Holywood golfer Tom McKibbin leads the race for the
Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit after his spectacular success at
the Peter McEvoy Trophy.
McKibbin won the prestigious McEvoy Trophy in
sensational fashion at Copt Heath, England on 18 April. The Ireland Boys
international, 16, holed his third shot for a winning birdie during a playoff
for the trophy. His win moved him top of the Bridgestone Boys International
Order of Merit, 35 points clear of Lisburn’s Aaron Marshall, who had to settle
for a share of second in the McEvoy Trophy following McKibbin’s dramatic
playoff victory. The teenager also collected the Sage Valley Junior
Invitational at the weekend completing a unique double.
Overall, it was an excellent week for the Ireland
players at Copt Heath. Connemara’s Luke O’Neill finished one shot behind the
leaders and is now third on the Bridgestone Boys International Order of Merit,
well clear Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy in fourth. The Fairhaven Trophy, 3-5 May,
is the next event in the series.
Meanwhile, Dundalk international Caolan Rafferty is
the front runner in the Bridgestone Order of Merit. Rafferty, 26, won the West
of Ireland at Co Sligo on 9 April to pick up maximum points. The Maynooth
University student finished four shots clear of the field and leads the
Bridgestone Order of Merit from Ireland teammate Conor Purcell. Purcell, 21, was
tied second at the West but can move ahead of Rafferty by finishing inside the
top 13 at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open (16-19 May). Rafferty is an absentee
from the blue riband championship because the tournament clashes with his third
level exams.
Jack McDonnell (Forrest Little), Robert Brazill
(Naas) and Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene) complete the top five on the
Bridgestone Order of Merit after one event. The Flogas Irish Amateur Open is
the next event in the series.
BRIDGESTONE ORDER OF MERIT - TOP 10
1 C Rafferty (Dundalk) 250
2 C Purcell (Portmarnock) 130
3 J McDonnell (Forrest Little) 100
4 R Brazill (Naas) 90
5 T McLarnon (Massereene) 80
6 S Doyle (Black Bush) 75
7
R Mullarney (Galway) 70
8 H Gillivan (Westport) 65
9 R McNelis (Fintona) 63
10 G Cullen (The Links Portmarnock) 62
BRIDGESTONE BOYS INTERNATIONAL ORDER OF MERIT – TOP
10
1 T McKibbin (Holywood) 110
2 A Marshall (Lisburn) 75
3
L O'Neill (Connemara) 70
4 M Kennedy (Royal Dublin) 29
5 R Galligan (Elm Park) 20
6 J Byrne (Baltinglass) 15
7 S Doyle (Black Bush) 13
8 K Morrison (Greenacres) 10
9 J McCabe (Roganstown) 8
T10 D Keating (Seapoint), O Maguire (Slieve Russell)
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