David Ryan survived the trauma of a three-way play-off at Greenore yesterday evening to win the AA Business Insurance PGA Challenge Tournament.
Ryan, Damian Mooney and Simon Thornton finished level seven-under-par 135 before the shootout.
Thornton and Ryan both birdied the first tie-hole with Mooney only making par to drop out of the race. Then a superb recovery by the Cahir Park head professional won him the prestigious title.
Ryan was wayward right off the tee into trees but managed to hammer the ball through a gap with a wood on to the fairway, 30 yards short of the green.
From there he pitched to 12 feet and coolly rolled in the putt for birdie four.
Thornton split the fairway with his drive and was pin-high with his second approach to the green, chipping from there to six feet. However, he failed to match Ryan's birdie four as his putt slithered past the cup.
To make the play-off, Ryan posted a superb 66 in the second round with five birdies and no dropped shots. He birdied the third, fourth and ninth holes - all par fours - to turn in three-under-32. Another birdie flew in at the short 10th and he pencilled in his fourth birdie three at 15 for a homeward run of two-under-34.
Overnight leader Jimmy Bolger, who opened with a 65 on Wednesday, slid out to a 72 yesterday for fourth place.