Aggressive approach pays off

A change of approach paid off handsomely for Noel Murray (above) as he topped the leaderboard at the Delgany Pro-Am.

The 23-year-old roared home with a superb back nine of 31 shots on his way to a four-under-par round of 65 which secured a two shot victory over David Ryan (Cahir Park) at the County Wicklow venue.

“I have been very conservative in recent months but decided to be more aggressive and hit driver a lot more,” said Murray, who has been working on his game with Dungannon professional, Chris Jelly.

“It paid off, I hit it well and while other players were hitting irons to the corner of the dog-legs, I was flying it over the corner.”

The Massereene assistant played his front nine in a steady level par 34 with a birdie at the short par four second offset with a dropped shot at the seventh.

The Belfast golfer started the back nine with a birdie at the 10th and followed up with two more at the 13th and 14th. He dropped a shot at the 15th but bounced back immediately with a birdie two at the 16th after hitting an eight iron to 10 feet before wrapping up his round with a birdie at the par five 18th.

It was Murray's first victory since the Black Bush Ladies Assistant's Pro-Am back in May.

Ryan produced a remarkably steady round of golf to secure second reeling off 16 pars and two birdies at the 15th and 17th.

Old Conna's Neil O'Briain finished in third after a 68 with Adare Manor Resort's Graeme Dunlea back in fourth on level par.

The next PGA in Ireland event is the Ruby Walsh Crumlin Hospital Research Pro-Am at Rathsallagh GC on August 8.