Birdie blitz for magnificent Mooney
18/12/2013
A resilient Damian Mooney shot four birdies over the final five holes to win the PGA Ulster Grand Prix Round Six at Ardglass.
The Ballyliffin man’s round showed plenty of early promise, a birdie three at the par-four third hole, and a four at the long ninth helping him on his way to a four-under-par round of 66.
A dip in form at the turn saw Mooney miss the green at the 10th hole and pencil in a bogey four before an ugly double-bogey seven was carded at the next when big hitting Damian rifled his second shot into the sea.
It didn’t faze the winner, however, as he hit the birdie trail from the 13th where he got down from eight feet, after a three wood and pitch to the green.
At the 400 yards next hole he drove the green downwind and got home in two putts before reaching the surface at the long 15th with a drive and wedge for birdie four.
The same clubs left Mooney just an inch from the cup at 16 and he polished off his birdie blitz with a three wood chip and putt at the last.
Ulster teenage inter-pro Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) won the amateur’s gross prize on 38 points and he, also, combined with his club assistant pro Noel Murray to post a winning 45 points in the team event.
The next Grand Prix will be at Ballycastle on January 14 but a week earlier the Ulster Golfers’ Alliance members will return to Ardglass for their January outing.
