Mighty Murray powers to victory
In an impressive final performance, Murray went round Enniscrone without dropping a shot, clinching victory on the 14th against Newlands’ Cian Curley after earlier defeating Curley’s clubmate Andrew Hogan 6/5.
And, after the better part of two decades at the higher end of the Irish amateur golf scene, the victory had a certain tinge of sweetness.
“I’m shocked – that’s the only way to describe it,” he said. “I’ve been threatening a lot over the years – a lot of near misses and close calls.
“But it’s all worth it now, that’s for sure.”
There was particular satisfaction for Murray from the manner in which he clinched the match, with a concession birdie at the par-five 14th after blazing a magnificent two iron from 240 yards into the breeze to within 20 feet.
“That was absolutely fantastic. I was delighted with that. I played really well the whole week.
“I’ve just been solid – I couldn’t complain at all during the week with my game. It got better, too, as the week went on so I felt really good today.
“The course has been great,” he continued. “It’s a really tough course, so I knew whoever made the fewest mistakes would win.
“My game-plan the whole week was just to keep it solid, and it really paid off. This afternoon I just want to keep the mistakes to a minimum.
“To go around without a bogey was just fantastic. It was just a case of trying to hit the fairway, and then the green and not get too ahead of myself. You won’t lose too many holes making pars around here.”
Murray had taken the initiative early on, going three up after five before Curley struck a blow of his own at the par-four six with a sensational long iron to two feet.
However, the Newlands man missed from five feet for another birdie at the seventh, and when Murray clinched the ninth with a par he was three up again.
At that stage, the Limerick veteran showed his steel with cast-iron pars at the 10th, 11th and 12th to retain his advantage, before the decisive turn came at the par-four 13th.
Both players drove into the grassy hollow short of the green, with Curley playing out first 30 feet over the flag. However, when he got down to the ball, he realised to his horror it bore Murray’s markings, meaning an automatic loss for the Dubliner.
Four up standing on the 14th, Murray produced a tremendous tee shot, and when Curley’s ball got caught in the left rough, the advantage was well and truly with the leader.
“That was the end of it really there,” Murray said of the 13th. “I caught a huge tee shot up the 14th after that, and I knew I was reaching it then. Cian’s ball just got caught in the rough so I knew he couldn’t make it.”
Curley played out to within 160 yards of the green, but Murray’s stroke of class with his two iron more or less settled the matter. Curley provided one more piece of entertainment for the galleries after his third shot came up short of the green.
He threw his pitch up into the bank 30 feet behind the hole, and watched as it slowly trickled down towards the hole.
Willed on by the gallery, it narrowly missed and went six feet past.
When he missed the return for par, Murray – who had rolled his eagle putt to four feet – had finally clinched the title.
Earlier on in the semi-final, Curley had displayed his grit once more with another hard-fought win over Moyola Park’s Paul O’Kane on the final green.
It was the fourth time the Dubliner had gone the distance during the championship.
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