Offaly golfer well poised after first 18 holes at British Amateur final
Tullamore man in touching distance of biggest win of career
AN Offaly golfer is perfectly poised for a sensational success after the first 18 of 36 holes in the British Amateur Championship at the beautiful Royal Liverpool Golf Club on Saturday.
Stuart Grehan displayed terrific character to fight his way back into it after an uncertain start and it is all to play for in the second 18 holes later this afternoon with former Tullamore Golf Club member just one hole down. Grehan is way higher in the world amateur rankings than his opponent and has a great chance of the biggest win of his career later this evening.
Playing American Matt Moloney, Tullamore man Grehan was in serious bother when he was three holes down after 12 but he won his first hole on the 13th and this transformed his round. Moloney missed a short putt to half that hole and Grehan suddenly found his game, playing some brilliantly composed, intelligent golf.
He also won the 14th when Moloney had a bogey and Grehan played the par five 16th brilliantly to go all square with a par. He stayed all square with an excellent putt on the 17th and was unlucky to take the lunch break one down when Moloney had a great birdie on 18. The final is being shown live on Sky Sports.
It is the third phase of Grehan's golfing career. As a young member in Tullamore Golf Club years ago, he won some big titles and turned professional, where he gave it his best shot for several years before deciding to revert to amateur status last year and he is in the best form of his life.
Now working, living and married in Louth with a young child, Grehan is a member of County Louth Golf Club and his achievements are being followed with great enthusiasm in his native town.
A win on Saturday would be transformative for him and will earn him a place in the US Masters in Augusta next year as well as the British Open, the US Open and a DP World Tour event – all provided he opts to retain amateur status and not turn professional again, which he presumably will at this stage of his life, even if that possibility could open again for him with his current form.
Playing Richard Teder of Estonia in the semi-final, he took an early one hole lead with a birdie on the 2nd but it was all square a hole later. Grehan went one up again when Teder had a bogey on the 4th and it stayed that way until the 9th when his opponent had a birdie.
A birdie on the par 3 11th gave Grehan the initiative again and he held that lead until the 14th when he had a bogey 5. A birdie on the par five 16th put Grehan back ahead and when Teder had a bogey to his par on the 17th, it was all over and the Offaly man was in the final.
It has been a remarkable golfing resurrection by Grehan who returned to amateur ranks just over a year ago after years of trying to make it as a professional. He won both Irish Amateur Open and Close Championships last year and won the East of Ireland Championship just a few weeks ago on his home course in Baltray, County Louth.
A regular international competitor, his game is clearly in excellent shape and he has been in sensational form at the British Amateur Championship in Royal Liverpool.
Grehan firstly had to qualify for the matchplay stages by coming through two rounds of stroke play and he did this comfortably in joint 14th place – shooting rounds of 69 and 70 for a -3 total.
He has been on fire in the match play stages. In the round of 32 he had a 3 and 2 win over England's Elliott Baker. He was on fire in round two against Ioan Rowe of Royal Portcawl, sauuntering to an early finish on the 14th with a 5 and 4 win.
He got a very tough test in the third round, having to go to extra holes before beating Spain's Sergio Jimenez Romero on the 20th – he was one down after 16 but a bogey for the Spaniard on the 17th saved his bacon as he had a par.
Grehan finished on the 14th again in the quarter-final with another 5 and 4 win, this time against Edward Featherstone of England.