McCormack scratches his 20-year McIlroy itch with first Irish Close Championship

Deirdre Smith also walked away with silverware after claiming a dramatic Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Championship win

SWEET SILVER: Eddie McCormack toasts victory at the Irish Senior Men's & Women's Close Championships, Nenagh, Tipperary. Pic: INPHO/Leah Scholes

Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay) claimed his first Irish Senior Men’s Amateur Close Championship in emphatic style at Nenagh Golf Club on Friday afternoon, twenty years after losing the final of the Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship to a young Rory McIlroy.

Deirdre Smith also walked away with silverware, as the County Louth golfer overturned the disappointment of losing last year’s decider in Kilkeel to claim a dramatic Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Championship win on the 19th hole of her playoff against Sinead Benedetti (Roscommon).

Karl Bornemann (Douglas) retained his Irish Veteran Men’s Amateur Close Championship, and it was Fionnuala Halpin (Dun Laoghaire) who claimed the Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close Plate.

The Senior Men’s final would be a battle of two champions, as reigning Irish Senior Men’s Close Stroke Play champion McCormack took on Irish Senior Men’s Open Champion, Andrew Morris (Royal Portrush) in the final, after the pair battled past Pat Murray (Adare Manor) and David Hunt (Nenagh) in the morning semi-finals.

McCormack would get in front early and, by his own admission, kept “the foot to the floor” as he made the turn, 6up thru nine, before sealing his 7&6 victory on the 12th hole to become the first player to win both the Irish Close Stroke Play and Match Play in the same season.

“Delighted to be champion, played very, very well today, especially this afternoon,” said McCormack “I felt as if I couldn’t give him (Morris) breathing space at all because he is such a good player.” “Any win is a nice win. It’s nice to win an Irish title, it’s another one to relish.” Reminiscing on his match against McIlroy in the final of the Men’s Close at Westport two decades ago, McCormack smiled at the memory.

“He was phenomenal, so he was, I was afraid of him that day,” said McCormack. “I didn’t win the close 20 years ago but I won it today so it’s brilliant.” 

SMOOTH EXIT: Deirdre Smith who won the Irish Senior Men's & Women's Close Championships, Nenagh, Tipperary Pic: INPHO/Leah Scholes

Leading qualifier Smith advanced to the final of the Irish Senior Women’s Amateur Close thanks to a 5&3 win against Maria O’Reilly (Headfort) while Benedetti had a 3&1 victory over Tracy Eakin (Dooks).

It was an enthralling final and when Smith got up and down from a greenside bunker on 18 to force a playoff, she had the momentum behind her and won with a par on the first extra hole.

“I lost it in pretty poor fashion last year and I was really disappointed, so I set out to exorcise those demons today,” said Smith.

“Anytime you win an Irish championship it takes a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication and a lot of soul searching at times and to be proud of that is good. They are the really important things; the trophy is not really what it’s all about it’s all the other stuff that people don’t see.”

At the R&A Boys’ Amateur at County Louth, there was disappointment for John Doyle, who lost on the 20th in his quarter-final to Spaniard Yago Horno. The Fota Island teenager was 2up with four holes to play, but Horno won 15 and 16, and then took the match on the second extra hole.

Doyle’s defeat ended Irish hopes of a first win since 1986.

Horno defeated Sweden’s Oscar Stendahl by two holes in the semi-final and will play the Netherlands’ Guus Lafeber, son of former European Tour player Maarten, in the final.