Dwyer wins Spar Moran Cup after shootout drama
John Dwyer collected the Spar Moran Cup at Royal Dublin but had to survive shootout drama with Neil Manchip after the pair shared a five-under-par 67.
This was belated consolation for the Ashbourne Club professional after losing his title in a play-off to Leslie Walker in the Ulster Open Championship, at The Hilton, earlier this month.
O'Dwyer was defending the northern crown.
It took only one hole at Royal Dublin to decide the honours today with Dwyer snatching the silverware with a par at the first tie-hole.
Dwyer, who played all four rounds in the European Tour event at Ballyliffin at the weekend, pitched to 15 feet and got down in two putts for his par.
Not such good luck for Irish Club Professionals' champion Manchip.
He was in bunker trouble off the tee, came out short, pitched five feet behind the flag and missed the return putt.
"It is nice to win again," enthused Dwyer who was runner-up to Paul McGinley in this season's Smurfit PGA Irish Region Championship at Westport and who played all four rounds in the Smurfit European Open at The K Club.
He now leads the Order of Merit and was last man in at Royal Dublin to force the play-off.
Dwyer turned in two-under-33 and came back in three-under-34 while Manchip was just one-under at the turn but stormed over the back nine in 33 shots (four under).
SPAR MORAN CUP AT ROYAL DUBLIN:
Leading Scores:
67 (-5) - N Manchip (Royal Dublin), J Dwyer (Ashbourne).
Dwyer won the trophy at the first tie-hole in a play-off.
68 - J Murray (Malahide), D Walker (Foxrock), R Burns (Newlands).
69 - E Tracey (Enniscrone), B McGovern (Headfort), Z Rouiller (Spawell), J Dignam (Slade Valley).
70 - J Heggarty (Spawell).
71 - M Leung (McGregor Golf Acad.), J Byrne (Royal Tara), G Roche (Curragh), L Walker (Dundalk).
72 - G Kavanagh (Delgany), J Sugrue (Kinsale).
73 - G Henry (McGregor Golf Acad.), Gavin Robinson (Paddock Wood), J Bolger (Kilkenny).
74 - N Howley (Black Bush), C Smyth (Dundalk), RJ Browne (Laytown & Bettystown), G Egan (Castlewarden), D O'Sullivan (St Margaret's), P Gittens (Corrstown), S Byrne (Hermitage).
