McTernan fights all the way in tough Lahinch test

THE FORM BOOK came up trumps at Lahinch yesterday when Colm Moriarty, the lowest handicapper in the field at the beginning of the Championship, captured the 101st South of Ireland at the 19th when he defeated Sean McTernan of Co Sligo in the first all Connacht final.

The 23-year-old from Athlone plays off an exact handicap of plus 3.6 and certainly looked the part throughout the four days of an event that proved a huge success over the remodelled Lahinch links. Moriarty has no doubt his liking for the course had much to do with his victory as he happily recalled he also won the Munster Youths here in 1998 when defeating Killarney's Danny Sugrue in a play-off.

"It's a seriously tough course nowadays and took a lot of guys out of the equation," he observed. "Winning championships is what it's all about and this means an awful lot to me. It should silence those who keep going on about my poor matchplay record. I have tended to lose early in championships against players I should be beating.

"Although I reached the semi-finals of the West earlier this year, I have actually done better in strokeplay events in England. I came second in the English Strokeplay for the Brabazon Trophy and hopefully this latest result will help me find a place in the Britain & Ireland team for the St Andrews Trophy match against the Continent of Europe when it is announced next week. After that there is Ireland's first appearance in the Eisenhower Trophy for the World Championship in Malaysia in October and my long-term aim is a place in the B & I Walker Cup side next year before I eventually turn pro. I might try for my card this year but I'll wait and see how things go first."

Moriarty ended the heroics of 56-year-old Barry Reddan by a decisive 5 and 4 in the morning semi-finals, while McTernan, another for whom length off the teem seems to come easily, disposed of Mark Ryan by 3 and 2.

This set the scene for an outstanding final between two of the country's brightest prospects. While both had their moments, it was pretty moderate stuff, especially over the outward nine, which Moriarty completed in two over 38 to 39 by McTernan to turn one up. However, stunning long iron shots to the 10th and 11th pushed McTernan one ahead and he will rue for a long time his failure to make that two up at the long 12th.

With Moriarty in heavy rough in three shots, the Sligo man was ideally situated in the centre of the fairway and about 70 yards from the flag. Inexplicably, he dumped the little pitch into a bunker, came out across the green into another trap and had to hole from a yard for a half.

Powerful driving by both men saw the 13th halved in birdie threes, with Moriarty actually lipping out for a two, but luck was on his side when he took the 14th in par in spite of finding sand off the tee. McTernan three putted whereas Moriarty hit the bullseye from a good 20 feet.

"That was the turning point," he commented later.

He duly went ahead with a par at the difficult 15th only for McTernan to level for the fifth time in what was now an absorbing tussle with a 20-footer for birdie on 17.

The long 18th was shared in birdies, McTernan grazing the hole for eagle from about 15 feet. They were both round in 75, respectable shooting on a day of a stiffish, cool breeze and on a course that is now a far more difficult test. The approaches to the 19th flew the green but the large crowd prevented the balls from disappearing into heavy rough. McTernan had to chip and did so poorly and took bogey while Moriarty putted down to a yard and tapped in for victory.