McElhinney's year, but a Close-run thing

2004 Season Review/The amateurs: It was Brian McElhinney's year, albeit only just. The North West man won the Willie Gill Order of Merit Award for 2004, given to the outstanding male golfer in the amateur game. McElhinney actually finished tied on 115 points with Stackstown's Mark Campbell but his victory in the Irish Amateur Close Championship at Donegal Golf Club in June decided the issue.

McElhinney, who won the European and North of Ireland titles last year, claimed the Irish Amateur Close Championship when he beat his fellow North West club member Michael McGeady in the final by one hole.

It was the first time in 97 years that two members of the same club met in the final, the last occasion being when HM Cairnes beat Portmarnock clubmate HA Boyd at Royal Portrush in 1907.

McElhinney became the third member of North West - one of the nine clubs that founded the GUI in 1891 - to win the Irish Close, the others being LO Munn, winner in 1911, 1913 and 1914, and EM Munn, who triumphed in 1922.

The final was played in miserable conditions with strong winds and heavy rain framing the superb Murvagh links. McGeady was two up after seven, an advantage he retained until the turn before his opponent won the 10th and 12th to square the match.

The 399-metre par-four 18th decided the outcome. McGeady pulled his tee shot left and into a lateral water hazard and had to take a penalty drop. He eventually had an eight-footer for a five but missed and McElhinney closed out the match.

In claiming the Willie Gill award, he erased the memory of having finished on the same number of points as Noel Fox last year only to lose out because the Portmarnock golfer won the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 2003.

Campbell did have a chance to pip McElhinney for Willie Gill honours at the South of Ireland Championship. Following McElhinney's defeat in the third round, Campbell needed to win his fifth-round match to score points in the order of merit table, but lost to Greg Bowden of Hermitage, the eventual defeated finalist.

Bowden was to be the bridesmaid in the opening championship of the season when he was beaten, once again over tie holes, by Woodbrook/UCD golfer Paul McDonald, who claimed the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point. The Hermitage golfer did go on to win the Mullingar Scratch Cup (tie holes again) and make his international debut for Ireland.

Welshman Craig Smith covered 36 holes on the Sunday in five under par to capture the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship over the Montgomerie course at Carton House. At the start of the final day's play Smith lay seven shots off the overnight lead of 143, held by Kevin Moore (Isle of Man) and a course-record-equalling 68 over the immaculately prepared course brought the Welshman well into contention approaching the final 18.

Smith carded a 71 in the afternoon to post an early clubhouse lead that was to be challenged by Sligo's Seán McTernan playing in the second-last group.

McTernan carded a 72 in the morning and added a 70 for the afternoon round, in which he narrowly missed a birdie putt on the 18th that would have forced a play-off.

Cian McNamara triumphed in the South of Ireland Championship while another of Ireland's bright young players, Rory McIlroy, took time out from dominating the underage domestic scene to be a member of the winning European team in the Junior Ryder Cup.