Dublin pair top Headfort qualifier

Andy Hogan, right, and Cormac Hennessy staged a storming finish to qualify for the Golfbreaks.com PGA Fourball Championship final.

The Dublin duo carded a five under par round of 67 at Headfort Golf Club to win by three shots ahead of Daragh Lyons and Brendan McCarroll (Narin & Portnoo Golf Club)

They join two other qualifiers for the £33,000 final which takes place on the Jack Nicklaus designed course at Carden Park in Cheshire between August 17-19 and is supported by SkyCaddie and BMW.

But it was touch and go for Hogan (Edmondstown Golf Club) and Hennessy, the head professional at St Anne's Golf Club who did not find any real reward for their effort until later into their round.

A burst of five successive birdies proved to be the difference as they eventually eased to victory at the Co Meath venue.

“We played well on the front nine, but our score didn’t reflect that,” explained Hogan, who is a second year PGA assistant.

“At the 10th hole, Cormac said to me that we needed to get some birdies and finish under par.

“There weren’t that many qualifying places available so we had to make sure. But we knew by the end we’d done enough.

“It was getting close though as we got to the turn at level par but we did play better than that.”

It was Hogan’s first attempt at securing a place in the final and he had never played at Headfirst before.

“I was on the Alps Tour for a year as a professional but it didn’t work out and I decided to go down the PGA route,” he said.

“So this competition is a first for me but I’m really looking forward now to getting over to play at Carden Park. I’ve heard it’s a fantastic course. So it should be a great week.”

Also qualifying were Kenny Fahey and Colin Starrett from the GUI National Academy, Eamonn Brady (Clontarf) and James Kane-Nash (Charlesland), Daragh Lyons and Brendan McCarroll (Narin & Portnoo), Matt and Adam Dunmore from Bundoran and Ryan Madigan (Waterford Castle) and Leo Hynes (Killiney).