Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), winner of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship at The European Club, Brittas Bay, Wicklow. Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey

Golf is a never-ending journey, but the road looks to be paved with success for Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe after he claimed an epic victory in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at The European Club.

Winner of this title at Royal County Down in 2017, the former professional combined imperious ball-striking with inspired putting to edge out Switzerland’s Nicola Gerhardsen after a three-hole aggregate playoff to become just the seventh player in history and the first since Pádraig Harrington in 1995 to win the Irish Amateur Close and Open titles in the same year.

He gave massive credit to his coach Noel Fox, himself a two-time winner of this title. But in truth, this was O’Keeffe’s moment of glory just 30 days before his 40th birthday, and as much as his technical excellence was key, it was his mental strength that helped him conquer Pat Ruddy’s cerebral golfing test.

One stroke behind Gerhardsen and Athenry’s Allan Hill with a round to go, he made three birdies and four bogeys in a 72 to the 19-year old Swiss player’s 73 to force a three-hole aggregate playoff on four-over 288, then made par fours at the 18th, 10th and ninth holes to win the playoff by a shot.

The bald numbers do little justice to the drama of the final day, which was played in balmy sunshine and light winds before a 20 kmph breeze picked up for the last six holes of a great championship tussle.

The European Club is often unfairly criticised, but with a list of championship winners there that includes such names as Pádraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Alison Coffey and Robbie Cannon, it’s a testament to its greatness that it has never produced a bad winner.

“Yes, it’s severe, but you have to come to a golf course like this with acceptance, and I’ve seen a lot of players have come this week and haven’t accepted at all,” said the big Corkman who made a series of clutch putts down the stretch — a 10 footer for par at the 14th to remain two back, a 20 footer for birdie at the 15th that brought him level and a 15 footer for par at the last that ultimately helped him force a playoff.

“I refer to this course as the Hunger Games of golf. The shotgun goes off and they are dead. They were dropping like flies early on and the field got smaller and smaller. It is almost like a miniature tour school in a way with the field condensing every few hours, but if you remained in the right quarter, you could press on.”

Hill’s championship ended when he lost a ball at the fourth and the 21-year old ran up a quadruple-bogey eight en route to a 79 and fifth place on 10-over.

But while Hugh Foley threatened to set a formidable target after playing the first 15 holes in four-under, he double-bogeyed the 16th and shot 69 to finish third on seven-over.

It was a two-horse race down the stretch and after making a 15 footer to match Gerhardsen’s birdie at the 11th, O’Keeffe closed to within one when the Swiss player three-putted the 12th.

The gap was back to two when O’Keeffe three-putted the 13th, but he crucially got up and down from sand at the 14th, knocking in a 12 footer for his par three to remain two adrift.

When Gerhardsen lagged a 60 footer to two and a half feet at the 15th, things looked bleak for the 39-year-old strength and conditioning coach. But he canned a 20 footer from the back fringe there, prompting a three-putt by his rival.

Having fought so hard to draw level on three-over, O’Keeffe promptly overshot the 16th and three-putted from long range to fall behind, then drew level again when the Zurich native three-putted the 17th from 40 feet.

The drama continued when O’Keeffe missed the 18th green right but made a clutch15 footer for par to stay alive as Gerhardsen missed his 12 footer for birdie and the title.

In the playoff over the 18th, 10th and ninth holes, O’Keeffe was like an assassin.

Gerhardsen three-putted from long range at the 18th to fall behind and after O’Keeffe’s 10 footer for par fell in the side door at the 10th to help him remain in front, he calmly two-putted the ninth as the visitor failed with a 15 footer for birdie to force sudden-death.

“I’m just elated,” said O’Keeffe, who would love to make the 2023 Walker Cup team at 42. “That’s the best golf I’ve played in my life I’d say.”

He paid tribute to coach Noel Fox, who told him after a practice session on the eve of the championship, just as he had done before his win at Royal County Down in 2017, that he was striking the ball so well he would be in the mix again.

“I lean on that guy so much and he gives me all his knowledge, which is never-ending add abundant,” he said of Fox. “He’s also won the Irish Amateur twice, so I am delighted to be in his company there. I wouldn’t be performing like I am without his help the last couple of years, so it is a massive credit to him.”

Convinced he’s playing better than ever, O’Keeffe added: “There’s so many things going around in my head. I was dead a couple of times in the course of the day and I kept sticking in there. I had a lovely feeling on the greens and I drove the ball really well.”

As for the Walker Cup, he said: “I’d love to play on the Walker Cup team. I think I deserve it at this stage. I’ve been in the mix in the past, but I’ve not made it for some reason, but there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be in the conversation now.

“But again it’s about winning titles for me now. I am 40 next month, and to play Walker Cup would be a brilliant honour. But for me, it is about putting my name on as many trophies as I can.”

Flogas Irish Amateur Open, The European Club (Par 71)

Final

Detailed scores

217 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 73 72 72, N Gerhardsen (Breitenloo) 72 72 73; O’Keeffe won after a 3-hole aggregate playoff over the 18th, 10th and 9th holes (4-4-4 to 5-4-4)

220 H Foley (Royal Dublin) 76 75 69;

222 H Smith (The Rayleigh Club) 74 74 74;

223 A Hill (Athenry) 69 75 79;

224 S Goldenring (MGA) 75 73 76, A Edwards-Hill (Chelmsford) 74 76 74, K Egan (Carton House) 73 77 74, E Dimayuga (Walton Heath) 72 80 72, E Papineau (Canada) 72 77 75;

225 B McDougall (Canada) 72 75 78;

226 T Matthews (Aldersey Green) 74 78 74, J Claridge (Enville) 72 79 75, C Gugler (GCC Zurich) 70 78 78;

227 S Walker (Roscommon) 78 75 74, K Popert (Wildernesse) 76 72 79;

228 E Murphy (Dundalk) 74 80 74;

229 J Fox (Portmarnock) 79 73 77, C Graham (Blairgowrie) 75 77 77, M McClean (Malone) 72 84 73;

231 L Nolan (Galway) 78 79 74, S Cave (The Belfry) 77 82 72, R Cheetham (Pedham Place Golf Centre) 74 81 76, J Lyons (Galway) 72 80 79, T Higgins (Roscommon) 71 83 77;

232 M Boucher (Carton House) 78 76 78, J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 75 84 73, R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 73 79 80, R Lindsay (Turnberry) 70 79 83;

233 G Dunne (Co. Louth) 74 83 76;

234 P Keeling (Roganstown) 83 76 75, S Ryan (Royal Dublin) 79 80 75, D Kitt (Athenry) 79 77 78, S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 78 79 77, G Ward (Kinsale) 77 76 81;

235 J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 78 80 77, J Murphy (Douglas) 78 79 78, S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo) 75 84 76, A Marshall (Lisburn) 74 85 76, A Ryan (Thurles) 74 85 76;

236 P Ulmrich (GC Mannheim-Viernheim 1930 e.V. ) 78 75 83, P Coughlan (Castleknock) 74 80 82;

237 J Hewitt (Tandragee) 85 70 82, D Shiel (Powerscourt) 74 79 84;

238 G Holland (Southport & Ainsdale) 75 84 79;

240 S Siltala (Kankaisten Golf) 78 81 81;

243 T Lecomte (Evian Resort) 75 78 90;

NR 152 C Harkin (Letterkenny) 70 82;

NR 156 G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock) 75 81

RTD 159 T Randolph (MGA) 81 78.

Missed cut

160 D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 82 78, M Mullen (Rosslare) 80 80, S Keeling (Roganstown) 80 80, A Mulholland (Castlerock) 79 81;

161 A Trenta (Lägern) 85 76, J Waaralinna (Pickala) 83 78, E Sullivan (Carton House) 82 79, R Brazill (Naas) 81 80, D McDonnell Jnr. (Monkstown) 75 86;

162 N Mäki-Petäjä (Vuosaari Golf Helsinki) 80 82, A Hickey (Galway Bay) 77 85, A Challoner (Galway Bay) 77 85;

163 J Harvey (The Kendleshire) 77 86, J Whelan (Grange) 76 87, J Cleary (Elm Park) 75 88, D McCormack (Corrstown) 75 88, G Lappin (Belvoir Park) 75 88;

164 J Skeet (Royal of Belgium) 78 86, M Scowsill (Woodbridge) 78 86;

165 C Sharpe (Blairgowrie) 86 79, C Butler (Kinsale) 86 79, J Prutthaweewat (Bern) 78 87;

166 G O'Neill (Malahide) 83 83, M Deasy (Douglas) 81 85, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 80 86;

167 N Hearns (Mountrath) 87 80;

168 R Muir (Kilmarnock (Barassie)) 86 82, A Benson (West Lothian) 85 83, P McKeever (Castle) 83 85, M Shiel (Galway Bay) 81 87, J Berry (Doncaster) 79 89;

169 A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) 82 87;

172 T Plunkett (Crover House) 90 82;

WD 158 C Rafferty (Dundalk) 76 82;

NR 78 D Goldstein (MGA);

RTD 81 J Jämsä (Pickala);

NR 82 S McDermott (Slieve Russell);

NR 75 R Cannon (Balbriggan);

RTD 79 J Rackard (Enniscorthy).