Greenore's John McGinn added his name to the annals of Irish amateur golf with a memorable three and one win over Roscommon's Ken Kearney in the final of the Golfsure Irish Close Championship in Carlow yesterday.

The 33 year old from Drogheda came back from the dead not once, but twice in the space of two days to take his place in the final alongside Kearney.

A Senior Cup golfer, McGinn has been on the fringes of the Leinster panel on a couple of occasions but failed to gain his place.

On the evidence of his performances over the past few days, a Leinster cap will be the least of his expectations.

One down with two to play in his quarter-final with Adrian Morrow on Tuesday, he won both holes to claim a semi-final meeting with Irish international panellist Michael McGeady yesterday.

This time he was two down with two to play but birdied the 17th from 18 feet to stay alive and then holed a testing four footer for a par five at the last as McGeady took three to get down from 20 yards and made a bogey.

After missing the green, McGinn duly got up and down for a par four at the 19th as McGeady three putted from 60 feet, to take his place in the final.

By this stage Kearney had had his feet up for over and hour and a half having polished off former Ireland team mate Niall Goulding of Portmarnock with a clinical four and three demolition job in the morning.

Goulding's short game was not as sharp as it might have been as he was approximately four over to Kearney's one under when they shook hands on the 15th green.

But the final was a high quality affair with McGinn getting of to a flying start to go two up after two.

Kearney failed to get up and down to lose the first to a par and then realised he had a serious match on his hands when McGinn birdied the second from 20 feet to go two up.

It stayed that way until the 435-yard eighth where Kearney was bunkered and made bogey to go three down.

The Roscommon man had to hole a testing four footer at the ninth to stay that way but finally won a hole with a birdie three at the 10th.

McGinn's response was swift and telling - a nine iron to four feet - and he was three up again.

At the 166 yard 13th McGinn sliced into sand as Kearney missed left but only the Roscommon man could get up and down.

Kearney's chance came at the 440-yard 16th where both men pulled their tee shots into trees on the left some 200 yards from the pin.

Stymied, McGinn could only punch the ball to within 60 yards of the green but Kearney had a gap and hit a majestic three-iron that kicked right and into sand.

McGinn lobbed his third to 10 feet as Kearney splashed out to 18 feet and shaved the hole with his par putt.

But although the Greenore man had a putt for the Championship he failed to give it enough and the match went to the 152 yard 17th.

Kearney missed the green left and McGinn seized the moment, firing a five iron to four feet that drew a mighty roar from his supporters.

After chipping dead Kearney sportingly conceded McGinn's birdie putt and a new name was added to the prestigious list of former winners.

"It still hasn't sunk in," said McGinn afterwards. "But I think it opens up new doors to me. I took a year off last year and set a goal of making the Leinster team. But winning the Irish title is just fantastic.

"I improved as the week went on. In the final I fed off Ken's rhythm and I felt confident and relaxed. It was only when I had a putt to win the Close on the 16th that I froze a little bit. My game plan was to hit fairways and greens and not do anything silly.

"The key was making birdie at the 11th after he birdied the 10th. The other key moment was against McGeady, He was three up and on the 11th green he said to call a half in par when we were both two and half feet away," he explained.

"I refused to call a half. In the end I holed he missed and it got me in a good frame of mind and I had a chance."

He certainly took advantage.

Golfsure Irish Close Championship

AFTER 18 HOLES (par 70, CSS 73)
68 J Kehoe (Birr)
69 D Jones (City of Derry), T Spence (Clandeboye), P Dooley (Cork)
70 K Kearney (Roscommon);
71 A Morrow (Portmarnock), A Morris (Belvoir Park), A McCormick (Scrabo), D Moran (Island), D Snow (Portmarnock), H Hanley (Grange);
72 D Sugrue (Killarney), G Maybin (Ballyclare), R McCarthy (Island), L Ryan (Stackstown), C Bowe (Tramore);
73 A McKinley (Shandon Park), R Leonard (Banbridge), A Pierse (Tipperary), N Fox (Portmarnock), A Smith (The Island), B Trainor (Warrenpoint), J Foster (Ballyclare), M McGeady (City of Derry), C Moriarty (Athlone), M McDermott (Stackstown), E Power (Kilkenny);
74 D Rawluk (The Island), D Finn (Mallow), P Purdy (Shandon Park), G O'Flaherty (Cork), T Rice (Limerick), D Coyle (Co Louth), C Cassidy (Portmarnock), G Massey (Hermitage), C Moriarty (Clandeboye), J Swan (Carlow), D Morgan (Mullingar), G Bowden (Hermitage), M Murphy (Waterville), M Collins (Sutton), L Halpin (Shannon), M Horan (Birr), J Farrell (Carlow), M Campbell (UCD/Stackstown), G McNeill (Waterford);
75 R Boal (Scrabo), E Ryan (Golf Coast), S Crowe (Dunmurry), N Goulding (Portmarnock), P Williamson (Elmgreen), T Lennon (Carlow), M Brett (Portmarnock), W Kelly (Killeen), G Bohill (Co Louth), P Murray (Kinsale), D Ryan (Grange);
76 M Kelly (Killeen), R Fitzgerald (Tramore), S McTernan (Co Sligo), C Donovan (Killeen), R McDaid (Co Sligo), R Walsh (Tralee), V Smyth (Co Louth), R O'Siochain (UCD/Royal Dublin), L Owens (Royal Dublin), D Kelleher (Portmarnock), C Martin (Nenagh), P Bulfin (Carlow);
77 B Kilgallon (Ballina), E McCormack (Slieve Russell), M O'Sullivan (Galway), P Byrne (Sutton), C Doran (Banbridge), P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin), J Murray (Tipperary), C Brown (Royal Portrush), D Crowe (Royal Dublin), S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy), M Buggy (Castlecomer), E O'Sullivan (The Island), S Moloney (Castletroy), R Cannon (Balbriggan);
78 G Wardlow (Shandon Park), R Duggan (Kilkenny), P Wallace (Mulingar), C Griffin (Curragh), G Smith (Vartry Lakes), D McInerney (Lahinch), J Flood (Woodbrook), M McTernan (Co Sligo), J Lyons (Birr), B McElhinney (North West), A Dowling (Hermitage);
79 J McGinn (Greenore), M Morris (Portmarnock), D Glynn (Roscommon), S Madden (Dromoland), C Hurst (London), J Mitchell (Tramore), K Canty (Douglas), W Adamson (K Club), H Mackeown (Portmarnock), G Lynas (Shandon Park), N Kavanagh (Westport);
80 G Purtill (Shannon), D Butler (Milltown), C Conaty (Royal Dublin), B Keating (Clonmel), D Logue (Letterkenny), E Barton (Ballinasloe), D Cunningham (Galway), D Walsh (Lisburn), K Bornemann (Douglas), G Hall (Edenderry), P O'Keeffe (Douglas), S McSweeney (East Cork), M Owens (Mallow);
81 M Hammond (Moyola Park), S Paul (Tandragee), R Maher (Nenagh), C Cunningham (Mullingar), J Mulready (Castle), B Garvin (Castlerock);
82 D Turner (Killarney), J McHugh (Carlow), D Briden (Gold Coast), M Burton (Powerscourt), P O'Rourke (Gowran Park), D Synnott (Delgany), I Cooke (Clandeboye);
84 R Williams (Baltinglass);
85 S Fleming (West Waterford), D Murphy (Abbeyleix);
89 T Collins (Douglas);
NR M Rowe (Athlone), D Coakley (Carlow), S Heavey (Co Sligo);
RT M O'Brien (Charlesland).

After 36 holes
Qualifiers
137 J Kehoe (Birr) 68 69;
138 K Kearney (Roscommon) 70 68;
142 C Moriarty (Athlone) 73 69;
143 D Morgan (Mullingar) 74 69, G Maybin (Ballyclare) 72 71, L Ryan (Stackstown) 72 71, H Hanley (Grange) 71 72;
144 M Campbell (UCD/Stackstown) 74 70, J Foster (Ballyclare) 73 71;
145 C Martin (Nenagh) 76 69, S McTernan (Co Sligo) 76 69, A McKinley (Shandon Park) 73 72, M McDermott (Stackstown) 73 72, B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 73 72, D Jones (City of Derry) 69 76, P Dooley (Cork) 69 76;
146 R Leonard (Banbridge) 73 73, D Snow (Portmarnock) 71 75, A Morrow (Portmarnock) 71 75;
147 W Kelly (Killeen) 75 72, C Moriarty (Clandeboye) 74 73, M McGeady (City of Derry) 73 74, A Smith (The Island) 73 74, A McCormick (Scrabo) 71 76, T Spence (Clandeboye) 69 78;
148 N Goulding (Portmarnock) 75 73, A Pierse (Tipperary) 73 75, N Fox (Portmarnock) 73 75;
149 N Kavanagh (Westport) 79 70, R McDaid (Co Sligo) 76 73, P Purdy (Shandon Park) 74 75, L Halpin (Shannon) 74 75, M Murphy (Waterville) 74 75, R McCarthy (Island) 72 77, C Bowe (Tramore) 72 77, D Sugrue (Killarney) 72 77;
150 B McElhinney (North West) 78 72, M O'Sullivan (Galway) 77 73, D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 76 74, G Bowden (Hermitage) 74 76, M Collins (Sutton) 74 76, J Swan (Carlow) 74 76, E Power (Kilkenny) 73 77, A Morris (Belvoir Park) 71 79;
151 C Cunningham (Mullingar) 81 70, L Owens (Royal Dublin) 76 75, P Bulfin (Carlow) 76 75, T Lennon (Carlow) 75 76, D Rawluk (The Island) 74 77;
152 M Owens (Mallow) 80 72, C Conaty (Royal Dublin) 80 72, J McGinn (Greenore) 79 73, S Moloney (Castletroy) 77 75, B Kilgallon (Ballina) 77 75, E O'Sullivan (The Island) 77 75, M Kelly (Killeen) 76 76, M Horan (Birr) 74 78, G O'Flaherty (Cork) 74 78, G Massey (Hermitage) 74 78, J Farrell (Carlow) 74 78;
153 G Lynas (Shandon Park) 79 74, D McInerney (Lahinch) 78 75, J Lyons (Birr) 78 75, J Murray (Tipperary) 77 76;

Non-Qualifiers
153 C Donovan (Killeen) 76 77, P Murray (Kinsale) 75 78, S Crowe (Dunmurry) 75 78, D Finn (Mallow) 74 79, D Moran (Island) 71 82;
154 G Bohill (Co Louth) 75 79, G McNeill (Waterford) 74 80, D Coyle (Co Louth) 74 80;
155 G Hall (Edenderry) 80 75, G Purtill (Shannon) 80 75, H Mackeown (Portmarnock) 79 76, S Madden (Dromoland) 79 76, M McTernan (Co Sligo) 78 77, G Wardlow (Shandon Park) 78 77, P McLaughlin (Ballyliffin) 77 78, P Byrne (Sutton) 77 78, C Brown (Royal Portrush) 77 78, R Walsh (Tralee) 76 79, R Fitzgerald (Tramore) 76 79, M Brett (Portmarnock) 75 80, T Rice (Limerick) 74 81;
156 A Dowling (Hermitage) 78 78, J Flood (Woodbrook) 78 78, P Wallace (Mullingar) 78 78, R O'Siochain (UCD/Royal Dublin) 76 80, R Boal (Scrabo) 75 81;
157 S Paul (Tandragee) 81 76, J Mitchell (Tramore) 79 78, K Canty (Douglas) 79 78, C Hurst (London) 79 78, D Crowe (Royal Dublin) 77 80;
158 B Garvin (Castlerock) 81 77, J Mulready (Castle) 81 77, G Smith (Vartry Lakes) 78 80, V Smyth (Co Louth) 76 82, D Ryan (Grange) 75 83;
159 S McMonagle (Dunfanaghy) 77 82;
160 R Maher (Nenagh) 81 79, D Butler (Milltown) 80 80, W Adamson (K Club) 79 81, C Doran (Banbridge) 77 83, E Ryan (Golf Coast) 75 85;
161 I Cooke (Clandeboye) 82 79;
162 J McHugh (Carlow) 82 80, M Hammond (Moyola Park) 81 81, D Walsh (Lisburn) 80 82;
165 D Logue (Letterkenny) 80 85;
166 P O'Keeffe (Douglas) 80 86;
167 T Collins (Douglas) 89 78, R Williams (Baltinglass) 84 83;
171 B Keating (Clonmel) 80 91;
NR C Griffin (Curragh) 78 NR, D Turner (Killarney) 82 NR, S McSweeney (East Cork) 80 NR;
DQ D Murphy (Abbeyleix) 85 DQ, D Glynn (Roscommon) 79 DQ
RT R Duggan (Kilkenny) 78 RT, E Barton (Ballinasloe) 80 RT, R Cannon (Balbriggan) 77 RT, S Fleming (West Waterford) 85 RT
WD D Briden (Gold Coast) 82 WD, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) WD, M Morris (Portmarnock) 79 WD, D Synnott (Delgany) 82 WD, P O'Rourke (Gowran Park) 82 WD, M Burton (Powerscourt) 82 WD, M Buggy (Castlecomer) 77 WD, D Cunningham (Galway) 80 WD, K Bornemann (Douglas) 80 72, C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 74 78.

1st round.
First Quarter:
K Kearney (Roscommon) bt G Bowden (Hermitage) 1 hole; L Ryan (Stackstown) bt
C Martin (Nenagh) 4/3; R Leonard (Banbridge) bt C Conaty (Royal Dublin) 5/4;
M Murphy (Waterville) bt H Hanley (Grange) 2/1; T Spence (Clandeboye) bt M
Campbell (Stackstown) 5/3; A Smith (The Island) bt C Bowe (Tramore) 1 hole;
D Kelleher (Portmarnock) bt D Rawluk (The Island) 4/3; S D Moloney
(Castletroy) bt M McDermott (Stackstown) 3/2.

Second Quarter:
A McCormick (Scrabo) bt G Massey (Hermitage) 3/2; M Owens (Mallow) bt L
Halpin (Shannon) 2/1; P Dooley (Cork) bt M Horan (Birr) 21st; M O'Sullivan
(Galway) bt J Murray (Tipperary) 4/2; A Pierse (Tipperary) bt A Morris
(Belvoir Park) 19th; N Goulding (Portmarnock) bt D Morgan (Mullingar) 4/3; D
Sugrue (Killarney) bt N Kavanagh (Westport) 3/2; B Trainor (Warrenpoint) bt
C Moriarty (Athlone) 19th.

Third Quarter:
N Fox (Portmarnock) bt T Lennon (Carlow) 4/3; A McKinley (Shandon Park) w/o
J Swan (Carlow); R McCarthy (The Island) bt J Lyons (Birr) 3/2; B Kilgallon
(Ballina) bt G Maybin (Ballyclare) 2/1; M McGeady (City of Derry) bt D
McInerney (Lahinch) 2/1; P Purdy (Shandon Park) bt P Bulfin (Carlow) 19th; M
Kelly (Killeen) bt E O'Sullivan (The Island) 3/2; D Snow (Portmarnock) bt D
Jones (City of Derry) 1 hole.

Fourth Quarter:
J Foster (Ballyclare) bt G O'Flaherty (Cork) 19th; E Power (Kilkenny) bt G
Lynas (Shandon Park) 6/5; J McGinn (Greenore) bt W Kelly (Killeen) 19th; L
Owens (Royal Dublin) bt S McTernan (Co. Sligo) 21st; C Moriarty (Clandeboye)
bt R McDaid (Co. Sligo) 19th; A Morrow (Portmarnock) bt B McElhinney (North
West) 4/3; M Collins (Sutton) bt J Farrell (Carlow) 3/2; J Kehoe (Birr) bt C
Cunningham (Mullingar) 4/3.

2nd round.
K Kearney bt L Ryan 19th;
M Murphy bt R Leonard 1 hole;
T Spence bt A Smith 19th;
D Kelleher bt S Moloney 4 & 3;
M Owens bt A McCormick 2 & 1;
M O'Sullivan bt P Dooley 2 & 1;
N Goulding bt A Pierse 4 & 3;
B Trainor bt D Sugrue 2 & 1;
N Fox bt A McKinley 6 & 5;
R McCarthy bt B Killgallon 3 & 1;
M McGeady bt P Purdy 3 & 2
M Kelly bt D Snow 1 hole
E Power bt J Foster 1 hole
J McGinn bt L Owens 1 hole;
A Morrow bt Chris Moriarty 3 & 2;
J Kehoe bt M Collins 2 & 1.

3rd round
K Kearney (Roscommon) bt M Murphy (Waterville) 5/4; T Spence (Clandeboye) bt D Kelleher (Portmarnock) 4/3; M Owens (Mallow) bt M O'Sullivan (Galway) 21st; N Goulding (Portmarnock) bt B Trainor (Warrenpoint) 3/2; R McCarthy (The Island) bt N Fox (Portmarnock) 2/1; M McGeady (City of Derry) bt M Kelly (Killeen) 6/5; J McGinn (Greenore) bt E Power (Kilkenny) 3/2; A Morrow (Portmarnock) bt J Kehoe (Birr) 2/1.

Quarter-finals:
K Kearney bt T Spence 6/5; N Goulding bt M Owens 4/2; M McGeady bt R McCarthy 3/2; J McGinn bt A Morrow 1 hole.

Semi-finals
K Kearney (Roscommon) beat N Goulding (Portmarnock) 4/3;
J McGinn (Greenore) bt M McGeady (City of Derry) at 19th

Final
J McGinn (Greenore) bt K Kearney (Roscommon) 3/1.

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© Brian Keogh 2002

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