John Gough became only the third post-war English winner of the Irish Men’s Amateur Open today to cement his status as the country’s leading amateur.
FORMAT: 72-hole stroke play
The England international, who led his country to victory at the European Nations Cup last month, followed in the footsteps of James Newton (2019) and Richard McEvoy (2001) in claiming another major honour this afternoon on The Island course.
In under two years The Berkshire player has won the English Amateur, Lytham Trophy, Spanish Amateur and Australian Master of the Amateurs as well as picking up a runner-up finish at the Scottish Open and a third at last year’s Amateur Championship.
And on another day, which ebbed and flowed with the intensity of Pacific coast gale, The World No 14 charged through the field to win by one from England team-mate Dylan Shaw-Radford.
“It’s so good to win the Irish amateur, especially with family relations in Ireland,” said Gough.
“It’s class winning in front of a lot of the family. I have a very big family. My dad is from Meath – he has eight sisters and two brothers – and then my mum is from County Down in Newry.
“I have so many cousins all over the place – aunts and uncles – you’d struggle to remember the names that many of them, but seeing them here… it’s unbelievable because they don’t get to see me play golf a lot.
“And then having them here and to pull through and get the trophy, definitely felt like a home event with the support I had. It’s a special place to do it for me.”
John Gough’s phenomenal run in major amateur events since June 2021:
• June 2021 – Palmetto Amateur (USA): 1st
• June 2021 – English Men’s Amateur: 1st
• August 2021 – Brabazon Trophy: 3rd
• September 2021 – SE of England Links: 3rd
• December 2022 – South Beach International Amateur (USA): 17th
• February 2022 – Jones Cup Invitational (USA): 3rd
• March 2022: – Spanish Amateur: 1st
• May 2022 – Lytham Trophy: 1st
• May 2022 – Brabazon Trophy: 10th
• May 2022 – Scottish Open: 2nd
• June 2022 – The Amateur: 3rd
• Aug 2022 – US Amateur: 121st
• Sept 2022 – World Amateur Team: 31st
• January 2023 – Australian Master of the Amateurs: 1st
• April 2023 – Lytham Trophy: 22nd
• May 2023 – Irish Men’s Amateur Open: 1st
Gough came in under the radar on the final day, starting six shots back but a combination of birdie streaks and struggling leaders meant he came to the fore over the closing holes.
Overnight leader Tomi Bowen (Welshpool), who smashed the course record yesterday via a staggering 10-birdie 62, came back to the field as he made five bogeys on the front nine. However he recovered to give himself a chance of victory, birdieing 13 and 15 before another dropped shot at the next meant he finished a shot behind Shaw-Radford, who finished well but could not birdie the last to force a play-off.
And it was Gough who kept his composure to take the win as he steps up preparations ahead of the Walker Cup at St Andrew’s in September. The 24-year-old opened with a rollercoaster 75, which included five birdies, before a pair of 69s got him back in the hunt.
And then, this afternoon, his charge started on the eighth. He birdied six of the next nine before bogeying the last to close with a five-under 67. At 18 he smashed his drive way left and eventually hit his fourth to two feet to avoid the dreaded double in brilliant fashion.
Gough added: “What a venue! The course played fantastic. The last stretch, especially 17 and 18, haven’t treated me too well the last two days. To be off the course and have everything done is a big relief, and obviously I’m very happy.
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“It will be a late night but I’m going to have to go a little easy because I have a flight to catch tomorrow morning to get to the US Open qualifying.
“Of course it kickstarts confidence going in (to the Walker Cup), I had a win at the start of the year in Australia, bit of a dry spell since as such but been playing good golf so hopefully just keep it going.”