Etridge "putts" Lyons to the sword to claim Irish Senior Men's Amateur title at Hermitage
Tom Etridge pictured after his win at Hermitage Golf Club. Photo: Thos Caffrey / Golffile.
Sunningdale’s Tom Etridge produced a mesmerising putting performance en route to a thrilling play-off victory over Galway Golf Club’s Joe Lyons in the Irish Senior Men’s Amateur Open Championship at Hermitage.
Tom Etridge makes his par putt at the 18th to force a playoff with Joe Lyons.
The eventual winner made a 15 footer at the last for closing 70 to join Lyons at the top of the leaderboard after the Offlay man had birdied the 18th from 10 feet for a three-under 68 to set the target at level par.
In the sudden death playoff at the 290-metre first, Lyons finished just off the green on the front right with Etridge 30 yards short left in the trees.
The Englishman was blocked out by a tree but got his second up to a swale left of the green and chipped around nine feet past the hole after Lyons’ pitch from a poor lie finished only halfway to the cup.
Tom Etridge makes par at the first extra hole to extend the playoff.
The Offaly man missed for the title from around 25 feet and tapped in for par before but Etridge nervelessly holed out to force a second extra hole with his 12th single putt of the afternoon.
At the second extra hole, the positions were reversed from the tee.
Lyons chipped up to just inside three feet in three having come up short left of the green in two from the trees.
Etridge chipped to around 12 feet and left his putt dead to guarantee his par before Lyons shoved his par putt wide of the hole and the 51-year-old from Sunningdale tapped in to seal a famous win.
“Much like the rest of my round, I didn’t hit the ball that well in the play-off but I managed to get it around,” said Etridge, who had just 23 putts in regulation play.
“I’m lucky Joe didn’t hit a very good putt there and he will be disappointed. I’m sorry for him because he played well today. Unfortunately, that’s golf sometimes.
“I’m hugely proud to win. It’s a super event to get across the line. Just delighted, it was great fun. This is the first thing I’ve won this year. I won a couple of things last year but nothing like this. I’m very proud.”
Joe Lyons misses his par putt at the second extra hole to extend the playoff.
Etridge was red hot with his putter all day and he needed it down the home stretch of his third round.
He got up and down for par at the 14th, made a 12-footer for a birdie at the 15th and another good putt for par at the 16th after being forced to chip out sideways from a tree root to leave himself a 144-yard third.
He got up and down again on the 17th for par, holing another good putt, and then holed a 15-foot return putt for par at the 18th after charging his 50-footer from just short of the green.
Lyons made six birdies in his final round, including a clutch 10-footer at the18th but while he will rue his missed putt at the second playoff hole, his greenside chip at the first extra hole proved crucial as it never got any forward momentum and opened the door for Etride to stay alive with a four.
“I just wanted to play my game and give myself a chance,” said Etridge.“I didn’t start with a very good first round. I had five birdies and then a bunch of bogeys and started with a 74. So I knew yesterday I had to play well and get back into contention. I had a 69 which I thought would get me a little closer but didn’t expect to be one shot back which was lucky because some of the leaders didn’t have a great day.
“It gave me a decent chance and here I am on the last day. I didn’t hit the ball well but I managed to get up and down and got it around and that’s golf.”
