Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell holed clutch par putts on the 17th and 18th holes to force a playoff with Malone’s Matthew McClean at The Island Golf Club near Donabate before capturing his second Flogas Irish Amateur Open title with a bogey at the first extra hole.
Campbell, 35, who was champion at Royal Dublin in 2016 but is now a part-time golfer, had low expectations starting the week. After following rounds of 73 and 75 with a 3-under 69 on Saturday, he went into the final round just one stroke behind Castle's Robert Moran on 1-over-par. Campbell used his vast experience to add a second Irish stroke-play crown to wins in the East of Ireland and Ulster Stroke Play.
"It's a little bit different than 2016," said Campbell, who made a 10-footer at the 17th and a 12-footer for another par at the 18th for a level par 72 to tie with McClean on 1-over 289. "Obviously, I was playing a full-time schedule back then, so my expectations were a little bit lower. But I knew I was playing well enough, and as I said last night, I wasn't here to make up the numbers."
Campbell, currently a golf rep for Ping, found himself in front when overnight leader Moran double-bogeyed the third hole en route to a 75 and third place on 3-over.
But McClean followed a bogey at the fourth with birdies at the fifth, sixth and ninth to tie for the lead with Campbell and Moran on 1-over through the turn. McClean then eagled the par-5 10th and birdied the 13th to go three clear on 2-under.
But Campbell did not panic. He drew level when McClean took four to get down from short of the green and ran up a double-bogey 7 at the 15th and then bogeyed the 17th. With those clutch par saves on the final two holes, Campbell signed for 72 to McClean’s 70 and a tie at 289.
On their return to the 18th for a sudden-death playoff, McClean had to take a penalty drop after driving into the right rough, then bunkered his third and failed with a 15-footer as Campbell pitched to 25 feet to set up a winning two-putt bogey.
"There might be a few pints in Warrenpoint tonight, but I have to go to work tomorrow morning and then play a Barton Shield match tomorrow night," Campbell said jokingly. "But I'm delighted to get over the line, so there's still a little bit of golf left in there yet. I am a happy man.”
RESULTS
Brian Keogh
Stephen Jensen drained a superb birdie putt on the final green to win the inaugural English Senior Men's Amateur Championship. The 56-year-old from The Wisley Club found himself 3-down to Andrew Smith after eight holes of the final at The Leicestershire Golf Club, but he rallied and a par at the 17th was good enough to send him down the last holding a 1-up lead.
Smith astonished the galleries by holing a 35-foot birdie putt on the final green before Jensen matched him from 25 feet to complete a dramatic victory. “I think it’s probably the most exciting game of golf I’ve ever been involved in,” he said. “It was nip and tuck from the start. I’m delighted.” (VIDEO)
Meanwhile, six years after her first triumph in the tournament, Sale GC's Catherine Rawthore won the English Senior Women's Amateur Championship at High Post Golf Club. After defeating Tracey Williamson, 2 and 1, in the final, Rawthore said: “I’m elated. In the early part of the week I didn’t have the game to challenge, but it all came together in the end. It wasn’t a golf course that you could bully your way through, so I needed my short game to get me out of trouble a few times.” (VIDEO)
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