Cool head prevails

Graeme McDowell showed all the coolness of a seasoned campaigner when shooting two 71s in the final two rounds to take the Leinster…

Graeme McDowell showed all the coolness of a seasoned campaigner when shooting two 71s in the final two rounds to take the Leinster Youths Amateur Open Championship at Laytown and Bettystown last week. McDowell's total of 289 in the Sigma Wireless-sponsored event left him three shots clear of second-placed Robert Cannon from Balbriggan with international Justin Kehoe (Birr/ UCD) taking third place on a countback.

Kehoe had set the pace on the first day when rounds of 74 and 70 gave him a three shots lead over Seamus McMonagle from Dunfanaghy, Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare) and McDowell. A third round 71 cut McDowell's deficit to just one and he left the field trailing with another 71 in the afternoon to come home a comfortable three shots winner.