Unlucky Mortimer misses out by one stroke

David Mortimer came within a stroke of becoming the first Irishman to win the PGA Assistants’ Championship at The London Club yesterday.

The 6ft. 4in. native of Connemara, , who’s doing his PGA training at the Newlands club in Dublin, fired a final round of 71 for a 212 aggregate, but his playing partner, Matthew Tottey from North Wales was a shot better.

Mortimer’s steady progress was halted by a double bogey at the 10th where his ball went left into a lake, but he finished strongly, with birdies at the 16th and par-four final hole, where an exquisite pitching wedge from 125 yards finished five feet below the hole.

David won €4,380, while Tottey picked up not only €7,300 but also an invitation to play in the American and Australian assistants’ championships later this year.