WHILE THE big guns were battling it out for the Irish PGA Championship title, one of the minnows was producing his own delightful finish.

Even if it didn't rattle the cages of the stars, the performance was enough to give Glen Robinson a sixth place finish in a dramatic finale at Palmerstown House.

While his former mentor Damien McGrane, Pádraig Harrington and Stephen Hamill were duelling in the sun on the 18th for the right to lift the cup, Robinson produced a flawless 69 to end a very fruitful week for the 27-year-old Wexford town man.

The four days certainly didn't faze the talented Robinson who shot a three over par 75 on opening day, just four shots off the leaders, Pádraig Harrington and Cathal Barry.

Glen produced excellent golf on Friday and finished with a 73 to comfortably made the cut. He had opportunities on Saturday but finished with a 74. On Sunday's final day his golfing jigsaw fell into place.

He picked up his first birdie on the par four fourth when he hit a driver and rescue iron to nine foot and sank the putt. Another birdie on the ninth saw him turn with a 34 (two under par).

He dropped a shot on the 11th but a birdie on the 15th lifted him again. He hit a driver and a seven iron to eight feet and sank the putt.

He finished in style on the 18th when he birdied one of the toughest finishing holes in golf, with water all the way down the left and trees down the right.

Glen cracked a superb drive down the middle of the fairway. He again hit his trusty rescue wood to 15 feet and sank the putt to the delight of a large crowd of supporters. This ensured a super six finish and a welcome cheque of €3,750.

'Over the last three months I have been playing much better and I am very happy with my 69 today,' he said. 'This morning I had targeted a 68 but I am delighted because this course is the toughest that I have ever played.

'The first three days I played solid enough but hit a few bad shots. I got a lesson from David Ryan on Saturday night which straightened my iron shots because I was pulling them to the right,' he explained.

Surprisingly, Glen is not going to the School Tour qualifiers. 'The main reason that I am not going to the tour school is that I think I am not playing well enough. I have no problem getting through two rounds but the third round is always a problem and I need to improve my fitness and golf before I try for my tour card. I am going to go to Dubai for the winter to practice and improve my game,' he explained.

His ultimate aim is to follow his mentor, Damien McGrane, and make it to the main Tour. 'It is my goal to follow in Damien's footsteps. He went to the tour school four or five times before he made it, and I'm going to give myself a solid year of practice and hard work before I tackle the Tour School next year.'

Glen is currently playing out of Coolattin and is hoping to head to Dubai at the end of October.

Enniscorthy's Martin Sludds, a former winner of this event in 1993, finished 11 over par .He played consistent golf but had a poor day on Saturday, carding an 80. He was unlucky to drop a shot on the 18th on Sunday but did shoot a terrific 71.

'I played well most of the week but on Saturday a TV man interviewed me just before I teed off and he kept me a long time. As a result I had to race to the tee box and it flustered me somewhat and I just couldn't find my rhythm,' he said.

Damien McGrane desperately wanted to win this title. 'I felt my game was good enough this week to win this one, but I came up short, particularly on Sunday.'

Having started on Thursday with a 74, he proceeded to drop only one shot in the next 50 holes. And his 69 on Saturday gave him a one shot lead going into Sunday's final round.

However, he had an awful start, dropping three shots in the opening five holes after failing to get up and down from greenside bunkers on the first and third. However, he produced a magnificent eagle on the ninth, hitting a three wood to five feet.

He dropped a shot on the 11th but Harrington then dropped a shot on the 15th. Lisburn's Stephen Hamill looked as if he would spoil the party as he went into the lead at five under, but he too found trouble at the 15th. He was four under playing the 18th but pulled his drive right to finish with a bogey five.

The drama wasn't yet finished. Damien dropped a shot on 17 after pushing his drive into the right rough. Harrington's putter was cold all day and he three-putted the 17th, but was still one shot ahead of his playing partner, McGrane, and Hamill when he fired a super drive down the last.

He amazingly found the right-hand side bunker as Damien hit the green and safely two-putted. Harrington put his bunker shot too long and off the green to finish with a bogey five.

The three golfers headed on buggies to the 18th, with all three hitting the fairway.

Hamill played first and went into the right-side bunker. Damien was next but he came up short and caught the fringe of the green on the right just outside the first cut. Harrington hit the green 30 feet from the pin.

Damien played first but left his effort 12 feet from the hole. Hamill flopped out of the bunker to eight feet, and Harrington lagged the putt to 12 inches.

Damien missed the putt and so did Hamill before Harrington prevailed to win the event