Manchip holds off Walker

Leslie Walker made a bold bid to hold on to the Irish Club Professionals golf title at Mount Wolseley yesterday, but it wasn't to be. A four-shot deficit was just too much to make up as he saw playing partner Neil Manchip take the crown and the cheque of £2,000 from the prize-fund of £13,000 provided by the Langdon Group and MacGregor Golf.

Manchip, the Edinburgh-born assistant at Royal County Down, shot a course record of 68 (four under par) in the opening round on Wednesday, with Walker handing in a 72. The gap was just too big for the tall Foxrock man to bridge and, in the end, he had to be content with third place as Stephen Hamill nipped in to take second.

The new champion eased around yesterday in 73 shots as playing partner Walker lost out over the last few holes after the margin had been closed to one stroke heading for home. But every time that Manchip made a blunder he recouped lost ground with a birdie to make Walker's chance of retaining the title all the more difficult.

"This is my first big win and I have really enjoyed playing on this course. It's superb and that short ninth hole must be the toughest short hole in the country," remarked Manchip (24) who will play in the English Challenge Tour Championship at East Sussex next week.

Manchip began his second round, at the 10th, with a birdie four but, remarkably, bogeyed the four short holes on the course. He birdied the 17th to turn level par and had birdie fours at the fifth and seventh.

When Walker bogeyed the eighth to drop back to one under the title was Manchip's. He could afford the luxury was making bogey at the very difficult short ninth hole, missing the green with a three iron.

Hamill posted a 70 to slip into second place at two under on 142. Hamill was two over for the day after three holes, but steadied with a birdie three from five feet at the fourth.

He three-putted the fifth, but again holed from five feet for a birdie at the eighth.