Conor Purcell with the Australian Amateur Championship trophy
Portmarnock's Conor Purcell completed a magical weekend for Irish golf when he triumphed at the 37th to become the first Irishman to win the Australian Amateur Championship in the event's 125-year history.
Just hours after Shane Lowry's epic Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship win and the historic vote by Irish clubs (94%) to approve the formation of Golf Ireland, the 21-year old from Malahide beat local hero Nathan Barbieri on the first extra hole at Woodlands Golf Club in Melbourne.
With his brother Gary on his bag, the Walker Cup hopeful was enveloped at the finish by a gallery filled with his fellow countrymen at the end of an enthralling final that produced 17 birdies.
His parents, Mary and Joey, watched live on Facetime as he received the trophy at the presentation and he celebrated afterwards with a Guinness, drinking in the drama of his second major championship victory following his South of Ireland triumph at Lahinch in 2016.
“The last few holes were a bit edgy, but to cap it off on the playoff hole was nice,” Purcell told Golf Australia after he'd been taken into extra holes by Barbieri having been four up with ten holes to go.
“Credit to Nathan, he made a couple of great shots when he needed to today, and it was pretty tense that last few minutes.
It wasn’t without a hiccup or two, but @GUIGolf rising star @conorp45 was all class during and after his #AusAm triumph. He has won @VicOpenGolf and @AusOpenGolf exemptions, plus lasting respect of all who saw him play. @sportandrecvic pic.twitter.com/Syz2xnL0ti
— Golf Australia (@GolfAust) January 20, 2019
“Funnily enough I was more nervous on the first tee this morning than I was going down the playoff hole – I felt quite comfortable still because I’d been playing well all week.”
As a reward, Purcell earns spots in two professional events — the European Tour-sanctioned ISPS Handa Vic Open at 13th Beach in Geelong from February 7-10 and the 2019 Emirates Australian Open, which will be played at The Australian Golf Club in Kensington from December 5-9.
Purcell won the first in a rollercoaster final, found himself all square after four but won the eighth to go ahead again.
Barbieri levelled the match at the10th as Purcell failed to get up and down, then moved two up with birdies at the 11th and 12th and kept his advantage by holing an 18 footer for par at the 14th.
The Dubliner made a 35 footer to halve the 15th in birdie before clawing his way back to all square at lunch, winning the 16th as Barbieri three-putted, then taking the 18th with a two-putt birdie four.
The Australian came out with all guns blazing and won the 19th with a short-range birdie putt. But Purcell levelled at the 20th, getting up and down from sand for birdie by holing a clutch ten footer.
He then made another ten footer to go one up at the 22nd and a 15 footer for birdie at the 23rd to double his advantage before Barbieri found sand at the 24th to go three down.
Conor Purcell and his brother Gary walk to the 23rd in the final
Another conceded birdie at the 26th left Purcell four-up with 11 holes to go, but the local man would not go down without a fight.
He made a 15 footer, and Purcell missed from eight feet to see the gap reduced to three holes at the 27th, and when the Dubliner tugged his drive into trouble at the 28th, his lead was down to just two up.
It was down to one hole when he bogeyed the 30th after finding sand short of the green, and after Barbieri had come close to wins at the 31st and 32nd, the Victorian lost the 33rd to go two down again.
Purcell looked set for victory but Barbieri drilled his tee shot to five feet at the 170-yard 35th and roared as he walked home his birdie putt to keep the match alive.
"It was a serious putt, I have to give him credit for that," Purcell said afterwards.
The drama then intensified when, from the right rough, Purcell’s second to the par-five 36th hole raced across the fairway and up the path next to the clubhouse.
Barbieri suddenly had new life when the Dubliner couldn’t scramble par and the match headed into sudden death.
When the Australian pumped his tee shot down the middle at the 37th, it looked as though momentum could carry him home.
But as Purcell found the middle of the gree, he tugged a 135-yard approach and left himself a lightning-quick chip that bumbled down the hill but still ran 10 feet past
After Purcell lagged his birdie putt to "gimme" range, Barbieri blocked his par try narrowly right, and Ireland had a new champion.
And @conorp45 is your 2019 #AusAm champion as this @barbieri_nathan slides by. WHAT. A. FINAL. pic.twitter.com/Bhu5DN7E2L
— Golf Australia (@GolfAust) January 20, 2019
Purcell's win came with the added bonus of honorary membership of Woodlands and the honour of joining the likes of Bruce Devlin, Graham Marsh, Terry Gale, Peter O'Malley, Jarrod Moseley and new Australian star Curtis Luck on the list of Australian Amateur champions.
Barbieri, a member at Monash Country Club in Sydney and New South Wales state representative, was proud of his performance but also bitterly disappointed to come up short.
“He had a putt on nine (the 27th hole) to go five up on me, and I just fought … as hard as I could. I couldn’t give any more,” an emotional Barbieri said.
“Fortunately I made a birdie on 17, and 18 [35 and 36] was all mine. Then [in the playoff] I hit a good tee shot but just pulled my second and not in the best place.
“I’m obviously really disappointed, but I’m so proud of myself how I’ve gone this week.”
Pure pain. Pure class. Take a bow, @barbieri_nathan #AusAm @GolfNSW pic.twitter.com/hIIKI4rCLY
— Golf Australia (@GolfAust) January 20, 2019
Purcell was elated after what was an epic win and looking forward to make his debut in a professional event next month.
"I got up there on that second 18," he said. "I was four-up coming into nine and actually had a good chance to go five up, and then there was a quick turnaround, and I was one up after 10 and Nathan fought back really well and played some good golf.
"I made a few mistakes too and then just holed a few clutch putts — a nice one on the 16th (34th) — it was a bit smelly, a short one and then made a small mistake on 18 but a win is a win."
Purcell decided to leave college in the US last year and play full-time golf this season, heading to Australia, where his brother is a professional tennis player, before Christmas to practice.
"It's a good bonus to add a few more tournaments to the year, especially playing my first pro event too," said the Dubliner, who finished third in qualifying on eight-under after a second round 65 at Woodlands.
"That will be nice. Hopefully, I can continue the form when I am out here."
from News - Irish Golf Desk http://bit.ly/2FFIT3Q
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