Irish Amateur Close Championship: Galway's Mark O'Sullivan took his place alongside the greats of Irish golf with a one-hole win over David Carroll of the Grange in the final of the Irish Amateur Close Championship in Tramore yesterday.
Yet despite all that, he was probably only the second happiest Galwayman at the Waterford venue where Golfiing Union of Ireland president Michael O'Donoghue positively beamed as he presented the trophy to his fellow clubman.
O'Sullivan had played brilliantly throughout the championship, beating the likes of Sean McTernan, Darren Crowe and Gareth Maybin before knocking out the impressive Des Morgan of Mullingar by two and one in his semi-final. But in the final he excelled and never showed his opponent even the tiniest chink in his armour.
"I was in America for the last couple of years and my golf has improved so much with a lot of sacrifice and hard work," he said afterwards.
"I've won the Leinster Boys and the Ulster Youths which are big stepping stones towards big tournaments like this, but this is just the best."
O'Sullivan is not the longest hitter on the amateur circuit but his cunning course management and crisp iron play was enough to conquer Tramore and a doughty Carroll. "I said to my parents before I left and I said it to my coach David Kearney in Galway that I had a good feeling about this week," O'Sullivan revealed afterwards.
"The golf course suited me down to the ground and I'm just delighted to win this title. I can't believe it and I'm just so happy." In a quality final, he covered the 18 holes in an estimated 70 shots and was never behind at any stage.
Having taken the lead at the seventh with a birdie, he lost the 12th to a birdie but won the 13th with a fantastic par where he hacked out of rough and drilled a seven iron to four feet for an unlikely par.
Carroll pegged him back to all square with a par at the next but eventually went one down at the 547-yard 16th where O'Sullivan holed a testing 15 footer for birdie.
At the 17th, the Galwayman hit a superb three iron to the heart of the 17th green to set up a par that Carroll did well to match by chipping dead from 25 yards out.
Once O'Sullivan had bisected the fairway with a three wood at the last, the title was never in doubt. Coming out of the semi-rough with a mid iron, Carroll overshot the par five 18th in two and failed to get up and down with O'Sullivan six feet away in three.
"He just didn't give me a chance," said Carroll. "I was delighted with the way I played today but he just played better."
Semi-finals: M O'Sullivan (Galway) bt D Morgan (Mullingar) 2 and 1; D Carroll (Grange) bt M Brett (Portmarnock) 2 and 1. Final: O'Sullivan bt Carroll 1 hole.
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