Galgorm Castle golfer Adam Doherty claimed the Irish U16 Boys’ Amateur Open Championship after a thrilling victory at Ballinasloe Golf Club yesterday. The 15-year-old went into the third round trailing fellow Ulster teenager and reigning champion, Eoin Burrows, by a single shot. But he rallied and a closing 73 helped him to secure the win on -4, just ahead of Ballinasloe native Niall Conneely. The local golfer shot rounds of 70 and 71 on Wednesday to get right back into contention but fell just short. Eoin Burrows (Belvoir Park) also finished on -3 in front of Mark Muldoon (Royal Dublin) and Luke Furlong (Wexford), a shot further behind. Dylan Smyth (Galway Bay) was the only other Galway golfer to make the cut, and he finished tied 23rd on +7.
Meanwhile, Corrstown golfer Eduardo de la Macorra won the Irish U14 Boys’ Amateur Open Championship after two solid rounds of 72 over the two days. Holywood’s Henry Campbell was in the ascendency after Round 1 when he registered a 70, but the Spaniard held his nerve on Wednesday to finish on Level Par. Scottish golfer Fraser MacKenzie (Inverness) finished two shots in arrears on +2 alongside Sean Nolan (Dun Laoghaire). Campbell was back on +4 with Aodhán Fitzgerald (Galway) and Darragh Dwyer (Ashbourne) in a tie for 4th place.
