Ronan Mullarney takes Close title after Ballybunion thriller

From the time he signed for a six under par 65 after the first qualifying round on Saturday last, Galway’s Ronan Mullarney looked a very sound bet for his first victory in the AIG Irish Close Championship.

And even though he may have suffered one or two anxious moments along the way, in yesterday’s final against big-hitting Robert Brazill from Naas, Mullarney got home on the 18th green after a terrific contest at Ballybunion.