Gough wins Flogas Irish Amateur Open thanks to clutch 72nd hole bogey
John Gough (The Berkshire) winner of the Flogas Irish Men's Amateur Open Championship in The Island. Photo: Golffile | Fran Caffrey
England’s John Gough made a sensational bogey five at the 18th to card a five-under 67 and win the Flogas Irish Amateur Open by a shot from compatriot Dylan Shaw-Radford (70) on eight-under-par at The Island.
Gough (24) hails from The Berkshire but it was almost like a home win for him as his father hails from Meath and his mother from Co Down.
He went into the final round six shots behind Welshman Tomi Bowen but followed an opening bogey with birdies at the third, eighth, ninth, 10th, 14th, 15th and 16th before hitting a 135-yard nine-iron to two feet at the last to save bogey after being forced to take a drop from an unplayable lie in the dunes on the left.
Nice to have this length for bogey after a penalty drop. Great win for John Gough in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at @IslandGolfClub https://t.co/vVdn2rQOjg pic.twitter.com/mMNsn55PE0
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) May 14, 2023
Bowen shot 75 to finish third on six-under with Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire the best of the Irish in fourth on five-under after a 71.
“It was definitely a bit of a tough finish,” a delighted Gough said. “Today, the wind was blowing a bit more and it wasn't as nice and sunny as yesterday, but to come across the line with all my family and friends, it was great.
John Gough birdies the par 3 16th at @IslandGolfClub to go 3 clear in Flogas Irish Amateur Open https://t.co/g43K2Z2eHy pic.twitter.com/W70caQx9k7
— Brian Keogh (@IrishGolfDesk) May 14, 2023
“A lot of them don't get to see me play golf, and then coming over and doing it in front of them they must think I'm pretty good. So no, it was lovely.
“My dad's from Meath and my mum's from County Down so pretty much the whole family is from Ireland. Me and my brother are the only two born over across the pond in England, and our cousins definitely let us know that.”
Gough tied with Maguire fo the lead heading down the stretch but made three birdies in a row from the 14th to go three shots clear, rolling in a five-footer for a two at the 16th.
He almost chipped in for birdie at the 17th but then pulled his drive high into the dunes left at the 18th and had to take a drop from an unplayable lie.
After hacking back into play, he had 135 yards to the pin and almost holed out for par before tapping in from two feet for his bogey and an eight-under-par total the chasing pack could not match.
John Gough. Photo by Matthew Lewis/R&A/
Bowen, who shot a course record 62 on Saturday to lead by four overnight only to turn in 40, got back to seven-under with birdies at the 13th and 15th before finishing bogey-par-par to finish third.
Shaw-Radford needed birdie at the last to force sudden-death but pulled his approach and failed to chip in.
“I think I’ll remember that one for a while. I was struggling off 18 with that tee shot all week and it was just meant to be a stock drive and not the best strikes,” Gough said of his bogey five at the last.
“Luckily, I was just hacking out just to get out of the long stuff. And it popped out to a good number. So just set a lovely shot up to a couple feet and made the bogey putt a lot more stress-free.“
His next outing is US Open Final Qualifying at Walton Heath on Tuesday, where he will be joined by Royal Dublin’s Hugh Foley, who followed his opening 79 with rounds of 71 , 66 and 73 to finish tied 14th on one-over.
Flogas Irish Amateur Open (The Island, Par 72)
280 J Gough (The Berkshire) 75 69 69 67;
281 D Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield) 72 71 68 70;
282 T Bowen (Welshpool) 75 70 62 75;
283 A Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) 71 72 69 71;
284 M Roberts (Royal Porthcawl) 71 71 70 72;
285 J Claridge (Enville) 76 71 67 71;
286 C Rafferty (Dundalk) 69 68 76 73, M Wilson (Forres) 71 75 67 73, D Lundgren (Kristianstads) 74 72 68 72;
287 Z Chegwidden (Orsett) 71 68 75 73, H Smith (The Rayleigh) 67 71 74 75;
288 D Shiel (Enniscrone) 73 70 70 75, A Edwards-Hill (Chelmsford) 73 71 71 73;
289 H Foley (Royal Dublin) 79 71 66 73, M Boucher (Carton House) 73 73 71 72;
290 M Stockdale (Woburn) 76 74 72 68, P Keeling (Roganstown) 74 73 70 73;
291 R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 76 74 72 69, L Nolan (Galway) 73 73 74 71, G Graham (Blairgowrie) 73 72 70 76, M McClean (Malone) 73 72 70 76, R Brazill (Naas) 71 75 70 75, J Fox (Portmarnock) 72 70 70 79;
292 J Garnett (Five Lakes) 75 80 66 71, J Brooks (The Mere) 75 74 71 72, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 80 67 71 74;
293 L Martin (Sandhill) 79 71 72 71, D Kitt (Athenry) 75 73 69 76, S Keeling (Roganstown) 75 72 72 74;
294 C Murtagh (The Island) 71 77 72 74, A Carrick (Craigielaw) 79 71 70 74, S Cave (Coxmoor) 75 73 71 75, B St John (Portmarnock) 73 73 70 78;
295 R Lindsay (Turnberry) 74 74 74 73, R Williamson (Holywood) 74 71 75 75, J Whelan (Grange) 72 78 70 75, T Ford (County Sligo) 72 79 65 79, K Egan (Carton House) 70 74 74 77;
296 G Ash (Hallowes) 76 74 71 75, T Matthews (Oswestry) 71 75 73 77, R Moran (Castle) 76 71 73 76, C Graham (Blairgowrie) 75 75 72 74;
297 M Gazi (Tralee) 75 74 73 75, J Kelso (Kings Hill) 74 73 74 76, P Coughlan (Castleknock) 70 76 73 78;
298 R Laird (Glenbervie) 68 75 73 82, M Cowie (Dumfries and county) 70 76 71 81;
299 J Nash (Ormskirk) 73 76 71 79;
300 C Burford (Rhuddlan) 76 70 76 78, J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 74 77 71 78, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 74 69 78 79, A Smith (Mullingar) 75 73 74 78, S Potter (Kedleston Park) 78 72 70 80;
301 E Murphy (Dundalk) 75 74 73 79, J McDonnell (Forrest little) 72 75 71 83;
302 M Berrisford (Ilkley) 78 72 72 80.
