Ireland's most famous golfing dynasty continues as O'Connor wins Connacht title
Cian O'Connor continued a rich family dynasty as he won the Connacht Men's Open Stroke Play Championship on Saturday.
O'Connor, a relative of the great Christy O'Connor Snr and Christy O'Connor Jnr, shot a closing round of 65 to finish on three-under-par, one shot clear of Castleknock's David Reddan.
The victory was all the more poignant for Roscommon golfer Cian O'Connor as it arrived at the course where his famous uncles grew up playing the sport.
Cian told Golf Ireland: 'It is special. This is where golf started. My family, my great uncle and great great uncle, all played here and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. It's just a good place to win.
'They definitely were big inspirations for me. Growing up and getting into golf and looking up to them and wanting to be like them definitely pushed me on and gave me something to work towards. They're still doing that because I have a long way to go.
'We stayed with my auntie and uncle last night which was handy. I didn't have to drive as far and then my sister was down this morning and my dad came up then and my grandparents as well.
'Big, big crowd for support and I appreciate them.'
O'Connor, who has just returned following his junior year at University of Memphis, said: 'This is one of my best days on the golf course.'
Knocknacarra man Christy O'Connor Snr (1924-2016) was one of the leading golfers of his generation, winning over 60 professional events and coming close to winning the Open Championship on numerous occasions.
The O'Connor golfing heritage continued through Christy O'Connor Jnr (1948-2016), who was the nephew of Christy Snr.
O'Connor Jnr had a successful career on the European Tour for many years and is best known for beating Fred Couples at the 1989 Ryder Cup.
O'Connor's two-iron into the final hole at the Belfry that skipped to within four feet of the hole is one of the most famous shots in the history of the competition.
Now Cian O'Connor looks to have inherited the talents of his famous uncles as he begins to make his own mark on the game.
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Cian O'Connor continued a rich family dynasty as he won the Connacht Men's Open Stroke Play Championship on Saturday. O'Connor, a relative of the great Christy O'Connor Snr and Christy O'Connor Jnr, shot a closing round of 65 to finish on three-under-par, one shot clear of Castleknock's David Reddan. The victory was all the more poignant for Roscommon golfer Cian O'Connor as it arrived at the course where his famous uncles grew up playing the sport. Cian told Golf Ireland: 'It is special. This is where golf started. My family, my great uncle and great great uncle, all played here and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. It's just a good place to win. 'They definitely were big inspirations for me. Growing up and getting into golf and looking up to them and wanting to be like them definitely pushed me on and gave me something to work towards. They're still doing that because I have a long way to go. 'We stayed with my auntie and uncle last night which was handy. I didn't have to drive as far and then my sister was down this morning and my dad came up then and my grandparents as well. 'Big, big crowd for support and I appreciate them.' O'Connor, who has just returned following his junior year at University of Memphis, said: 'This is one of my best days on the golf course.' Knocknacarra man Christy O'Connor Snr (1924-2016) was one of the leading golfers of his generation, winning over 60 professional events and coming close to winning the Open Championship on numerous occasions. The O'Connor golfing heritage continued through Christy O'Connor Jnr (1948-2016), who was the nephew of Christy Snr. O'Connor Jnr had a successful career on the European Tour for many years and is best known for beating Fred Couples at the 1989 Ryder Cup. O'Connor's two-iron into the final hole at the Belfry that skipped to within four feet of the hole is one of the most famous shots in the history of the competition. Now Cian O'Connor looks to have inherited the talents of his famous uncles as he begins to make his own mark on the game.
