Beattie powers into Winter Series Order of Merit lead
26/03/2015
Deer Park professional Daniel Beattie edged out European Tour regular Damien McGrane to win the fourth round of the PGA Winter Series at Rush GC sponsored by Taylor Made/Adidas.
Beattie's level-par round of 70 at the North County Down gave him a one shot advantage over McGrane and James Quinliven (Mullingar GC) and pushed him to the top of the Winter Series OoM standings with two rounds remaining.
Beattie made a great start to his round grabbing birdies at the first and third but a bogey at the par-four fifth halted his momentum. He went to the turn in one-under-par 34 and started for home with three pars in a row but his round threatened to get away from him when he doubled the par four 13th and he then dropped another shot at the 14th.
Suddenly two-over-par for the day, he bounced back in style with a birdie at the par three 15th followed by another birdie at the par four 18th to come home in one over 36.
McGrane, who won the last event at Old Conna GC, went to the turn in one-under 34 courtesy of a bogey at the third and birdies at the fourth and eighth. The 43-year-old struggled on the back nine, recording seven pars and two bogeys at the 10th and 16th to sign for his 71.
Quinliven made a steady start, grabbing a birdie at the par-five third to get to one-under after four but he was stopped in his tracks by a hat-trick of bogeys at the fifth, sixth and seventh. The Mullingar professional steadied himself with a birdie at the ninth to turn in one over 36.
Another dropped shot at the 10th left him on two-over but he played his remaining eight holes in controlled fashion rattling off seven pars and a birdie at the 16th to come home in level-par 35.
The next round of the Winter Series is a Fourball pro-am event at The Heritage Golf and Spa Resort sponsored by Cobra Puma Golf on April 2.
