Stu-pendous home success for Grehan in Irish Amateur Championship at Seapoint
He started the final round four shots in arrears after carding a level-par 72 on Saturday but saved his best until last, shooting a bogey-free 66 to take the championship to extra holes before he won it on the 10th green.
Going into the final day, the defending champion Matt McClean from the Malone club was still in contention after opening with a course-record 64 and he went on to set a -13 total and assume the clubhouse lead after landing eight birdies in his last round.
Marlborough's Hayward was also in the shake-up along with County Louth's Gerard Dunne, while Grehan started the final round four shots adrift in a tie for fourth place.
He went on to put together an outstanding 18 holes, though, and when his approach landed on 18th green he had a real chance of posting an insurmountable lead.
However, his eagle putt finished inches short and that left Hayward with a birdie chance to win, but he missed his chance and the tournament went to a play-off.
The atmosphere became more tense when Grehan went over the 18th green on the second play-off hole, but Hayward missed his opportunity and Grehan made him pay after they returned to the 10th.
As Grehan celebrated with his young family, he said he was 'absolutely thrilled', revealing that he regularly walks his dog around the Seapoint area.
It was only last October that Grehan called time on his career as a touring professional to focus on his work as a financial consultant, expressing the wish that he could regain his amateur status and challenge for a place on Great Britain and Ireland's team for the 2026 Walker Cup in Lahinch.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Gerard Dunne eventually finished in a tie for fourth in Sunday's finale, with Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty tied for 15th and Seapoint's leading finisher Dylan Keating in 29th place.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
21 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Past champions and future stars line up in 123rd South of Ireland at 'special' Lahinch
Peter Sheehan tees it up in his 40th Pierse Motor Group South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship today but he's not the only former champion enamoured of the annual matchplay classic at Lahinch. As 58-year-old Sheehan goes off with fellow veterans Karl Bornemann and Sean Barry at 2:30pm, two former champions and a former runner-up will be on the back nine at the west Clare links reliving their past glories and enjoying the unique atmosphere of what is arguably Irish golf's most popular provincial championship. A 46-year-old Robbie Cannon, champion in 2009, joins last year's beaten semi-finalist, 54-year-old Pat Murray (winner in 2012) and the 53-year-old 2007 runner up Joe Lyons in a threeball that will be as much a trip down memory lane as another opportunity to defy the odds and frighten a few young guns by making the top 64 after 36 holes who qualify for the matchplay stages on Friday. "The minute you drive into the car park in Lahinch, you can almost smell golf," said Lyons, a former West of Ireland champion, who has become a prolific winner on the seniors circuit with seven championship wins to his name. "There is just something special about the place. "Lahinch has a charm to it, really. There's something magical about it and I love the design and holes such as the Dell or the Klondyke because they are unique in world golf." The Alastair Mackenzie-designed course will host the Walker Cup next year, and not only is Lyons keen to make the trip, but he will likely bump into old rivals like Murray and Cannon, who have a special "grá" for the course, the town and the championship. Murray finally ended his quest for South of Ireland glory in 2012 after multiple appearances in the quarter and semi-finals. "I just love the buzz there," said Tipperary native, who made a surprise appearance in the semi-finals 12 months ago, where he was beaten by eventual champion Patrick Adler of the US. "There's so much to be said for a golf course in the middle of the town. It's a great test when the wind blows and the atmosphere on the first tee box, right in front of the clubhouse, is second to none." Cannon can hardly believe it's been 16 years since he beat Cork's Gary O'Flaherty in the final and while he'll be hoping to capture lightning in a bottle and pulling for all his strength and conditioning clients, he'll be making sure to smell the wildflowers along the way. "The views on the golf course are fantastic, the people and all the members are lovely, and it's just a great place to play golf," Cannon said. "It's just one of my favourite places in golf." Adler is not defending his title, but there is still a quality field in action, diminished only by the absence of Amateur Championship runner-up Gavin Tiernan and 2015 winner Stuart Grehan, who are hoping to boost their chances of Walker Cup selection when they play for Great Britain and Ireland in this week's St Andrews Trophy at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid. Players of the calibre of former champions Caolan Rafferty and Colm Campbell, Roscommon's Thomas Higgins, Malahide's Gavin O'Neill and Galgorm's Joshua Hill, not to mention Connemara's Luke O'Neill, last year's runner up Brian Doran of Millicent, West of Ireland winner Dylan Holmes and East of Ireland champion David Howard from Fota Island will be keen to make their mark. The 1985 champion, Sheehan, will be making his 40th appearance, and the memory of his victory remains vivid. "I played against Michael O'Kelly (Limerick) in the final. There must have been 5,000 people there," he told Golf Ireland this week. "The abiding memory was watching Padraig Harrington and his girlfriend, wife now, Caroline, strolling around watching us in the final, which is nice to see years later." Like Cannon, Murray and Lyons, there's nowhere he'd rather be this week. "They look after me every year, they make me feel so welcome as a past champion, and they make me feel as if I'm the winner coming back every year," said Sheehan, whose goal is to make the cut and take a few matchplay scalps. "They look after me so well, treat you so well, and it's just a really, really special place."
RTÉ News
a day ago
- RTÉ News
Dundalk set to receive club-record transfer fee for Sean Keogh from Brighton
Dundalk FC full-back Sean Keogh is expected to secure a move to Premier League side Brighton this week. It is understood that an undisclosed six-figure sum has been agreed between the two clubs for the services of the 19-year-old, with the County Louth side securing future add-ons to what is believed to be a record sale for the Oriel Park outfit. The deal is expected to be confirmed in the coming days once the final details on personal terms are agreed. The left-back, a Republic of Ireland Under-19 international, has become a regular for Dundalk since being handed a league debut for the Lilywhites in a 2-0 defeat at home to Waterford FC last June by then manager Jon Daly. He has continued to flourish for the SSE Airtricity Men's First Division leaders this season, with current boss Ciarán Kilduff describing him as "the best left-back in the country in either division." The teenager from Skerries in Co Dublin has made 38 appearances for Dundalk, scoring twice. He has also been capped four times by Tom Mohan's Irish U-19 side in their UEFA Euro U19 Championship qualifiers. Keogh, who completed his Leaving Cert earlier this summer, is the first Dundalk player to move to Brighton since Richie Towell a decade ago. Towell moved at the end of the 2015 season as a free agent. The club from the south coast of England, who finished eighth in last season's Premier League, have signed a number of Irish players in recent years. Former Bohemians striker Evan Ferguson is expected to move to Serie A outfit Roma on loan shortly but his fellow senior international Andrew Moran and U-21 defender Eiran Cashin remain on their books. It was also announced today that Cork City winger Malik Dijksteel has signed a pre-contract agreement with Scottish Premiership outfit St Mirren.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Dundalk FC boss Kilduff grappling with injury headaches for Wexford clash
Dundalk boss Ciarán Kilduff is facing a number of defensive issues as he bids to get his side's First Division title challenge back on track against Wexford FC at Oriel Park this Friday.
