McElroy left to reflect on positives as Huizing snatches Irish Challenge
Daan Huizing. Picture: Getty Images
Challenge Tour, Team Ireland's Dermot McElroy lamented a cold putter as he missed a golden opportunity to win the Irish Challenge at a sun-kissed Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.
The Ballymena star (27) went to the 18th tied for the lead with the Netherlands' Daan Huizing and Spain's Eduard Rousaud on eight-under but made bogey to their birdie threes to miss out on a playoff by two shots.
Huizing (30) shot 67 before beating Rousaud with a par four at the 18th to claim his third Challenge Tour win and €35,200 as McElroy's 72 forced him to settle for tied fourth and €11,000.
"I played very well this week I am very happy with my overall game,” said McElroy, who won the Christy O'Connor Jnr Trophy as the leading Irishman for the second time since 2016. “Basically, there were no destructive shots whatsoever.
“I am obviously disappointed not to actually win because I had a great opportunity all day to make a lot of birdies, but unfortunately, it just didn't happen.
"The course was there for the taking, as you've seen with the scores today, and I gave myself plenty of chances, but I just could not hole a putt at all there, unfortunately."
McElroy is not a member of the Challenge Tour but hopes to earn his status by taking advantage of Team Ireland invitations to compete on the second-tier circuit.
Michael Hoey (41) overcame a two-stroke penalty for being late for his tee time on Friday by carding a 66 to finish seventh, just three shots behind the winner on six-under.
"These courses suit me because a lot of the young guys hit it 40 (yards) past me," Hoey said. "These guys are very strong and hit the ball a long way, so I tend to need courses where there is a 10 to 12 under par winning score.
"I really enjoyed the golf course. I was looking dodgy for the cut after being late for the tee, which I've never done in my life.
"It was just one of those things, really. I got the time wrong. So I did really, really well to hang in there on Friday. Mentally it was a good performance considering that."
It was also a good week for 18-year old Co Down talent Tom McKibbin, who shot 71 to tie for 12th in just his fourth professional start, earning a first cheque for €3,630.
Artane's Cameron Raymond (€2,477) was 18th on two-under after a 71 as Mallow's James Sugrue continued his strong start to his career, closing with a 67 to tie for 23rd on one-under.
Huizing carded a four-under-par round of 67, which included birdies at 16 and 18, to take the clubhouse lead at nine-under-par before Rousaud birdied the 18th with a stunning long-range putt to force a play-off.
Rousaud made bogey on the first playoff hole after missing a short-range putt, leaving Huizing with the chance to put his name up in lights and the 30-year-old duly converted to claim his third Challenge Tour victory and first since the 2019 Jordan Mixed Open presented by Ayla.
“I am over the moon,” he said. “I love Ireland, I have played well here many times and the course was fantastic. I was shaping the ball nicely with the wind and I never once looked at the leaderboard. It was only after I had finished on the 18th and walked up the hill that I realised I was in the lead.
“Rousaud then made a birdie to take it to a play-off. It has been a great week; I have really enjoyed it here and to walk away with the win is the perfect ending.
“You can work so hard in golf and not get much back. It is just starting to sink in now, thinking about all the work I have done. Over four days for it all to come together is special.
“I had some very tough years, the win in Jordan was very big but it didn’t count for the Rankings so ultimately didn’t bring me anything. I ended up being just shy of gaining my tour card in 2019 and then to commit to the Challenge Tour this year was a real tough decision as it meant to letting go of a lot of European Tour starts. This just makes it all worthwhile.”
First-round leader Alfredo Garcia-Heredia finished third on eight under par, while Spain’s David Borda, Germany’s Yannik Paul and McElroy shared fourth place on seven under par.
The win has catapulted Huizing to third on the Road to Mallorca Rankings with 46,490 points and Rousaud moves to tenth on the Rankings, while South African Wilco Nienaber remains in first place.
The Road to Mallorca now moves to the Czech Republic, with the D+D REAL Czech Challenge taking place at Golf & Spa Kunětická hora, Czech Republic, from June 3 – June 6.
Irish Challenge, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71)
275 D Huizing (Ned) 71 69 68 67, E Rousaud (Esp) 71 69 66 69,
276 A Garcia-Heredia (Esp) 64 73 69 70,
277 D Borda (Esp) 70 75 67 65, Y Paul (Ger) 69 71 71 66, Dermot McElroy (Nir) 70 68 67 72,
278 Michael Hoey (Nir) 71 71 70 66,
279 J Lando Casanova (Fra) 72 70 71 66, D Boote (Wal) 72 72 69 66,
280 D Hillier (Nzl) 72 72 68 68, G King (Eng) 67 69 74 70,
281 C Berardo (Fra) 75 71 68 67, G Kristjansson (Isl) 69 71 73 68, B Schmidt (Eng) 71 71 70 69, A Knappe (Ger) 70 72 69 70, J Brun (Fra) 71 72 68 70, Tom McKibbin (Nir) 68 73 69 71,
282 O Hundeboll (Den) 72 74 70 66, J Dantorp (Swe) 71 73 70 68, M Lundberg (Swe) 71 72 70 69, Cameron Raymond (Irl) 68 74 69 71, B Virto (Esp) 68 71 69 74,
283 A Wilson (Eng) 72 68 78 65, James Sugrue (Irl) 72 74 70 67, J Girrbach (Sui) 73 72 70 68,
284 D Gavins (Eng) 72 71 73 68, H Arkenau (Ger) 74 72 69 69, F Lacroix (Fra) 75 67 70 72,
285 E Di Nitto (Ita) 73 73 73 66, N Kristensen (Den) 72 70 75 68, C Mivis (Bel) 72 72 73 68, B Rusch (Sui) 73 69 72 71, R Dinwiddie (Eng) 72 73 68 72, R Gouveia (Por) 72 71 68 74,
286 M Elvira (Esp) 72 73 76 65, Simon Thornton (Irl) 74 71 74 67, O Gillberg (Swe) 78 68 73 67, K Reitan (Nor) 69 76 72 69, F Palson (Swe) 68 77 70 71, Paul McBride (Irl) 73 72 69 72, B Windred (Aus) 71 72 70 73, M Manassero (Ita) 74 69 68 75,
287 M Orrin (Eng) 74 72 73 68, S Tiley (Eng) 77 69 72 69, U Coussaud (Fra) 72 70 74 71, Gavin Moynihan (Irl) 75 71 69 72, M Gradecki (Pol) 73 70 71 73, Stuart Grehan (Irl) 71 73 70 73,
288 J Paul (Ger) 73 72 74 69, C Ross (Sco) 74 71 73 70, Conor O'Rourke (Irl) 72 73 72 71,
289 A Zemmer (Ita) 74 71 75 69, N McCarthy (Eng) 72 73 74 70, R De Sousa (Sui) 73 73 69 74,
290 S Gros (Fra) 73 73 75 69, J Arnoy (Nor) 72 74 74 70, D Young (Sco) 68 77 74 71,
291 H Ellis (Eng) 74 70 74 73,
292 R Williams (Am) (Eng) 73 73 74 72,
293 V Riu (Fra) 72 71 80 70, B Moore (Eng) 73 72 77 71,
296 M Fenasse (Fra) 72 74 77 73
