Savage stays cool for two-shot win

Scotland’s Jamie Savage proved a cool head is half the battle as he took advantage of a series of mistakes by Ireland’s leading contenders to snatch a two-shot win in the Irish Amateur Open at a wet and windy Royal Dublin.

Three shots behind leader Gary McDermott starting a day of rain squalls and winds gusting up to 25mph, he cut a 203-yard rescue against the breeze at the 18th to set up a two-putt birdie that proved to be the winning blow.

The 19-year-old signed for a one under par 71 to set the target at level par 288 after playing partner Cormac Sharvin, the Irish Close champion from Adrglass, hit a three iron out of bounds.

The 21-year-old from Co Down was tied for lead with Savage playing the 18th but, after pulling his three-iron tee shot into an awkward lie near the fairway traps, he felt he had to go for it.

“The ball was below my feet,” said the 21-year old from Ardglass after taking six at the last. “I felt as though I had to take it on but it was a one in 10 shot and, unfortunately, I just came out of it.”

A 73 left Sharvin in a four-way tie for the runner-up spot alongside Dutchman Robbie van West (71), the Isle of Man’s Tom Gandy (70) and Carton House’s Co Sligo import Gary McDermott on two over. It was a hugely disappointing final day for 32-year old McDermott, who led by two strokes from Hume overnight and by three from Sharvin and eventual champion Savage.

But, after erasing an opening bogey with a birdie at the sixth, he four putted the par-three seventh from 25 feet for a costly double bogey. Further bogeys at the 10th and 12th left McDermott needing to play the last three holes in one under to force a playoff as Hume left himself too much to do. A three-putt par at the 16th followed by a gutsy par save from 10 feet at the 17th left him needing a birdie three at the last to tie. But he failed to ask where he stood and didn’t know he needed a birdie until he had missed the green and faced a do-or-die chip that he left well short.

“I only found out when I was standing over my pitch that I had to hole it and I was a bit deflated, to say the least,” McDermott said after a closing bogey.

“I suppose when people were staying away from me, I thought that meant I was in control. It would have been nice to have known or had some scoreboards out there but it was not to be.”

Savage didn’t make the same mistake.

“I asked a boy on the 14th where I was sitting and he said I was one ahead, so I just tried to keep calm,” said the powerfully built Scot, who had four birdies and three bogeys in his 71. “It’s not an easy finish. I played well.”

Still seeking his maiden Championship win, McDermott sighed: “I was hoping today was going to be the day, but obviously it was not to be.

“You take the positives, you dust yourself off. I still have a few tournaments to go this year — the East and the Close — I’m not fussy, I’ll take a win in any one of them.”