AFTER a storm-tossed Cathedral Eye Northern of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Royal Portrush yesterday, John-Ross Galbraith from Whitehead snatched the title from the claws of Rosslare lad Gary Collins in extra time, with the only birdie in the 20 holes played.
The weather was atrocious for playing golf and, after five holes a suspension of play was considered but the hardy players wanted to continue.
The problem was that the balls were being blown off the green as gusts of 48mph swept Dunluce.
It was not a final that will be remembered for its standard of play as bogeys were much more common than birdies.
In fact, the only birdie in the 20 holes was the winning one by Galbraith and it was almost an eagle as the ball dangled on the lip of the cup and refused to fall in. Galbraith thought that he had sank it and punched the air but had to wait to see if Collins could match the effort.
“Yes. I thought that it was in,’’ said JR (21).
“It was a terrible grind out there and I couldn’t settle over my putts – I three-putted a few times and even had a four-putt. I was hitting fairways and greens OK but at times I felt like I was going crazy.’’
Maybe, it wasn’t the best ever North final but it was close all the way and only at holes 10 and 12 were there two holes separating the players, Collins ahead each time. The match was also level five times.
The eventual loser won the second hole in bogey six and at the fifth, when suspension was considered as balls blew off the green, Collins conceded the hole to level the match.
He pulled ahead again at six but Galbraith levelled at the next hole with a bogey as, not for the first time, his opponent found rough.
Galbraith conceded a tiddler to Collins for the lead at eight and the Rosslare plus-three handicapper went two up at 10 where Galbraith lost a ball. After the ultimate loser went back to one up he got up-and-down from the back of the 12th to go two holes up again.
The Whitehead player then won 13 and 15 and went one up for the first time on 16 after Collins had bunker trouble.
Still, the loser hit back with a winning par on the home green, helped by the fact that his drive ricocheted off a girl’s leg back on to the fairway.
He was on the green in two with Galbraith in a greenside bunker on the right. He splashed out 15 feet past and his par putt horseshoed out so it was up the 19th as Collins made par to level the argument.
The 19th was halved before the new champion snatched the honours on the 20th green.
Collins had to go into overtime in the morning semi-finals as well before squeezing out Caolan Rafferty at the 20th hole.
Galbraith had a somewhat earlier finish as he defeated dark horse David Sutton by 2&1 in a rare battle. Lurgan’s Sutton won the second, third, fourth and fifth hole to be four up and Galbraith then stormed back to win the next four holes, in three-under-par, as the match turned all flat.
The next two holes were swapped but Galbraith won Calamity Corner with a three wood to six feet for birdie and went two up with par at 15. A half in bogey at the next hole was enough to give JR his place in the final for the first time.
