'Best week ever' - Keeling claims Irish Men’s Amateur Open

Keeling sunk a 12-foot putt to claim the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship at Seapoint.

Patrick Keeling (Roganstown) celebrates winning the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship at Seapoint. Photo: Inpho|Laszlo Geczo

Roganstown golfer Patrick Keeling said “it was the best week ever” as he sunk a 12-foot putt to claim the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship at Seapoint.

Having already broken the course record with a sublime 62 on Friday, the 21-year-old came into the final round with the narrowest of leads from Darragh Flynn (Carton House) and Thomas Abom (Edmondstown) after a battling third round 73 on Saturday.

“That just set the tone for the week, got into a rhythm, got into a flow,” said Keeling.

“The wind yesterday put that off a little bit, thankfully today when things didn’t go my way the peace helped me to stay one shot at a time.” 

The morning began much as it had done the previous day for the Louisville collegiate golfer, bogeys on 4 and 8 dropping Keeling back to eight-under, leaving the chasing pack with an opportunity to make ground.

John Doyle (Fota Island) and then Eoin Murphy (Dundalk) made the initial moves early on Sunday, but they were just too far back to mount a real challenge on the leaders.

Flynn and Keeling continued their own battle, however it was East of Ireland champion David Howard (Fota Island) who pushed on as he moved to five-under for his day thru nine holes. He had four birdies on the front nine, before another birdie on ten saw him draw level with Flynn and Keeling on the summit before the Roganstown man bogeyed.

Flynn dropped a shot too, but when Howard bogeyed the Par 4 12th there was a five-way tie for the lead. The lead changed hands again until Keeling regained the ascendency with birdies on 10 and 11, to move two shots clear.

Another birdie would drop for Keeling on 14 as he looked to tighten his grip on the title but, as was the theme of the week, more drama would ensue. Trouble off the tee on 17 resulted in a bogey meaning one final push would be needed down the last.

Howard finished with a brilliant birdie for a final round 66 and ten-under total while Dunne had got within one, but he needed birdies as the holes began to run out.

With a massive local crowd following him in, Dunne would card a par on the last seeing him finish with a final round 70 and a share of third place with clubmate and defending champion Stuart Grehan (Co Louth).

Keeling teed up on 18 knowing a final birdie would be needed to seal victory. Despite going over the green with his second and leaving a tricky putt for the win, the Dublin native held his nerve.

As the final putt rolled in Keeling looked to the heavens before celebrating with his brother Sean and his parents Catriona and David.

“Never really was close to winning any other big championships so just to have the opportunity coming out today I was so excited for it and to be able to capitalise was really special,” said Keeling.

“I don’t even know what I did after the putt went in to be honest. Total relief, satisfaction and gratitude. I’m just ecstatic about it.

“It affirms to me that my game is there. I kind of always knew it but I didn’t really have a lot to show it. I just want to win as many championships as I can, go on and win as many tournaments as I can and put my name on as many trophies as I can.”