Cork’s Macfarlane is back in Lombard final after 20 year gap

East Cork Golf Club’s Don Macfarlane ended a wait of two decades to make his return to the Lombard Trophy grand final.

PGA Professional Macfarlane (right) won the Irish regional final held at The K Club with amateur partner Eric Fleming (left).

The duo came out on top on the Palmer Ryder Cup Course after tying at the top of the leaderboard with Peter O’Hagan and Niall Carty of Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club.

But it was the Cork pairing that won through to the grand final which will be held at Gleneagles, the famous Scottish course that is also venue for this year’s Ryder Cup, on September 3-4 and has an £80,000 total prize fund.

McFarlane and Fleming took the honours on countback after carding a five-under-par round of 67 - which included a crucial nett eagle at the 15th hole.

“I got through to the final in the mid-90s when it was played at San Lorenzo in Portugal,” recalled Macfarlane.

“We came eighth then and I’ve always entered the event whenever possible as it’s good for the club and the amateur as well as the chance to play golf all over the world.

“It’s been a wait of around 20 years to get back to the final - I’m a little older and a little fatter now!

“But it’ll be a great experience to go and play at Gleneagles, we’ve heard so much about it and we’re really looking forward to the final.

“It was close at the end, but making that eagle at the 15th made a huge difference, especially as it went to countback.”

Fleming, 29, who works as a barman at the Joshua Tree pub in Cork, feared he had missed out on the final.

“I was putting for an eagle and we ended up making par, but it was just enough to get us through,” he said.

Fleming, who plays off a handicap of eight, has only been a member at East Cork for 12 months.

“I’ve only been playing golf for three years, and last year I decided to follow my dad and join a club,” he said.

“It’s been a good year so far, I’ve won a few competitions and my handicap has come down.

“But this is far and away the biggest thing I’ve ever done in golf. It’ll be a trip of a lifetime and it’s certainly a good feeling.”