Martin claims Ballyliffin victory with two 67s

Peter Martin claimed victory in the €15,000 PGA Pro-Am Tournament at Ballyliffin after scoring a second-successive tournament 67, this time on the Old Course.

The Collin Park pro led going into the second day after a five-under-par round on day one over the Glashedy course, and he maintained his dominance throughout, finishing with four shots to spare.

Behind him, Simon Thornton chalked up a record seven-under-64 on the Old Course, helping him on his way to joint second place.

This was shared with Mark O’Sullivan, the pair finishing five strokes adrift of Belfast winner Martin who returned to the winner’s rostrum.

Day one saw two aces recorded at the same hole, the seventh on Glashedy. Donal Gleeson (Old Conna) and Liam Bowler (Wexford) were the players in the double act.

It was quite a tournament for Bowler, although he wasn’t among the main individual winners. He and his amateurs – Peter Byrne (8), Pat Murphy (11) and Martin Scallan (13) – won the team event on 188 points. They were best on Glashedy with 96 and then added 92 from the Old Course.

The Bowler boys pipped Philip Farrell and his Ballyliffin youth team of Gavin McLoughlin (12), Kyle Harkin (15) and Karen McLoughlin (18) by a single point. Farrell and his teenage trio were best in the first round on the Old Course, posting 95 points before carding 92 over Glashedy.