24 May 2006

 

Damien McGrane at the €70,000 Quinn Direct Charity Trophy tournament at Slieve Russell was all wrapped up and on his way to Wentworth six hours before the competition finished.

 

The Kells 35 year old, who bridged a ten year gap with his second win in the event, fired an opening five under par 67 and added a 71 in the second round which was affected by atrocious weather. The tournament had to be suspended for 40 minutes with McGrane stalled out on the course.

 

The winner lost strokes at the first and fifth holes where his short game let him down but he recovered the lost ground when he eagled the long sixth from 15 feet.

 

He also birdied the long ninth, dropped a shot when he was in water after the heavy rain at 13 but finished off with his third birdie four when he chipped it 18 inches on the last.

 

The winning total 138 was four shots ahead of tour player Philip Walton and Johnny Foster. Stephen Browne, who won the event last season, finished in a group on 145 after taking an ugly triple bogey seven at the first hole, (his tenth) after losing a ball.