McLarnon hungry for more wins
MASSEREENE’S Tiarnan McLarnon is determined to claim another championship victory after a great run in the Spanish Amateur Championship at a windy La Manga.
The former Irish Close champion put up a tremendous fight before going out to Spain’s world number 31 Angel Hidalgo in the last 16.
After an 8 and 6 demolition of Frenchman Thomas Dorier in the first round, McLarnon came back from three down with three to play to take Hidalgo to the 18th.
“I might be moving on a bit, but I’ve got a few titles in me yet,” joked McLarnon (26), who beat Alex Gleeson to win the “Close” at Tramore in 2015 and was runner-up to Co Sligo’s Sean Flanagan North of Ireland at Royal Portrush two years ago.
It was also a good week for 2016 West of Ireland champion Jonathan Yates from Naas, who was ninth in qualifying after rounds of 79 and 71 and gave rising English star Gian Marco Petrozzi a very good game before losing 1 up in the first round.
McLarnon and Yates were the only Irish players in the eight-strong party to make the top 32 qualifiers after 36 holes of strokeplay but came up short in their bids to join Philip Walton (1981), Mick Quirke (1987), Darren Clarke (1990) and Reeve Whitson (2013) on the list of winners of the prestigious King’s Cup.
England’s Billy McKenzie became the seventh English winner in 15 years when he beat compatriot Alex Fitzpatrick, younger brother of Ryder Cup player Matthew, 3 and 2 in the 36-hole final.
McKenzie snatched the last of 32 places in the matchplay draw on a countback from Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty but took full advantage to claim a famous victory.
Rafferty finished 33rd on eight-over 154 after two 77s with Mallow’s James Sugrue a shot further back after rounds of 79 and 76.
Maynooth University’s Ronan Mullarney (83 73, 156), Castle’s Alex Gleeson (77 81, 158) and Robert Moran (82 81, 163) and Kilkenny’s Mark Power (82 82, 164) also missed out.