A GOLFER from Co Down has expressed his delight after finishing the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open as the tournament's top Irish player.
Cormac Sharvin from Ardglass was seven shots behind the eventual winner of the contest, Spain's Jon Rahm.
The 26-year-old, who played some junior hurling with Kilclief, finished well clear of more recognised players such as Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington.
His performance at the contest in Lahinch, Co Clare, also earned him the biggest cheque of his career, some €85,000.
"To be top Irishman this week is an honor for me. There's some of the best players, like Shane Lowry is top-50 in the world and there's a lot of good players from Ireland, so to be top Irishman is great," he said.
He added: "Obviously to compete with the best in the world is going to give me confidence going forward. In terms of my mindset, it's something that I've worked really hard on the last year or so, and to see it hold up on the biggest stage is great."
