Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) winner of the Connacht Men's Stroke Play at Portumna Golf Club. Picture © Golffile | Thos Caffrey

Laytown and Bettystown's Alex Maguire continued the club's proud tradition as a cradle of young talent when he edged out Galway's Liam Nolan after a three-hole aggregate playoff to capture the 2021 Connacht Men's Stroke Play Championship at Portumna Golf Club.

Beginning with 75 players on Saturday morning, the field was cut to the top 39 and ties after two rounds with Forrest Little's Jack McDonnell and Galway's Joe Lyons three shots clear of Lisburn's Aaron Marshall on four-under.

Maguire was seventh in last week's ISPS Handa Ulster Men's Stroke Play at Royal County Down in his first domestic start since returning from his sophomore year at Florida Athletic University a month ago.

He then opened with rounds of 72 and 73 in Portumna before adding a one-under 71 to go into the final round tied for sixth, five strokes behind Nolan, whose sensational. five-under 67 gave him a one-shot lead over McDonnell on five-under.

Playing an hour ahead of the final group and 20 minutes ahead of Nolan, the eventual champion made eight birdies, including four in a row from the 11th, in a closing 67 to set a formidable target at five-under 283.

Nolan was seven-under with five holes to go. But he bogeyed the 14th and the par-three 18th to end up in a three-hole aggregate playoff as Portumna’s fierce finish took its McDonnell shot 73 to finish third on three-under with Lyons tied fourth with The Island’s Jack Blake on two-under after a 74.

Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) on the 3rd tee during round three of the Connacht Men's Stroke Play. Picture © Golffile | Thos Caffrey

Contested over the first, ninth and 18th holes, both men parred the first two par-fours before Maguire claimed the spoils with a par-three to Nolan's bogey four at the demanding 18th.

"Thirty-six holes in two days is tough, especially around this track," reflected Maguire. "There are a couple of holes that can get you where you can rack up a number, so you have to keep your head, but I'm absolutely delighted to get the win, absolutely delighted.

"I played quite well in Royal County Down the whole week, didn't get the result I wanted, but I'm absolutely thrilled with this. I still can't believe it; it hasn't really sunk in yet."

He credited his coach, Donal Scott, for some recent fine-tuning before the competitive summer.

"My coach texted me yesterday saying to stay patient tomorrow and get it done, and I did. So all credit to him for fixing my wedge play a couple of weeks ago!"

Connacht Men’s Amatuer Stroke Play Championship, Portumna GC (Par 72)

Detailed scores

283 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown GC) 72 73 71 67; L Nolan (Galway) 73 71 67 72;

Alex Maguire won after a 3-hole aggregate playoff, even par to plus one (4-4-3 to 4-4-4) over the 1st, 9th and 18th holes

285 J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 73 67 72 73

286 J Blake (The Island) 73 72 70 71; J Lyons (Galway) 70 70 72 74

287 C Rafferty (Dundalk) 75 73 67 72; S Murphy (Portumna) 73 71 70 73

290 D Kitt (Athenry) 73 74 72 71

291 T O'Connor (Athlone) 75 72 72 72

292 J McCabe (Roganstown) 78 71 71 72; S Walker (Roscommon) 75 74 73 70

293 T Higgins (Roscommon) 76 74 68 75; E Murphy (Dundalk) 73 71 75 74; C Denvir (Elm Park) 72 74 72 75; C Nolan (Portmarnock) 70 74 72 77

294 J McLaughlin (Portumna) 73 75 74 72; D Shiel (Powerscourt) 73 73 76 72; D O'Sullivan (Tralee) 72 73 75 74

295 E Sullivan (Carton House) 79 70 74 72; P Coughlan (Castleknock) 75 71 73 76; D Flynn (Carton House) 74 72 73 76

296 C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) 74 76 75 71; G O'Neill (Malahide) 74 75 75 72; J Rackard (Enniscorthy) 73 77 75 71; T Ford (Co. Sligo) 73 72 72 79; C Hickey (Dooks) 71 73 77 75

297 G Dunne (Co. Louth) 75 70 80 72; E Griffin (Waterford) 71 77 75 74; A Marshall (Lisburn) 71 72 75 79

298 A Ryan (Thurles) 72 74 74 78

299 P Buckley (Cork) 73 73 81 72; R O'Doherty (Enniscrone) 71 79 77 72

301 A McCabe (The Links Portmarnock) 77 71 74 79; R Galligan (Elm Park) 74 72 78 77; J Mackin (Dundalk) 74 70 76 81

302 S Desmond (Monkstown) 71 77 77 77

303 L Cunningham (Galway Bay) 76 69 78 80

304 D Reddan Jnr (Nenagh) 72 72 83 77

305 H Gillivan (Westport) 72 75 75 83

306 A Hickey (Galway Bay) 78 71 78 79

308 M Deasy (Douglas) 75 75 77 81

311 M Flanagan (Portumna) 76 74 78 83; T McLarnon (Massereene) 74 75 81 81

Missed cut (150)

151 S McDermott (Co. Cavan) 77 74; C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 77 74; C Geraghty (Laytown & Bettystown GC) 77 74; D Hogg (Belvoir Park) 76 75; D O'Riordan (Fermoy) 74 77; R Abernethy (Dun Laoghaire) 74 77

152 C O'Sullivan (Killiney) 82 70; J Hill (Galgorm Castle) 76 76; K Murphy (Arklow) 75 77; J Byrne (Baltinglass) 75 77; S Flanagan (Portmarnock) 74 78

153 E Shipp (Headfort) 78 75; E McCormack (Galway Bay) 77 76; S Downes (Royal Dublin) 77 76; A McCormack (Castletroy) 75 78; S McLoughlin (Co. Sligo) 75 78; D Keating (Seapoint) 75 78

154 I Lynch (Rosslare) 79 75

155 G O'Mahony (Fota Island) 73 82

156 J Temple (Portmarnock) 80 76; A King (Faithlegg) 78 78; E O'Donnell (Tralee) 78 78

157 L O’Connor (Edmondstown) 80 77

158 P Costello (Galway) 81 77

159 C Rabbette (Esker Hills) 81 78

160 G McKenna (Shandon Park) 83 77; C Butler (Kinsale) 78 82

161 P McGrath (Galway Bay) 79 82

166 D Foy (Laytown & Bettystown GC) 83 83

RTD 79 B Murray (Waterford Castle)

WD 79 G Ward (Kinsale)

RTD K McCarthy (Lee Valley)