Padraig Dooley of Cork GC captured the Midlands Scratch Cup at Carlow yesterday after firing a final round 69 for a four-round total of level par 280.

Dooley (23), a graduate of mathematics and statistics from UCC, was part of his club's winning Irish Senior Cup team in Athlone last weekend, and two years ago won the Leinster Youth championship in Greystones.

The new Midland champion won by a single stroke from Colm Cassidy (Portmarnock), with Gavin Lunny (Naas) a shot further back on 282.

Dooley clinched the victory only on the 72nd hole where he carded a birdie four.

Gary Cullen (24), the Irish amateur international from Belvoirstown, finished fourth on 283.

Cullen played magnificent golf on Saturday to set a course record for the Carlow course of 65 in the morning. He followed up with a one-under-par 69 in the afternoon.

But he played moderate golf yesterday, carding rounds of 76 and 73 to let his chance of victory slip.

In all, 72 players took part in the Midlands and, over the two days, 15 sub-par rounds were recorded, including 11 on Saturday when the conditions were benign.

280 - P Dooley (Cork) 71, 68, 72 69.

281 - C Cassidy (Portmarnock) 67, 71, 73, 70.

282 - G Lunny (Naas) 68, 72, 72, 70.

283 - G Cullen (Belvoirstown) 65, 69, 76, 73.

284 - J McClure (Royal Belfast) 69, 75, 71, 69, D Jones (City of Derry) 72, 71, 70, 71.

287 - F Gannon (Skerries) 74, 67, 74, 72, J Foster (Ballyclare) 71,. 69, 75, 72.

290 - G McNeill (Waterford) 75, 76, 72, 68, G Murphy (Monkstown) 76, 72, 73, 70, P Collier (UCC) 74, 72, 76, 69, C O'Driscoll (Cahir Park) 73, 72, 72 74, P McDonald (Old Conna) 72, 72, 72, 75.

292 - M Brett (Portmarnock) 72, 73 74 73.

294 - E McMenamin (Ballybofey) 77, 69 71 77.

295 - C McCarthy (Kinsale) 76 77 72 70, J Farrell (Carlow) 76 74 74 71, C Little (Ballyclare) 73, 74 75 73, L Dalton (Waterford) 79 66 79 71.

296 - G Maybin, (Ballyclare) 76 73 75 72, T Lennon (Carlow) 74 73 74 75, R O'Keeffe (Skerries) 73 74 74 75.

298 - N Goulding (Portmarnock) 76 77 74 71, J Kavanagh (Castletroy) 73 74 73 78.

299 - G Smith (Ballinascroney) 71 78 74 76, J Joyce (Borris) 76 69 73 81.

300 - G Luddy (Mitchelstown) 76 75 72 77.

302 - J Mulready (The Castle) 76 76 74 76, K Purcell (Old Conna) 72 77 81 72.

303 - J Sugrue (Killarney) 74 76 75 78.

304 - N Bennis (Castletroy) 73 75 79 77.

305 - B Fitzpatrick (Bray) 76 73 78 78.

307 - C O'Flaherty (Cork) 76 77 80 74, J McVeigh (Carlow) 74 77 79 77.

308 - B McDonnell (Castlewarden) 76 76 79 77.

313 - D Hutton (Carlow) 76 75 84 78.

314 - J Lyons (Birr) 76 78 85 75.