Stroke averages - how Ireland's top amateurs fared at home in 2021
Peter O’Keeffe won three events - the AIG Irish Close, the Munster Strokeplay and the Flogas Irish Amateur Open — and claimed the Bridgestone Order of Merit after a tremendous 2021. But who topped the stroke averages in Irish amateur golf?
Yours truly compiled the list of every strokeplay round played in the West, South and North of Ireland Championships, the AIG Irish Amateur Close at Tullamore, the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at the European Club as well as the Mullingar Scratch Trophy, the Munster Strokeplay, the Connacht Men’s Strokeplay and the Ulster Men’s (and Women’s) Championship at Royal County Down.
There are 414 players on this list, including those who played just one or two rounds.
Of those that played 10 or more rounds in the championships this year, Castle’s Robert Moran was arguably the most consistent performer until he retired during round one of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open, averaging a tremendous 70.00 for the 13 rounds he played in four events.
South of Ireland champion TJ Ford was another outstanding performer, averaging 70.591 for 22 rounds in six events, putting him just ahead of West of Ireland winner Hugh Foley, who averaged 70.947 for 19 rounds, also in six events.
Robbie Cannon, who also withdrew during the Irish Amateur Open, averaged 71.352, just ahead of Richard Knightly (71.533), Max Kennedy (71.538), O’Keeffe (71.545) and North of Ireland and Connacht Strokeplay winner Alex Maguire (71.600).
Sam Murphy (71.882) Marc Boucher (71.950) and and Paul Conroy (72.0) also excelled while there were only two players who played the maximum 30 rounds across the nine events.
The marathon men were Castleknock’s Paul Coughlan (73.00) and Forrest Little’s Jack McDonnell (73.167), while David Kitt (Athenry), Eoin Murphy (Dundalk), Liam Nolan (Galway), Shane McDermott (Slieve Russell/Co Cavan) and Andrew Hickey (Galway Bay) also played in every event.
Jake Whelan (Grange), Simon Walker (Roscommon), Eoin Sullivan (Carton House) and Sean Desmond (Monkstown) played eight of the nine.
The low score of the season came from Athlone’s Thomas O’Connor, who fired a 63 in the first round of qualifying for the South but was edged out by Royal Dublin man Kennedy for the silver medal after a count back.
Stroke averages 2021
Click here to download Exel file with all the round scores