Moriarty and Thornton share first place at Tulfarris

From L to R: Peter Finnan (Irish Golfer) Colm Moriarty, Simon Thornton, Pat Barrett (Tulfarris Resort).

Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance Ltd) and Simon Thornton (Simon Thornton Golf) shared the winner's cheque at The IrishGolfer.ie Tulfarris Pro-Am.

The leading duo carded rounds of three under par 69 at the Co Wicklow venue to beat Irish PGA Champion, Tim Rice (Limerick Golf Club), and Mark Staunton (Delgany Golf Club) by a shot.

Thornton is in a rich vein of form at the minute. This was his third win in five starts on the region and he appears to be heading back to best six months after foot surgery.

“I always tend to play nicely at the back end of the season for some reason and this last month I have really started to play well,” said the 40-year-old.

“I am looking forward to building on the late season form and getting 100 per cent fit leading into 2018 as the last five or six months have been rebuilding my game post operation.”

With a shot gun start in operaton Thornton started his round at the fourth and played his opening six holes in level par with a bogey at the eighth cancelled out by a birdie at the par five ninth.

He stepped things up on back nine and reached four under for his round courtesy of two birdies and an eagle at the par five 15th. A dropped shot at the first halted his progress somewhat and he parred his way in to post 69.

Colm started from the first tee and reached the turn in two under par 34. Two further birdies got him to four under par but a closing bogey at the last, when he found bunker trouble, cost him outright victory.

“I played quite nicely today and had six birdies and a couple of sloppy bogeys but all in all I am quite happy with that,” said the 38-year-old.

“I had never been to Tulfarris before and it’s a lovely course. Given the rain over the past few weeks the greens were super and I look forward to coming back.”

Michael McDermott (Grange Golf Club) and playing partners Colin Dunne, Warren Byrne and Ruairi O'Hanlon won the team prize with 89 points edging out David Foley's (Dromoland Castle Golf Club) team courtesy of a better back nine.