|
from Colin Farquharson, 17 July 2002 Photos
,%20Cian%20McNamara%20(Limerick)_jpg.jpg) CIAN
McNAMARA WINS R&A JUNIOR OPEN
Cian McNamara from Limerick maintained a three-stroke overnight lead to
win the R&A Junior Open golf championship at Royal Musselburgh today
(Wednesday).
Cian, only just turned 16 years old, signed off with a steady round of
one-over-par 71 for a 54-hole total of three-under-par 207.
Denmark's Peter Meldgaard, Cian's closest rival at the start of play,
crashed out of contention with a quadruple bogey 9 at the 15th and the
runner-up honour was claimed by a 16-year-old slip of a girl from Korea,
Da-Sol Chung, who finished with a 70 for 210.
McNamara put a stranglehold on the prestigious biennial title with his
second-round 65 afgter an opening 71 and he said he did not feel any pressure
at all on his way to a win that might just signpost a professional career
of distinction a few years down the road.
"I lost a couple of tournaments over the last two weeks in Ireland
because I was thinking too much about the opposition. Today I just set
out to concentrate on my own game. I knew when Peter (Meldgaard) took
9 at the 15th that he was out of it but I tried not to think about it
all, " said Cian.
"I knew my other playing partner, the Korean girl, was a bigger danger.
She is some player. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes something
special in the ladies' pro game.
"I'd liked to pay tribute to my father (Dermot). He was here for
the three rounds and, though he has 14 of a handicap, he has been a tremendous
help to me on and off the course.
"I don't want to get ahead of myself. I've proved this week that
I've got the game to win at this level. But I'm only just 16, I have a
long way to go. Someday I would like to think that I'll be good enough
to be a European Tour pro but I'll just take things as they come.
"I'm off to Germany at the weekend for the European Junior Masters.
That's another challenge. Hopefully, I'll get my first cap for Ireland
in the boys' home internationals at Blairgowrie next month."
Runner-up Da-Sol Chung came to Scotland with two of a handicap but actually
finished six under the women's par (72) for the three rounds. She does
not speak English so it was impossible to find out if she was pleased
or disappointed.
Da-Sol did seem happy enough to have won the Young Lady Golfer Trophy
which was decided over the first two rounds and in which event she had
a four-stroke advantage over American Paula Creamer and the South African,
Tanica Van As.
Third place in the overall championship went to Laurence Allen from Welwyn
Garden City. He saved the best for last, finishing with a six-under-par
64, which equalled the seven-year-old course record. Laurence had earlier
rounds of 72 and 75 for his total of one-over 211.
Laurence, from Bookmans Park, birded the second, fifth, 10th, 12th, 17th
and 18th in bogey-free halves of 34 and 30.
"That takes me down to 1.8 of a handicap so I'm very, very pleased
to have finished like that and managed to get third place," said
Laurence.
Photos
Results
|
