McCarroll snatches East of Ireland Championship
Ballyliffin’s Brendan McCarroll came from seven shots behind overnight to snatch the East of Ireland Championship in brilliant fashion at Baltray today.
The big-hitting 20-year-old closed with rounds of 68 and 71 to finish on five under par and deny close friend Jonathan Caldwell of Clandeboye by two shots with Offaly native Shane Lowry third on one over.
It was sweet revenge for McCarroll, just a year after Caldwell had come from behind to deny him the Ulster Youths title at Belvoir Park
Now McCarroll has set his sights on emulating his famous uncle Frankie by clinching his first full Irish cap in the Home Internationals in September before moving on to the professional ranks.
“I’ve won a Boys and a Youths title but winning a senior event is what I’ve always been setting out to do," he said.
“Both of the tournaments I’ve won I’ve been six or seven shots behind and I think it is better that way.
“I am not 21 until November so I am still a young pup at the minute. I’ll play as an amateur for another year or so and then try for a tour card after that."
Caldwell shot a morning 74 as McCarroll finished birdie-eagle for a 68 to close the gap to just one stroke with a round to play.
But McCarroll soon found himself alone at the top of the leaderboard as he birdied the second and third and looked back to see that Caldwell had opened with a double bogey six.
The 21-year-old Clandeboye player was always struggling after that as his Ballyliffin friend turned five under par for the championship, birdied the 10th, bogeyed the 11th and then parred his way home to set the clubhouse target of five under par 283.
Caldwell had birdied the sixth to turn just one shot off the pace but bogeyed the 11th to fall two behind.
A birdie at the 13th left him one stroke adrift again and he had a chance to draw level with a birdie at the par four 16th but walked off with a bogey.
After booming a massive drive, Caldwell overshot the green from 90 yards, chipped back and then horseshoed out from four feet for par.
His chances of victory evaporated when a brilliant 25 footer shaved the hole at the 17th, but he was generous in defeat.
After a closing 74, he said: “Brendan played very well today to shoot those scores. It was tougher today than the last few days.
“He said this morning he was going to get one back on me and he did. My putter was cold all day and I just didn’t hole any putts.”
Esker Hills Shane Lowry claimed third place on one over par - just a month after being disqualified for the second event on the trot in the Irish Amateur Open at Portmarnock.
Limerick's Pat Murray shared fourth place on two over par after closing rounds of 71 and 75 while Seamus Power of West Waterford was the leading Youth on three over par.
East of Ireland Amateur Championship, Co Louth (Par 72)
283 B McCarroll (Ballyliffin) 73 71 68 71
285 J Caldwell (Clandeboye) 69 68 74 74
289 S Lowry (Esker Hills) 71 73 73 72
290 D Morgan (Mullingar) 75 72 71 72, P Murray (Limerick) 74 70 71
75, M Sinclair (Knock) 73 76 71 70
291 S Power (West Waterford) 73 73 69 76
292 D Crowe (Dunmurry) 69 74 74 75
293 J Lyons (Galway) 74 76 70 73, G Bowden (Hermitage) 73 73 78 69, B
O'Connor (Hermitage) 73 73 75 72
294 H Leon (Chile) 67 78 73 76
295 J McGinn (L'town & B'town) 74 76 73 72, C Doran (Banbridge) 73 75 73 74
296 C Curley (Newlands) 73 74 73 76, R Branigan (Co. Louth) 73 71 77 75, A McKinley (Shandon Park) 72 71 80 73, A Glynn (Porters Park (ENG)) 70 75 76 75
297 R Boal (Scrabo) 70 71 81 75
298 N Gorey (Killeen) 72 75 75 76
299 S Crowe (Dunmurry) 76 73 76 74, A Pitcher (The Island) 74 74 77 74, A McAllister (Portmarnock) 74 73 74 78, R Durnin (L'town & B'town) 73 74 74 78
300 A O'Callaghan (Douglas) 78 72 75 75, R Leonard (Banbridge) 77 72 75 76, J Morris (Mullingar) 74 75 78 73, D McInerney (Lahinch) 74 72 79 75, D Moran (The Island) 73 77 76 74, E Arthurs (Forrest Little) 71 71 82 76
301 D Coyne (Tuam) 78 73 73 77, D Finn (Mallow) 78 69 78 76, G Lynas (Shandon Park) 76 74 73 78, M McGinley (Grange) 73 72 78 78
302 T Cleary (Cork) 76 74 76 76, J Somers (L'town & B'town) 73 76 80 73 303 G O'Flaherty (Cork) 72 78 76 77 304 G Mallon (North West) 74 73 77 80, M Lavelle (Belmullet) 73 77 76 78, G Hall (Edenderry) 72 78 82 72, B Reddan (Co. Louth) 72 77 76 79 305 J Carvill (Warrenpoint) 77 74 76 78, R Forsythe (Ballyclare) 77 72 75 81, R McCarthy (The Island) 76 75 76 78, N Grant (Knock) 76 75 76 78
307 M Brett (Portmarnock) 80 70 76 81, C O'Malley (Westport) 71 74 79 83 308 D Downie (Sutton) 80 71 80 77, N Heather (Portmarnock) 75 76 74 83 314 D Lernihan (UCD) 79 72 83 80
