An opportunity lost by Irish amateur stars on home soil

By Brian Keogh

Ireland finished tied for tenth in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy but while the event was hailed as a great success there were no champagne corks popped by the home contingent at Carton House.

It’s a measure of the ambition in Irish amateur golf these days that after finishing 12 strokes behind champions Denmark, the home trio of Tramore’s Robin Dawson, Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell and Kinsale’s John Murphy felt this was a chance that got away.

Friday’s third round on the Montgomerie Course proved an expensive one for Ireland’s hopes of matching or even improving upon that breakthrough, bronze medal performance in Mexico two years ago.

A disappointing, one-over par third round tally knocked them out of the running and it still weighed heavily at the end, even if they were pleased to finish strongly with Kinsale’s Murphy carding a five-under 68 and Tramore’s Dawson a four-under 69 as Portmarnock’s Purcell posted a non-counting 74.

“It was a great week,” said non-playing captain John Carroll. “Unfortunately, Friday knocked us out completely. Three players didn’t play up to scratch and that happens in golf. There’s nothing you can do about it.

“It was everything I expected. A huge event, great crowds. Absolutely some superb golf. It’s been a wonderful week.”

“I’d have thought 27 under par around these two courses would have put us higher than we finished. The standard of golf is something else.”

Murphy admitted it was a case of what might have been after he finished tied for 41st in the individual standings on nine-under.

“It’s inevitable that we feel that way after the week but we did all we could,” the 20-year old University of Louisville star said after what he still described as an “unforgettable” week.

“Over the first two rounds, the worst score of any of three us was three under. But the format just didn’t work in our favour. We all had a bad day at once which just killed us. It killed all our momentum.

“If we had had a couple of those three-unders in the third round, it would have been great. It was such a shame. We were all playing so well, and things just went a bit flat yesterday.”

Silver medallists in Argentina eight years ago, Denmark won their first title by a stroke from the USA after tremendous final round charge on the par-73 O’Meara Course.

Tied for fourth with Italy, four strokes behind leaders New Zealand and one adrift of Spain, Thailand and the United States heading into the final round, Denmark shot 13-under on the final day to win by one shot on 39-under par with 17-year-old identical twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard the stars of the show. Nicolai, the 2018 European Amateur champion, posted a seven-under-par 66 and his brother Rasmus a six-under-67 as John Axelsen posted a non-counting four-under 69.

“I feel wonderful,” said Nicolai. “This is a dream come true for all of us.

“I had a tough start to this tournament, so I was just trying to play some good rounds to help the team. I did that the last two rounds so this is perfect. This is just wonderful.”

Denmark, USA, Spain and New Zealand, were tied at 34-under as the last groups made the turn but it was the Danes who finished the stronger.

Outplayed by Ireland over the first two days, the Americans finished strongly with US Amateur semifinalist Cole Hammer firing seven-under 66 and Justin Suh a 69 as they edged out Spain for the silver medal on 38-under-par.

Spain took the bronze medal on 36-under 544, edging out 54-hole leaders New Zealand by a stroke as Norway, Italy and Thailand tied for fifth at 548.

England (549) finished eighth with Canada (550) ninth and Ireland tied for tenth with Germany on 27-under 553.

Spain’s Alejandro “Alex” Del Rey was the low individual scorer at 23-under 267, one stroke ahead of Japan’s Takumi Kanaya with Dawson the joint best GB&I player, tied for 13th on 14-under par in his penultimate event as an amateur.

“It’s been an up-and-down week,” said Dawson, who turns professional after this week’s Home Internationals in Wales.

“I’ve three good rounds and a bang average round yesterday.”

He added: “I’m happy overall but a bit disappointed we didn’t contend further up the team standings in that aspect but you’re always happy yourself with a top ten, aren’t you?”

Purcell, 21, plans to play amateur golf full time for the next 12 months at least. But he was disappointed to follow rounds of 69, 69 and 71 with a one-over 74 to share 51st on seven-under.