Cork Institute of Technoloday's John Hickey and UCD's Chloe Ryan won their respective Irish Intervarsity Championship at Lahinch on Friday.

Hickey closed with a six under 66 to pip Maynooth University's Jack McDonnell by a stroke on nine under par as law student Ryan posted a fine 71 to win by four shots from Raychelle Santos (UU) and  Mary Doyle (MU).

"I struggled this year but I’ve gotten better as the season has gone on so it’s nice to finish this way," said Hickey, a son of respected Cork Golf Club professional Peter Hickey.
 
"I’ve always played a lot of golf, my dad being a pro. I played Munster boys interpros my last year and I’ve played senior interpros the last three years.

"I’ve been consistently making cuts and winning one or two matches but never quite contending to win anything. It was nice to get over the line today. Most championships I play, I’ll make the cut but never go too far after that
 
"This is massive. I haven’t really contended for anything for a long time. It’s comfortably my biggest win. I finished fourth last year and I was excited to come back and try and improve on that
 
"I played probably the best golf tee to green the first round but didn’t hole anything. I hit 15 greens in the first round and 17 greens today."

In danger of missing the cut after an opening 73, Hickey shot a 68 in round two to trail McDonnell by five shots, then surged through the field in the final round to win.

"I was just trying to play good golf and see where that left me," he said. "I birdied 11, 12 and 13 to get to eight under and thought that was close enough to the lead but tried not think about it."

A two putt birdie on the last - he played for a flyer and hit a a four iron from 238 yards to the green — set up the winning birdie. 

"Hopefully this will mean something and I’ll be able to push on," he said.

It's been an up and down season for Castletroy's Ryan, also a Lahinch member, but she was delighted to get over the line and win four shots on five under par after following two 73s with a 71.

Planning now to graduate and then  try for her tour card. the 22-year old said: “I was two under through seven. I hit it into five feet on eight and missed that,.

"I was feeling good the whole way round. I had a few wobbles in the middle. I made up for it at the end.

"I bogeyed 12, I only had 180 from the fairway on a par-five, that was a wobble. 16 I got away with a bogey. I hit it back left, just above the bunker so it was buried, hacked out to 20-feet, held an eight-footer for a bogey so I was pretty happy with that.

"I think I got a little bit tired because I hadn’t played a tournament in a month and a half. I was just trying to stay as relaxed as I could for the last few holes and happily it paid off.

"I’m a member here. I wanted to go lower than I have the last two days. It could have been better but I’m happy enough to get the win in the end.

"It’s been a good season, a few disappointments but happy enough overall. I’m trying to do as much practice as I can and make myself better in the areas that I need to. I’m trying very hard.

"Back to college in January. I have one semester left, 12 weeks and then I’m qualified.

"I’m not sure which way I’m going to go, I’ll either become a solicitor or a professional golfer. So hopefully if the golf goes well, I’ll stick with that. I’d like to maybe compete well in the international tournaments next summer and then give Q-School a go next December (LET and LPGA)”

Irish Intervarsity Championship, Lahinch Golf Club (par 72)

Detailed scores Men / Women

Final

Men

207 John Hickey (CIT) 73 68 66

208 Jack McDonnell (MU) 69 67 72

210 Kevin Le Blanc (MU) 69 71 70

211 Robin Dawson (MU) 72 70 69

212 Jordan Hood (MU) 75 66 71, Marc Nolan (IADT) 69 73 70

213 Ronan Mullarney (MU) 71 71 71

214 Eanna Griffin (MU) 74 74 66

215 James Sugrue (CIT) 71 72 72, Stefan Greenberg (UU) 71 69 75, Ted Collins (UCD) 70 71 74, Cathal Butler (MU) 69 69 77, Sean Flanagan (MU) 68 72 75

216 James Lindsay (UU) 69 71 76, Kyle McCarron (MU) 66 72 78

217 Gavin Fitzmaurice (UCD) 75 71 71, Kieran Lynch (MU) 74 74 69, Eoin O'Brien (MU) 69 74 74

218 Marc McCormack (MU) 77 70 71, David Foy (UL) 74 72 72

219 Shane McDermott (NUIG) 74 71 74, Ross Dutton (UU) 71 75 73, Sean Burke (NUIG) 71 74 74, Eugene Smith (MU) 71 73 75

220 Marc McKinstry (QUB) 76 70 74

221 Jonathan Quinn (DCU) 75 72 74, Andrew Mccormack (UL) 71 74 76

222 Michael Kennelly (NUIG) 75 73 74, Neil McKinstry (UU) 72 74 76, Gareth Mann (UCD) 72 68 82, Eoghan Collins (DCU) 70 77 75

224 Adam McSweeney (CIT) 69 76 79

225 Paul Kelly (MU) 73 75 77, James McVicker (UU) 71 77 77

Non qualifiers

149 John Murphy (MU) 74 75, Liam Grehan (MU) 74 75, Niall Worth (DIT) 74 75

150 Colin Woodroofe (MU) 78 72

151 Ryan McCullough (UU) 74 77

152 Timmy Broderick (UL) 77 75, Ross Steedman (MU) 76 76, Ryan O'Doherty (NUIG) 75 77, James Lawlor (MU) 73 79

153 James Andrew O'Rourke (UCD) 78 75

154 Micheal Shiel (NUIG) 80 74, William Eickholt (DCU) 76 78, Michael O'Farrell (NUIG) 75 79

155 John Boylan (UCC) 80 75, Conor Roche (CIT) 78 77, Robert Browne (UCD) 77 78, Alastair McQuillan (UU) 77 78, Thomas Dillon (QUB) 77 78

156 Jonathan Doherty (DCU) 78 78, Aaron Ryan (MU) 77 79

157 Luke Branagan (DIT) 83 74, Bill Murray (UCC) 79 78, Eoin Goggin (CIT) 78 79

158 Gareth Carr (MU) 81 77

159 Philip O'Sullivan (QUB) 80 79, Nicholas Armstrong (TCD) 77 82, Aodan Comerford (NUIG) 72 87

160 John McCarthy (UCD) 77 83, Charles McGoldrick (NUIG) 77 83, Craig Foley (CIT) 76 84

162 Luke Cummins (CIT) 79 83

163 William Byrne (MU) 77 86, Patrick Hartnett (UU) 77 86

164 Alex Murray (DIT) 82 82

165 Jack Murphy (CIT) 85 80, Anton Brennan (NUIG) 80 85

166 Barry Fitzpatrick (DIT) 89 77, Eoin Conway (UCD) 81 85

167 Jason Daly (LIT) 90 77, Cian Feeney (MU) 84 83, Aaron Donegan (UCC) 81 86

170 Shane O'Neill Jnr (LIT) 83 87

173 Conor Harte (UCD) 84 89

NR Ronan O'Callaghan (MU) NR 76, Tristan Coakley (CIT) 86 NR, Barry O'Sullivan-Geaney (CIT) 86 NR

WD Craig Melvin (MU) 76 WD

Women

217 Chloe Ryan (UCD) 73 73 71

221 Raychelle Santos (UU) 73 75 73, Mary Doyle (MU) 72 75 74

227 Shannon Burke (MU) 77 77 73

229 Meadhbh Doyle (MU) 73 76 80

231 Clodagh Walsh (MU) 78 74 79

240 Gemma McCarthy (MU) 78 78 84

Non qualifiers

157 Rachel McDonnell (UCD) 76 81

160 Paula Walsh (UCC) 78 82

161 Aoife Ni Thuama (UCC) 82 79, Judithe Allen (UU) 80 81

167 Eleanor Metcalfe (MU) 86 81

172 Ruth Dillon (UCD) 85 87