A ROR-ING SUCCESS!

When he won the Pepper Shield the day before he went to grammar school I wonder did he ever dream of becoming one of the top amateur players in Ireland.

He has enjoyed an illustrious career at the pinnacle of Irish amateur golf for many years and he crowned it all last Tuesday when he won the Radisson Blue Hotel West of Ireland Championship at County Sligo Golf Club.

This course, more popularly known as Rosses Point, is one of Ireland’s great championship links. It has been the home of the west of Ireland Championship each year since 1923.

A golfer by the name of LP Vernon was the first winner. Now, in 2010, the name of Rory Leonard will be engraved on the cup alongside that of Joe Carr, Cecil Ewing, Des Smyth, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Banbridge’s own Richard Kilpatrick. What an honour!

Rory had warmed up for the West by winning the Scratch Cup at the Lee Valley golf course in County Cork the previous week. He then shot 75 and 73 in the two qualifying rounds and he made the top 64 quite comfortably.

In the opening round, Rory beat Steven Crowe of Dunmurry 6 and 5 and he followed that with a 5 and 4 win over Ben Best of Rathmore.

There were 16 players still in the championship as last Monday dawned. And what a day it was! Rory said he had never before played in such appalling weather. At one hole he was 140 yards from the green and he hit a rescue club along the ground. If it had gone into the air, there was no guarantee where it would have ended up.

Bur Rory coped with the conditions manfully. In the morning he beat the reigning Irish Close champion, Pat Murray of Limerick, at the fifth tie hole.

After a quick snack he was out again and this time he beat Jeffrey Hopkins of Skerries 5 and 3.

Rory had worked hard all winter on his fitness alongside his friend Richard Kilpatrick and now he was reaping the benefits.

Tuesday was a reasonably good day and Rory was up against Rory McNamara of Headford in the first of the semi-finals. Rory started birdie, par, birdie, par, eagle and he was three up after five holes. This was the stuff of dreams. He was five under par when he walked off the 17th green a 3 and 1 winner.

His opponent in the final was Eddie McComack of Galway, a former Irish Championship runner-up to Rory McIlroy. Rory had tried to win this championship no less than 15 times and he must have thought that his turn had now come. How right he was!

Rory played brilliantly in the final and he needed to. The standard was very high indeed. Birdies at five and nine put Rory two up at the turn.

Remarkably the next eight holes were halved in regulation and that was good enough to give Rory the title by 2 and 1.

Everyone connected with amateur golf in Ireland and especially the members of Banbridge Golf Club were delighted with Rory’s achievement. He had lost in four championship finals prior to this so his success was long overdue.

Everyone at Banbridge hopes that his tremendous form will continue and that he will be rewarded with an Irish cap. There is nobody who deserves it more.

Congratulations, Rory! Once again, you have brought great joy to everyone connected to Banbridge Golf Club.