Scintillating Scullion secures Ulster PGA Championship crown

Jerry Scullion fired a best of the week eight under par round of 64 to win the HBE PGA Ulster Championship title at Hilton Templepatrick.

The Kilkeel professional, level par overnight, shot out of the pack to grab the biggest win of his career on the PGA in Ireland circuit.

“It's an absolutely fantastic feeling to win today,” said the 32-year-old Scullion.

“It's nine years since I won the Irish Assistant's Match-Play. I enjoyed every moment of it today, everything worked and it's just fantastic to come out on top.

“This last couple of weeks I felt the game was good, but I wasn't producing good scores. On Tuesday here in the pro-am I felt that if I holed a putt of two I could shoot a low one.

“I took a lot of confidence from my level par opening round and then today got off to a hot start – four under through five.

“I got to five under par and then eagled 16. Once I did that I thought I maybe had a chance of doing something. I was thinking that I needed to eagle 18 to get to nine under but thankfully the birdie got me to eight under and that was good enough.”

Mark Staunton (Delgany GC) and Michael McDermott (Pure Golf Leopardstown) finished tied for second on seven under par.

Overnight leader, David Higgins (Waterville), carded a second round 71 to finish in a tie for fourth alongside Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance) and Eamonn Brady (Clontarf GC) who wrapped up the Order of Merit title for 2015.

“I'm really delighted, it [topping the OoM] was my only goal this year,” said Brady,

“I put a lot of hard work into things this season. I played really solid all year and while my members at Clontarf haven't seen me all year, it's nice to come out on top.”

In the end just 479.5 points separated Brady and Higgins over the course of a season that started in April at The European Club.

“I did my homework and my maths before coming down here and I knew that if I finished fourth or better it wouldn't matter even if David won,” added Eamonn, who admitted to being pretty nervous all week.

“I just wanted to play well, and then he shot five under in the opening round which really put it up to me. Even walking past me on the practice ground this morning he said, 'I didn't want to make it easy for you'. Fair dues to him.

“I have a lot to look forward to now. The European Individuals next week, the European Teams and then the PGA Play-Offs so there's plenty still to play for.”