McGeady fights back to retain his Cairndhu Pro-Am crown

MICHAEL McGeady consolidated his position as leader of the PGA in Ireland Order of Merit by successfully defending his Cairndhu Pro-Am title.

The Evolve Golf Coaching professional carded rounds of 72, 67 at the Co Antrim course to beat David Higgins (Waterville Links) by two shots.

McGeady clearly thrives when tournaments return to Northern Ireland, repeating his success of 2017 when he won the Walled City Pro-Am title and the Cairndhu event on successive weekends.

The 40-year-old opened his campaign at the 36-hole event with a two-over-par 72 that left him trailing round one leader Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf ) by two shots.

Mooney was the only player to match par on day one, posting a level-par 70 that included four birdies, a bogey and a triple at the par-four seventh.

Starting late on day two, McGeady made a poor start, dropping a shot at the par-four first but back-to-back birdies at the second and third saw him reach the turn in one-under 33.

He then dropped another shot at the 10th but bounced back again with a birdie at the 11th and then birdied the 16th and 17th to come home in two-under 34.

Mooney finished alone in third with Tim Rice (Limerick GC), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC) and Robert Giles (Greenore GC) joined together in fourth.

McGeady also collected the team prize, guiding his amateur partners Michael Abram, Raymond Ferguson and Niall McFearan to victory with a tworound total of 178.