Golf: Simon Dyson won the Irish Open in Killarney when Richard Green three-putted the final green. Dyson missed a nine-foot birdie chance on the last to close with a 67, then saw Green in the final group hit his own attempt from almost 60 feet racing 10 feet past.
By missing his par attempt he dropped to 14 under, while Scot Stephen Gallacher birdied the last to finish third on his own on 12 under, one ahead of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.
Peter Lawrie enjoyed the distinction of being the leading Irish finisher, the Dubliner closing on nine under and four ahead of Damien McGrane, Simon Thornton and the young amateur Paul Cutler.
The 33-year-old Dyson took the first prize a fortnight after finishing ninth in the British Open — an event he went into as fifth reserve less than a week before it started.
“It’s a shame you can’t bottle how you feel sometimes,” said Dyson after his fifth European Tour victory. “It’s amazing — it really is. The golf I’ve played this week is probably the best I’ve ever played.”
Two birdies in the final three holes for a closing 67 and 15-under-par total gives Dyson a place in this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron and possibly a spot back in the world’s top 50.
“That was the main aim after The Open,” he added. “I knew after that I could cut with the guys in the majors and I was thinking if I keep swinging it as I am I’m going to give myself chances.”
Green led for most of the last day and was one ahead when he matched Dyson’s two-putt birdie on the long 16th. Dyson, though, pitched to three feet at the next to draw level and then, having missed from nine feet for a third successive birdie on the last, saw Green send a near 60-footer 10 feet past and miss the return.
“You always feel sorry for somebody when that happens,” added Dyson. “I would have much preferred to win it with a birdie, but I will take whatever I can get.”
At the start of the week it had all been about Ireland’s four major winners Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington, but not one of them finished in the top 20.
McDowell came 25th and McIlroy 34th, while Harrington and Clarke, in his first appearance since winning The Open, both missed the cut. Harrington, down from third in the world to 64th, has now decided to drop Bob Torrance as his coach after 15 years together.
“We are having a break because I am getting very frustrated,” said the Dubliner, who has not won in Europe or America since his 2008 US PGA triumph.
Torrance, the 79-year-old father of ex-Ryder Cup captain Sam, responded: “He’s like a son to me and I hope we can get back together. I wasn’t really expecting this, but I know he’s been unhappy. His game is in a bad shape because of his mind — I’ve said that to him — but he’s determined to make changes.”
McIlroy, 25th in the British Open, has only just clung onto fourth place in the world as he heads back to America seven weeks after his runaway US Open triumph.
“It wasn’t the result I was looking for, but this was the first week of three,” said the 22-year-old after a closing 71. “Next week is big, but the week after (the US PGA in Atlanta) is the most important one.
“I feel if I put the work in there’s no reason why I can’t have another good shot at a major.”
McDowell, one better on four under after a 70, stated: “I took some really good steps forward on my short game. I was dejected at The Open (he missed the cut there like Harrington), but my attitude was a lot better here.”
On Harrington’s off-course decision last year’s US Open champion added: “When things are tough for a long period the golf course is a lonely place and you question everything; your approach physically and mentally, coaches, manager, caddie.
“You soul search. Sometimes you need to change things when it’s not working and have someone else’s take on what you’re up to.”
Collated final round scores & totals
(Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71)
269Simon Dyson 70 65 67 67
270Richard Green (Aus) 67 68 67 68
272Stephen Gallacher 71 66 67 68
273Bernd Wiesberger (Aut) 67 69 71 66
274Soren Hansen (Den) 67 66 72 69, Ignacio Garrido (Spa) 69 65 72 68, Alexandre Kaleka (Fra) 65 75 66 68
275David Howell 69 69 64 73, Peter Lawrie70 66 70 69, Lorenzo Gagli (Ita) 68 69 73 65
276Carlos Del Moral (Spa) 69 67 70 70, Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) 63 70 74 69, Jaco Van Zyl (Rsa) 70 70 67 69, Mark Brown (Nzl) 71 67 68 70
277Thorbjorn Olesen (Den) 69 69 69 70, Simon Wakefield 69 66 76 66
278John Parry 68 71 67 72, Ross Fisher 67 68 70 73, Marcel Siem (Ger) 66 66 73 73, Barry Lane 70 67 69 72
279Felipe Aguilar (Chi) 68 70 71 70, Paul Cutler69 67 71 72, Damien McGrane69 67 77 66, Simon Thornton68 72 69 70
280Robert Jan Derksen (Ned) 71 69 70 70, Christian Nilsson (Swe) 66 70 74 70, Graeme McDowell72 66 72 70, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 67 68 71 74, Oscar Floren (Swe) 68 72 74 66, David Drysdale 71 70 70 69, Gary Boyd 73 64 72 71, Tano Goya (Arg) 71 70 70 69, Marcus Fraser (Aus) 72 68 69 71
281Anthony Wall 70 68 73 70, Rory McIlroy70 68 72 71, Oliver Wilson 69 66 74 72, Keith Horne (Rsa) 70 71 70 70, Michael Hoey69 67 71 74, Florian Fritsch (Ger) 71 69 68 73
282Christian Cevaer (Fra) 70 69 74 69, Joel Sjoholm (Swe) 69 72 72 69, Shiv Kapur (Ind) 71 69 70 72, Markus Brier (Aut) 70 68 70 74, James Morrison 71 68 73 70
283Richard Bland 70 69 73 71, Colm Moriarty67 72 74 70, Robert Coles 71 70 72 70, Jamie Donaldson 70 68 75 70, David Horsey 68 68 77 70, Mark Foster 70 69 76 68, Oliver Fisher 68 73 72 70
284George Murray 71 70 73 70, Matt Haines 69 69 71 75, Mark Tullo (Chi) 75 65 74 70, Peter Whiteford 70 71 74 69, David Dixon 70 69 72 73, Rhys Davies 72 68 69 75, Simon Khan 70 69 74 71
285Romain Wattel (Fra) 69 69 74 73, Robert Dinwiddie 70 71 75 69, Niclas Fasth (Swe) 69 70 77 69, Joost Luiten (Ned) 72 69 77 67, Alejandro Canizares (Spa) 67 73 74 71, Rafael Echenique (Arg) 70 71 68 76
286Richie Ramsay 68 69 76 73, Niklas Lemke (Swe) 67 69 79 71, John G Kelly73 68 74 71
287Steve Webster 67 74 77 69
288Kenneth Ferrie 72 69 73 74
291Lloyd Saltman 67 74 77 73
292Maarten Lafeber (Ned) 71 70 78 73
