Steady Fox earns sweet reward after long wait

HAVING risen at 5.30 am as a member of the dawn brigade, Noel Fox was finished almost four hours before discovering he had captured the AIB East of Ireland Championship at Baltray yesterday. While the leaders struggled in sunny but difficult conditions, Fox shot admirable rounds of 73 and 72 for an aggregate of 298 six over par.

It was the highest winning score since Tom Cleary's triumph in 1977 and reflected the splendid test provided by slick greens and forbidding rough. But it is greatly to Fox's credit that, having qualified for the final 36 holes on the limit of 153, seven over par, he had the skill and commitment to bridge a 10-shot gap on the leaders at that stage.

"I can't believe it," said the 2 year-old. "I didn't even think I was in the picture until I was playing the 15th hole of my final round.

"At that stage, a GUI official told me that with the third round completed. I was only four strokes out of the lead. That gave me the encouragement I needed over the difficult, finishing holes."

By the time Fox finished his 72 holes at 2.50 pm, the overnight leader, Tommy Moran, had just driven off the first tee in partnership with Chris Devlin. He had been replaced at the top of the leaderboard, however, by Ulster's Rory Leonard on 222 - three over par - with Moran, Tony Hayes and Garth McGimpsey a stroke further back.

Though careful not to dig a hole for himself, Fox knew he was in with a chance, given the apparent inability of his rivals to handle conditions that were not nearly as tough as the scoring suggests.

The position became particularly interesting by the time the last groups had all gone through the turn. When local man Nigel Beirth stood on the 14th tee and McGimpsey was a few holes behind, they knew they were in a three-way tie for the lead with Fox.

Then things began to happen, as is so often the case in the quest of a coveted prize. Beirth missed the 14th green and then missed from two and a half feet for a bogey. But, to his credit, recovered the stroke at the following hole where a 12-foot birdie putt found the target.

So, the 30-year-old one-handicapper, who was runner-up two years ago, needed a par finish to force a play-off. He duly completed the 16th and 17th in regulation, but, facing the wind on the long 18th, he got a flier with an eight-iron third shot from semi-rough on the right to send the ball more than the desired 130 yards and over the green. From there, he pitched to 10 feet and missed the putt.

McGimpsey actually knew what he had to do from as early as the sixth hole of his final round, at which stage he was five over par for the championship. "I was happy about it," said the reigning West of Ireland champion. "It gave me something to aim at."

Twice a winner of this title, the Bangor player was still within sight of a third victory when he stood on the tee at the fateful 14th at six-over-par, just as Beirth had done. Instead of a bogey, however, the hole cost McGimpsey a wretched seven when his approach over-shot the green into dreadful trouble back right, from where for he took three to get on.

After missing a putt of little more than a foot, his misery was compounded when a GUI official informed him he had lost considerable ground on the match in front. In the event, McGimpsey finished with a disappointing 79 for a share of fourth place.

"I have no complaints," he said, despite overnight doubts about his fitness. "My shoulder wasn't a problem this afternoon."

Fox's breakthrough will be welcomed by selectors who have watched his impressive progress through junior ranks. The son of Noel Fox, who won an All-Ireland football medal with Dublin in 1963, he started golf as a seven-year-old with his father at Portmarnock, where he received invaluable encouragement from established players in the club.

From Portmarnock's standpoint a handsome dividend came at Portstewart last September where Fox became a key member of their triumphant Senior Cup team. Meanwhile, he decided to follow his father into accountancy, having graduated from UCD with a commerce degree.

His graduation at Baltray has been similarly successful, given that he missed the cut on his first East of Ireland challenge two years ago, was fifth last year and has now captured the title.

Having apparently lost his chance of victory after a second round of 79 on Sunday, Fox made solid progress through the third round in cold, hostile conditions of wind and rain. Significantly, on being told of his position on the 15th tee, he proceeded to birdie the hole by sinking a 25-foot putt, though he went on to miss the green at the short 17th in a round of 73.