Doran takes advantage as Cutler slips at the last

CONNOR DORAN, a 27-year-old financial adviser, got his figures right to win the Mullingar Scratch Cup yesterday and handed the kudos for his win to triple-major champion Pádraig Harrington with whom he stood in for seven holes of last month’s Irish PGA championship.

In a dramatic final round, which saw long-time leader Luke Lennox fade away, Doran defeated Portstewart’s Paul Cutler – the East of Ireland champion – at the first play-off hole where the Banbridge clubman hit a sand-wedge approach in to four feet and then holed the birdie putt.

For much of the round, Cutler – seeking to overcome his disappointment at missing out on selection for next month’s Walker Cup against the United States in Merion, Pennyslvania – had seemed set to land the prestige strokeplay title.

Indeed, Cutler held the advantage on the par-five 18th until Doran, in the group in front, birdied the hole. Hearing the loud cheers from greenside, Cutler put two and two together and assumed that his rival had eagled the hole.

So, Cutler, believing he needed to find the green in two, attempted to hit a three-iron approach from 215 yards only to mis-hit the shot and finish in the hazard in front of the green. It resulted in a bogey six for Cutler, and a closing round of 67 for a 72-holes total of 281 (seven under), the same total as Doran who had finished with a 70. Walker Cup call-up Niall Kearney of Royal Dublin finished in third after a 69 for 283 with Lennox a shot further back.

Afterwards, Doran claimed that playing with Harrington in the Irish PGA at the European had proven “inspirational, the biggest experience of my golfing life”.

Doran was only at the professional championship as a spectator to watch his friend, Richard Kilpatrick, in the tournament, but was called into action when Harrington’s playing partner Leslie Walker had to withdraw due to an injured hand.