Thornton swoops in sudden-death to claim third Irish PGA crown
Simon Thornton shows off the Irish Professional Championship trophy. Picture: PGA in Ireland
Tulfarris Golf Resort’s Simon Thornton birdied the first extra hole to edge out Glasson’s Colm Moriarty and claim the 110th Irish PGA Championship title at Roganstown Hotel & Country Club.
The Newcastle based professional (43) holed a putt from around 30 feet at the par-four first to claim his third Irish PGA Championship crown in the space of 10 years following wins in 2011 and 2018.
“My approach flew the green and finished on the fringe. I wasn't sure how the lie was going to be but it wasn't too bad to be fair,” said Simon. “I decided to putt it. It was downhill, left to right. Eight-foot out I knew it was going to be pretty good and six feet out I knew it was in all the way. It was a great feeling.”
The tournament was reduced to 36 holes after heavy rain prevented any play on day two at the Co. Dublin venue. Thornton started Thursday's final 18 holes two shots behind the round one leaders, Moriarty and St Margaret's Golf and Country Club’s Shane Jenkinson after opening his campaign with a one-under-par 70.
In blustery conditions, he failed to get anything going over his opening nine holes, ticking off nine consecutive pars before picking up his opening birdie of the day at the par-five 10th.
A dropped shot at the par-four 16th threatened to derail his challenge but a closing birdie at the par-five 18th saw him top the leaderboard alongside Moriarty who closed with a second-round 72.
“Eight-foot out I knew it was going to be pretty good and six feet out I knew it was in all the way. It was a great feeling.”
That's some putt to win any tournament and even better in a play off 🙌 Congrats to @sthorntongolf on winning his 3rd @PGA_Ireland Irish Championship today @roganstown @IrishGolferMag
— thephotoproject (@melmaclaine) September 3, 2020
⛳️ pic.twitter.com/C3nShd8tru
“I didn't get up and down from the front of the green at 16 and that was silly,” added Simon. “I knew walking up 17 that no-one was ripping it up so I just focused on getting a birdie on the last. That was really all I could do and then whatever happened after that well, so be it.
“I hit a drive and three wood to leave myself with 67 yards. That's a nice number for me. I hit it to three feet for the birdie that ultimately got me into the play-off.”
And he continued; “it doesn't matter what it is for. When you are chasing a win in a play-off, you get those same feelings standing on the tee. Your heart is racing.
“I'm sure Colm was feeling exactly the same. I'm delighted with the win.”
Clontarf’s Eoin O'Brien finished third on one under par with Kilkenny’s Jimmy Bolger and Old Conna’s Neil O'Briain sharing fourth on level par.
110th Irish PGA Championship, Roganstown Hotel & CC (Par 71)
140 Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Golf Resort) 70 70, Colm Moriarty (Glasson GC) 68 72
Thornton won with a birdie three at the first extra hole (1st)
141 Eoin O'Brien (Clontarf GC) 71 70
142 Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny GC) 72 70, Neil O'Briain (Old Conna GC) 71 71
143 Conor Coyne (Lisheen Springs GC) 74 69
144 Michael McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching) 73 71, Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret's Golf & CC) 68 76
145 Shane Franklin (Cregmore Park GC) 75 70, Richard O'Donovan (Unatt.) 73 72, Niall McGlynn (GUI National Academy) 73 72, Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC) 73 72, Patrick Devine (Sutton GC) 72 73, Paul Eivers (Cahir Park GC) 71 74, David Higgins (Waterville Golf Links) 71 74
146 Mark O'Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre) 75 71, Damien McGrane (Carlow GC) 75 71, Brian Doheny (Callan GC) 75 71, Tim Rice (Limerick GC) 74 72 , Conor Gorevan (Portmarnock GC) 74 72, Sean Cannon (Athenry GC) 70 76
147 Paul O'Neill (Shannon GC) 76 71, Enda Maguire (Co. Louth GC) 74 73, Donal Gleeson (Old Conna GC) 74 73, Hazel Kavanagh (Impact Golf At Leopardstown) 71 76
148 Sean O'Donoghue (Mount Wolseley Golf & CC 73 75
149 Richard Bridges (Castle GC) 76 73, Andrew Gorman 75 74, Ciaran Molloy (Golf4Kids) 74 75
150 Brendan Walton (Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links) 79 71, Michael O'Shea (Palmerstown House Estate) 77 73, Eric Byrne (Rathfarnham GC) 74 76
151 Gary Madden (Glenlo Abbey GC) 76 75
152 Noel Murray (Hole in One Golf Academy) 77 75, Jerry Scullion (J Scullion Golf) 75 77, James McVicker (Unatt.) 75 77, Raymond Ryan (Thurles GC), Paul Behan (Black Bush GC) 74 78, Nathan Kernaghan (Massereene GC) 73 79
153 Brian O'Reilly (Glenlo Abbey GC) 78 75, Jack Howard (Fota Island GC) 75 78, John McDermott (Grange GC) 73 80
154 Steven Quinlan (SQ Golf) 76 78, Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf) 76 78, Roy O'Neill (Galway GC) 76 78
155 Mark Murphy (Beech Park) 77 78, Sebastien McShane (Carton House) 75 80
156 Glen Robinson (Craddockstown GC) 79 77, Joe Murray (Roganstown Golf & CC) 77 79, Mark Sutton (The Ward Golf Centre) 76 80
157 Philip Walton (Unatt.) 81 76, Peter Jones (Athy Driving Range) 80 77
158 David Barry (Ballyneety GC) 79 79 , Peter O'Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle GC) 79 79, Keith McDermott (Hermitage GC) 78 80, Brian Jnr McCormack (McCormack Golf Ltd) 78 80, Josh Adams (Stackstown GC) 78 80, Andy Hogan (Edmondstown GC) 75 83
159 John McQuaid (Unatt.) 84 75, John Dignam (Spawell Golf Academy) 77 82
160 Richard Weldon (Black Bush GC) 80 80, Wesley Ramsay (Knockbracken Golf Academy) 77 83
161 Nicholas Grant (Knock GC) 84 77, Craig Stewart (Craig Stewart Golf Ltd) 79 82
162 Michael Alexander (Blackwood Golf Centre) 79 83
163 Leonard Owens (Unatt.) 82 81, John Casey (Tralee GC) 81 82
168 Daniel Sheehan (Carr Golf Services) 84 84, Bernard Fitzgerald (Westmanstown GC) 82 86
171 Ciaran Hegarty (Millicent GC) 89 82.
