Selfridge survives 'Close' call with firecracker

Chris Selfridge drives for Irish Close glory at Royal Portrush on Sunday. Picture by David Ross/Ulster GolfIf next month’s Irish Open is even half as dramatic, we’re in for a cracker.

The records will show that Moyola Park’s Chris Selfridge led the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close from pillar to post, clinching his maiden senior title by two strokes on five-under par 283 thanks to a closing 75. But scorecards seldom tell the full story.

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Darren Clarke, who was practising with a belly putter on the Portrush putting green, and Graeme McDowell, who was out with his father on the neighbouring Valley Course, missed out on a treat.

The 20-year old former Boys International was never headed at any stage following his first round 66 but in truth his final round battle for the blue riband trophy of Irish domestic golf had more ups and downs than the Atlantic swell that laps the north Antrim coastline.

Chris Selfridge paid tribute to coach Johnny Foster after his win. Picture David Ross/Ulster GolfPlayed in sweltering sunshine with a fair east wind blowing around 15 mph, the championship looked over and done when Selfridge, who took a four stroke lead into the final round on eight under after a 70, then extended his advantage to six shots when he birdied the second and sixth against a lone bogey at the fifth to get to nine under.

Then nerves set in, for everyone, and after a dramatic two hour battle the tall, angular University of Toledo freshman star tapped in from a foot at the last for his first win since the 2007 Ulster Youths.

“I’m delighted,” said Selfridge, who shot a 75 see off a stiff challenge from Mourne’s Reeve Whitson and West Waterford’s Gary Hurley on five under par. “The longest I slept last night was an hour, I was tossing and turning so much

“I had never ever lost a lead in a tournament but I had a six shot lead at one stage and threw it away. But I clawed my way over the line.

“Two years ago I didn’t have a coach. I was a weak scratch handicapper, barely in the Irish Boys team and I went to Johnny Foster at Greenacres Golf Centre in Ballyclare and he just completely changed me.”

The six-foot two inch Derry man saw his lead cut to one over Whitson, his nearest challenger after 54 holes, when he double bogeyed the seventh and bogeyed the eighth to fall back to six under.

And while he moved clear again with birdie fours at the ninth and 10th, he bogeyed the 12th, 15th  and 16th to find himself just one ahead coming down the stretch.

Whitson parred the par-five 17th to remain one behind on four under but his playing partner Hurley barged is way into a share of second with a sensational birdie.

Feeling champion. Chris Selfridge. Picture by David Ross/Ulster GolfIn bushes left off the tee, the Munster man hacked out onto the bank of the Big Bertha Bunker on the right side and then hit a 300 yard three-wood over the sentinel bunkers to 15 feet - “the best three-wood of my life” - and sank the putt to join Whitson on four under.

Selfridge was on the 17th in two but three putted for par, missing a three footer that would have given him a two shot lead heading down the 484-yard 18th.

He needed a par to win at that stage but got a helping hand from the men in front.

Reeve Whitson just misses his birdie putt on the 17th. Picture by David Ross/Ulster GolfWhitson missed the green left and bogeyed for a 73 and Hurley followed suit, three-putting from the back of the green for a 70 as they ended on three under 285.

With the luxury of a bogey to win and faced with a 217 yard approach to the 18th after a good drive, Selfridge came up short of the greenside trap on the right with his three-iron.

But he hit a pitch with a lob wedge that matched the colour of his shirt. Peach.

It finished just 12 inches away he tapped in for a win that will surely secure his place in the Irish Senior side for August’s Home Internationals at Glasgow Gailes.

Ardee’s Eugene Smith (20) claimed an impressive fourth place on level par 288 as Ballymena’s Dermot McElroy made a remarkable recovery from a third round 83, finishing with a fine 68 to share fifth place with Lucan’s increasingly impressive East of Ireland champion Richard O’Donovan on four over.

Rathmore’s Walker Cup star Alan Dunbar, the pre-tournament favourite, never fully recovered from ‘flu and withdrew after a third round 80 ended his hopes of victory.

Irish Amateur Close Championship (sponsored by Golfsure), Royal Portrush, Dunluce (Par 72)

Final:

283 C Selfridge (Moyola Park) 66 72 70 75

285 R Whitson (Mourne) 72 70 70 73, G Hurley (West Waterford) 71 71 73 70

288 E Smith (Ardee) 68 73 72 75

292 R O’Donovan (Lucan) 72 73 74 73, D McElroy (Ballymena) 70 71 83 68

293 R McNamara (Headfort) 74 74 68 77

294 C Fairweather (Knock) 75 75 70 74, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 74 75 74

295 A Kearney (Castlerock) 75 73 73 74, M McAlpin (Royal Portrush) 74 74 73 74

296 N Gorey (Muskerry) 71 71 78 76, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 70 80 70 76

297 K Shannon (Greenore) 79 66 78 74, C McKenna (Mallow) 74 76 70 77

298 R McKinstry (Cairndhu) 83 67 74 74, R Symington (Lisburn) 72 73 75 78, S McGlynn (Carton House) 70 79 73 76, J Fox (Portmarnock) 69 82 75 72, A Hogan (Newlands) 68 76 79 75

299 R Leonard (Banbridge) 76 75 75 73, S Watts (Cairndhu) 75 76 75 73, D Barry (Mahon) 75 76 68 80, S Ryan (The Royal Dublin) 75 73 76 75, A Thomas (Tramore) 73 78 68 80, P O’Leary (Lucan) 72 76 75 76

300 I Brennan (Greenore) 75 71 76 78, S Coulter (Warrenpoint) 75 70 75 80, J Hume (Rathsallagh) 73 72 78 77

301 T McLarnon (Massereene) 75 74 74 78

302 H Diamond (Belvoir Park) 73 75 74 80, K McDonagh (Athlone) 73 70 72 87, N Grant (Knock) 72 78 74 78

303 G Dunne (Seapoint) 78 72 74 79, S O’Connor (Skerries) 77 74 72 80, A Kiernan (Forrest Little) 76 70 76 81, A McCloy (Ballymena) 74 75 74 80, J Lyons (Birr) 73 78 74 78, G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 73 74 77 79, J Greene (Carlow) 72 78 75 78

304 R McConnell (Belvoir Park) 75 75 79 75

305 S Doherty (Ballyliffin) 74 76 78 77, E McCormack (Galway) 74 75 78 78, M Durcan (Co. Sligo) 73 77 77 78, S McConnell (Ballyclare) 70 78 82 75

306 R Kenny (Naas) 77 74 76 79

307 C Johnston (Perranporth) 73 75 75 84, P Small (Bangor) 72 72 83 80

310 C McGrogan (Newbridge) 72 76 79 83

316 B Walton (The Island) 74 76 84 82

WTD A Dunbar (Rathmore) 68 75 80 WTD

RTD A Grant (Dundalk) 76 72 RTD

WTD J Finnegan (Royal Portrush) 76 75 WTD