Collier's putter conjures up magic

With the simplest of putting actions, Patrick Collier conjured up repeated magic on sodden greens to capture the Mullingar Friends First Scratch Trophy yesterday. The 21-year-old Limerick medical student shot a final round of 70 for a five-under-par 283 and a two-stroke victory.

It was an impressive effort from the Lahinch member who, for the last five holes, was aware of a three-under-par clubhouse target, set by the formidable Garth McGimpsey. "I never expected that from Garth," admitted Collier about a superb 67 from the 1985 winner.

Relentless morning rain effectively washed out the prospects of a home victory. Ted Eighan, the Mullingar member who led by five strokes overnight, crashed to a wretched third round of 79 which included a back nine of 44 and a triple-bogey seven at the 17th, where he drove out of bounds.

But his superb second round of 66 on Sunday afternoon meant that Eighan realised a personal ambition of actually winning a prize in the event for the first time in 12 attempts.

Conditions were so miserable that of the 52 competitors who started the third round, only 39 had posted scores by the end of the day. It didn't seem to matter that rain had given way to quite a pleasant afternoon of fresh breezes and the odd glimpse of sunshine.

In the event, the complexion of the leaderboard had changed dramatically by lunchtime. Collier and Gary Cullen, who were joint second with Kenneth Kearney at the half-way stage, now became joint leaders on three under par, a stroke clear of Noel Fox. McGimpsey, two over par and five strokes adrift, looked to be out of it.

After 63 holes, however, Cullen led on his own on three under, a stroke clear of Collier, with McGimpsey and Fox sharing third place. But the challenge of the Beaverstown player was scuppered by a double-bogey six at the 11th where he was in a variety of trouble, mostly concerning timber and sand.

By his own admission, McGimpsey was focused mainly on "completing a good round". He added: "I figured I was too far back to think of winning." Still, he could immediately recall the circumstances of his 1985 triumph here, which came after a play-off with Martin O'Brien.

He had eight birdies on his card, including four from the 11th to the finish. These included a typically clever four at the long 18th where he placed his second shot wide on the right to give himself a 50-yard pitch into the wind and directly towards the pin in the back left corner of the green. There, a three-and-a-half-foot putt was stroked confidently into the cup.

But he was acutely aware of a significant slip on the 17th, where he had a bogey, missing a four-footer after he was bunkered front left. "That was the only short putt I missed," he said ruefully.

On the basis of the final figures, it wouldn't have mattered. But the pressure on Collier would, undoubtedly, have been increased by a four-under-par target.

Still, he performed heroically after starting his final round with a double-bogey six - the product of an extremely awkward lie in a greenside trap. Then a 20-yarder for a birdie at the third coincided with the arrival of JP Hughes, a friend from UCC who offered to caddie for him. Prior to that, Collier had pulled his own trolley for 57 holes.

Having reached the turn in 36 - one-over-par - he got to grips with the challenge on the homeward journey. And it was then that his delightful putting action, which delivered a return of 26 putts for the round, was seen to best effect. It involved no practice stroke: with the putter-head placed behind the ball, the stroke was executed with enviable smoothness.

As it happened, he got up and down for birdies at the 11th (six-foot putt), 14th (six-footer) and 16th (20-footer). And he also got up and down to save par on three occasions on the back nine, including the 13th (15-foot putt) and the 17th where, crucially, he holed from four feet, downhill, after being bunkered. He had a comfortable, two-putt par at the last.

Twelve months ago, Collier was overlooked by the Munster senior selectors, despite his victory in the South of Ireland championship. On this occasion, he will relieve them of any decision by heading off on Thursday as a member of the Irish team for the World Student Games in Durban.

"This course is very special to me," said Collier, who has completed his fourth year of studying medicine at UCC. "I won two under-age national titles (under14 and under-16) at Mullingar. Now, I have proved to myself the worth of my victory in last year's "South"."

For more than half the tournament, he suspected he was playing for second place behind Eighan. But for the final five holes, Collier never look anything other than a winner.