O’Flaherty wins Munster Mid-Am in style
CORK’S Gary O’Flaherty birdied the 18th to claim the Munster Mid-Amateur title for the second time in eight years at Lee Valley Golf & Country Club.
The Munster Interprovincial began the final round three strokes behind Douglas’ Kieran O’Donoghue on three over par but followed an early bogey with two birdies to go to the last needing a birdie to overcome Dungarvan’s Alan Thomas, who shot a 69 to set the clubhouse target at two-over 218.
O’Flaherty, who won the title at Limerick in 2011, hit a 160-yard approach to five feet and made the putt to add a two-under-par 70 to previous rounds of 73 and 74 and claim the title for the second time on one-over 216.
Muskerry’s David O’Donovan shot a 70 to finish third, two shots behind the winner, on three-over-par 219.
He edged out overnight leader O’Donoghue, who shot 75, for fourth place after a countback. Munster Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Lee Valley Golf Club (Par 72)
■ Winner — Gary O’Flaherty (Cork) 217
■ Runner-up — Alan Thomas (Dungarvan) 218
■ Third — David O’Donovan (Muskerry) (Back 36) 219
■ Fourth — Kieran O’Donoghue (Douglas) 219
■ Fifth — Eoghan Long (Monkstown) (Back36) 220
■ Best Gross — R3 Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) (Back 6) 71
■ Best Nett — Karl Bornemann (Douglas) 222
■ Second Nett — John O’Brien (Castlemartyr) 224
■ Top 10 — 217 G O’Flaherty (Cork) 73 74 70; 218 A Thomas (Dungarvan) 76 73 69; 219 D O’Donovan (Muskerry)
73 76 70; K O’Donoghue (Douglas ) 72 72 75; 220 E Long (Monkstown) 75 76 69; G Lenehan (Portmarnock) 72 77 71; 222 K Bornemann (Douglas) 75 76 71; 224 G Dunne (Co. Louth) 76 75 73; J O’Brien (Castlemartyr) 71 77 76; 225 J O’Neill (Lee Valley) 75 74 76.