McCrudden pulls off North victory

THE yawning gap of 34 years since David Young was the last man from host club Royal Portrush to win the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship closed yesterday.

Local lad Patrick McCrudden, currently a caddie while filling in time after finishing college at Denver University, was crowned 2011 champion. The 25-year-old beat Harry Diamond (Belvoir Pk) at the 19th in the pouring rain after a marathon final that lasted five hours 10 minutes.

“I reckoned it was about time that a Royal Portrush player won the championship again and I thought I should do something about that,” cracked McCrudden.

“Seriously, though, I surpassed my expectations this week. I’m just over the moon and that was one of the hardest games I ever played.”