Timely putting tip helps O'Keeffe romp to seven-shot Munster Stroke Play win
Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas) winner of the Munster Stroke Play Championship 2020, Cork Golf Club. 06/09/2020. Picture: © Golffile | Thos Caffrey
Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe clinched the Munster Stroke Play Championship in stunning fashion at Cork Golf Club, powering through the field on the final day to win by a staggering seven strokes.
Starting the day from four behind, the Irish International (38) quickly closed the gap with three birdies in his opening five holes. At this early point in round three, there were as many as four players sharing the lead at seven-under.
But as overnight leaders Keith Egan and Eoin Murphy started to fade, O’Keeffe turned on the style with a third-round 66 to lead by three strokes from Thurles’ Aaron Ryan on 10-under heading into the final round.
The Douglas man continued where he left off at the start of the final round with birdies at the first and second and an eagle three at the fifth leaving him with one hand on the trophy.
However, it wasn't all playing sailing for the 2017 Irish Amateur Open champion as three bogeys in four holes before the turn threatened to derail his title run.
“I was getting a small bit tired today around eight and nine and I just got myself together,” O’Keeffe said of his mid-round lapse. “Birdied 10, eagled 11, should have birdied 12, then dropped a couple of shots before birdieing 16 which was lovely. I tend to make birdies when I drop a few shots.”
After a draining 36 holes over two days in Cork Golf Club, the golf fitness specialist believed that it was his putting that separated him from the field after some friendly advice from close friend Mark Murphy, the US-based professional.
“I putted well this week. It was funny actually a friend of mine in the states, Mark Murphy, texted me, ‘Do me a favour this week and keep the putter much lower to the ball through impact’.
“He saw the Talk Birdie To Me highlight video after Mallow. I putted lovely all week, I holed as many putts as I have in years this week so that’s why the scores got so low.”
O’Keeffe signed off in style with another birdie at the last to etch his name on the famous Cork Scratch Trophy, the significance of which was not lost on him after years of trying.
“It’s huge,” O’Keeffe admitted after becoming the first Cork winner since Cathal Butler in 2016. “I’ve a lot of friends here and this is one of my favourite golf courses.
“I bogeyed the last here a couple of years ago to lose by a shot but I generally play well here and I expected to do well. It’s great, I love this place and it’s brilliant to win this tournament now.”
After the opening two events on the Bridgestone Order of Merit, O’Keeffe moves up to third with the Connacht Stroke Play Championship and the Irish Amateur Close Championship remaining.
Dun Laoighre’’s Alan Fahy shared second place with Thurles’ Aaron Ryan on seven under par to top the Order of Merit from Mullingar Scratch Trophy winner Jason Rackard - see standings.
Winner of the Munster Stroke Play title in 2018, Fahy fired an impressive final round 67 which included a rare, eagle two at the difficult, par-four 10th to also take home the Carr Bruen trophy awarded to the best-placed under 25.
Joseph Byrne of Baltinglass claimed fourth position after a final round 68 which included five consecutive birdies from the second to the sixth hole.
Rounding out the top five were Roganstown’s Joshua McCabe, Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan and Newlands’ Jake Whelan on five-under-par.
Next up on the Bridgestone Order of Merit is the Connacht Stroke Play Championship at Portumna Golf Club from September 19-20.
Munster Stroke Play Championship, Cork Golf Club (Par 72)
Sponsored by Ryan’s Supervalu, Grange, Glanmire, Togher and Kilmallock
274 Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) 70 70 66 68
281 Alan Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 74 70 70 67, Aaron Ryan (Thurles) 66 71 72 72
282 James Byrne (Baltinglass) 72 67 75 68
283 Joshua McCabe (Roganstown) 73 69 72 69, Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) 70 70 75 68, Jake Whelan (Newlands) 66 71 76 70
284 Keith Egan (Carton House) 71 65 75 73
285 Robert Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 71 73 71 70, Liam Nolan (Galway) 71 69 72 73, Liam Grehan (Mullingar) 71 69 72 73
287 Christopher Taylor (Kanturk) 70 75 73 69
288 Sean Desmond (Monkstown) 74 71 71 72, Andrew McCormack (Castletroy) 69 71 73 75
289 Jason Rackard (Enniscorthy) 73 71 69 76, TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 72 72 76 69
290 Ryan Gribben (Warrenpoint) 73 73 71 73, Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) 72 71 72 75, Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) 71 71 75 73, Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) 66 70 82 72
291 Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little) 73 74 73 71, Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin) 69 78 71 73
292 Greg O’Mahony (Fota Island) 73 70 78 71, Jonathan Keane (Lahinch) 72 72 73 75, Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) 71 74 70 77, Dylan Keating (Seapoint) 68 70 77 77
293 Darragh Flynn (Carton House) 75 72 74 72, Ben Murray (Waterford Castle) 73 69 80 71
294 Keith Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) 76 67 73 78, Gary Cullen (The Links Portmarnock) 74 71 77 72
295 AJ McCabe (The Links Portmarnock) 76 71 71 77, Sam Murphy (Portumna) 76 70 72 77, Shane Mc Dermott (Co. Cavan) 74 73 76 72, Joe Lyons (Galway) 74 73 71 77, Gareth Lappin (Belvoir Park) 73 74 73 75
296 Colm Campbell Jnr (Warrenpoint) 72 72 80 72
299 Tom Dowdall (Woodbrook) 74 72 78 75 299, James Hewitt (Tandragee) 72 75 74 78, Paul Buckley (Cork) 71 75 79 74
300 Gary Collins (Rosslare) 73 72 72 83
304 Conor Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 74 71 82 77
305 Cian Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown) 79 68 83 75
Shane O’Connell is a 22-year-old UCC student, who loves all things golf but rarely performs on the course. Often found citing the birdie curse (making birdie on the 1st hole) as his downfall on the day.