GOLF SOUTH OF IRELAND CHAMPIONSHIP:ROBBIE CANNON looks the real deal. He is slim and fit, his ball-striking is pure and his head is in the right place. Yesterday, the 30-year-old Dubliner – fit and well after an injury-plagued year in 2008 and recovered from a cold that threatened his participation here this week – captured the South of Ireland amateur championship with a 4 and 3 victory over Gary O'Flaherty in the final over the Old Course at Lahinch.

Finally, Cannon – a self-styled “late developer” who took up the game as a 15-year-old in Balbriggan, but who nowadays plays out of Laytown and Bettystown where the attraction of links golf over the winter proved a strong pull – had achieved his potential, and did so impressively being one-under-par for the 15 holes required to out-duel O’Flaherty.

The road to this major win had been a tough one for Cannon, who has played in the domestic majors since 2000 without any success until now. Yet he was reminded of his potential earlier in the week when an old photo popped up on this laptop. It was of the Leinster team of 2001, and included Noel Fox, Mark Campbell, Gary Cullen, Adrian Morrow and Justin Kehoe.

Last year’s campaign for Cannon was bedevilled by a golf-related injury, eventually solved by fitness exercises given to him by John Kelly, the club professional at St Margaret’s, and he had seriously considered withdrawing from the championship here on Monday after suffering from cold-like symptoms. “I didn’t sleep a wink on Sunday night,” remarked Cannon, who only made the decision to continue playing after venturing onto the practice ground to hit some shots. “If I’d not hit any good shots (on the range), I would have withdrawn.”

Thankfully for him, he was able to continue; and, not only that, but the player – who has been recalled to the Leinster team for next month’s Interprovincials, having last played in 2006 – played the type of golf that befits a champion.

“I think it helped me that I was sick earlier in the week. It calmed me down. This means the world to me,” said Cannon, who quipped the recession had helped his game because he had more time to play. Cannon runs an industrial chemical business which mainly supplies the restaurant and hotel industry, while also studying physical fitness and conditioning for sport part-time with Liam Hennessy’s Setanta College.

Earlier, O’Flaherty, a 34-year-old sales manager for Wilson Golf, defeated Irish champion Pat Murray on the 17th hole of their semi-final, while Cannon overcame Castletroy’s Eamon Haugh. In the final, though, Cannon was always in control, winning the first and third holes in par to be two-up after three. He was three-up by the turn, having won the ninth with a magnificent birdie. Having driven into the rough down the right and the flag cut on the right side of the green, Cannon had to take on the bunker and sand hill with his approach and hit the ball to four feet.

The only concern came on the 13th, a par four of 279 yards. O’Flaherty drove into sand hills down the left but played a magnificent recovery to four feet. Cannon drove to within 10 yards of the green but had to play over a bunker. A quick player, he was in the process of pitching when he was disturbed by young crowd-control helpers with ropes, and duffed the ball into the bunker.

Cannon proceeded to play a fine bunker shot to eight feet; and, as a squall came in from Liscannor head, Cannon sank his par putt and O’Flaherty missed his four footer. The hole halved, Cannon won the 14th in par after O’Flaherty was in trouble off the tee and closed out the match on the 15th. “My lifelong ambition has been to play for Ireland . . . . hopefully, they will take notice of an old guy (for the Home Internationals),” said Cannon, the new custodian of the famous trophy which had been rushed to Lahinch only yesterday from Royal Dublin after last year’s champion Niall Kearney had forgotten to return it.

LAHINCH DETAILS

Semi-finals: R Cannon (Laytown and Bettystown) bt E Haugh (Castletroy) 3 and 1, G O'Flaherty (Cork) bt P Murray (Limerick) 2 and 1.

FINAL: Cannon bt O'Flaherty 4 and 3.