70 74, Darcy Hogg (Belvoir Park) 71 73 72;
217 Joshua McCabe (Roganstown) 74 73 70, Joseph Byrne (Baltinglass) 74 67 76.
