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Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Max Kennedy moves into contention for tour promotion despite cruel play-off defeat
But there was a silver lining for the Royal Dublin star, whose runner-up finish (€33,000) in the Blot Play9 in Brittany catapulted him into contention for promotion to the DP World Tour. The Dubliner (23) entered the final round tied for the lead with the experienced Morrison (40) – a two-time DP World Tour winner – who lost his card last year. Kennedy, who set a course record 10-under 60 in the opening round, played superbly early on the final day as birdies at the fifth, sixth and ninth gave him a three-shot lead at the turn. Morrison cut the gap to a shot as he birdied the 10th and 11th and Kennedy followed a birdie at the 11th with a bogey at the 12th at Golf Bluegreen de Pleneuf Val Andre. Kennedy got up and down brilliantly for par at the 13th to maintain his advantage, but while he had a one-shot lead playing the 18th after both bogeyed the 16th, he found a bush at the last and had to take a drop for an unplayable lie. He made a double bogey six to Morrison's bogey as both shot level par 70s to finish on six-under but fell in sudden death on their return to the par-four 18th, where he went over the back with his approach and made a bogey. It gave Morrison, who returned to the HotelPlanner Tour this season after losing his playing privileges, his first victory for over 10 years. 'I feel amazing right now and I'm very proud,' said Morrison, who won the 2010 Madeira Islands Open and the 2015 Open de Espana. 'I didn't play my best today, but I hung in there the best I could. I battled all the way through and hit some good shots at the right time. 'The course is so firm, and the wind was swirling. It's such a tricky layout and you can't relax until the very end. 'Max Kennedy played some great golf, and my journey to this point has been very different to his, and I know his time will come.' ADVERTISEMENT Morrison jumped 153 spots to 19th on the Road to Mallorca Rankings, while Kennedy leapt 52 places to 20th, with the top 20 earning promotion at the end of the season. 'I can't wait to celebrate tonight, and this win puts me in great stead for the rest of the season,' Morrison said. 'The golf hasn't been the problem; I've struggled mentally over the last few years, and it's been so hard for me and my family. I'm so proud of myself to get back to where I am today.' Scotland's Daniel Young finished third on five-under after he matched Kennedy's course-record 60, while Kilkenny's Mark Power tied for 38th on seven-over after a 69. On the Ladies European Tour, South Africa's Casandra Alexander chipped in for an eagle three on the 18th to win the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open at Royal Beroun Golf Club. Her second eagle of a bogey-free final round helped her card a course record, 10-under 62 to win by two strokes on 17-under from Spain's Luna Sobron Galmes and England's Esme Hamilton. 'It's very special,' Alexander said. 'It was a great round today and I'm very happy. I think you can see what it means. It's been years of hard work. The last two weeks have been a bit of a struggle, so it's nice to know my patience paid off.' Lauren Walsh shot a level par 72 to tie for 31st on nine-under, while Sara Byrne's 68 left her a shot further back in 39th. Olivia Mehaffey was 65th on three-under after a closing 73. In the Flogas Irish Women's Amateur Open at Headfort's Championship Course, French teenager Louise Landgraf (16) shot a second successive three-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead over Wales' Carys Worby into the final day on six under. Clandeboye's Rebekah Gardner leads the home challenge in fifth on level par after a 71 with Roscommon's Olivia Costello two shots further back alongside American Carolyn Fuller after a 74.
Scotsman
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Scottish golfer shoots 'unbelievable 60' to boost DP World Tour card bid
Daniel Young enjoys 'one of those days' to finish third in Hotel Planner Tour event in France Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Daniel Young said he didn't know he had a chance of firing a 59 after storming through the final on the final day to light the flame on his Hotel Planner Tour campaign. The Perth man finished third behind Englishman James Morrison in the Blot Play9 event at Golf Bluegreen de Pléneuf Val André after signing off with a ten-under-par 60. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The blistering effort, which contained two eagles, equalled the course record after it had been set earlier in the week by Ireland's Max Kennedy. Daniel Young acknowledges the crowd during the final round of the Blot Play9 at Golf Bluegreen de Pleneuf Val Andre in France |'It was just one of those days,' said Young, who was out in 31 before storming home in a brilliant 29. 'Yeah, played great then things just started falling into place. 'I'd played well on the front but then chipped in on ten from just short of the green for an eagle and you think 'oh, we've got a little chance here to get on a run'.' Asked if he'd been thinking about shooting a magical 59 when a birdie at either the 17th or 18th would hace done the trick, the Scot added: 'Not really, to be honest. I forgot that it is a par 70 here, so I wasn't even thinking 59. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I was just thinking about trying to pick up some more shots and have a chance to win the tournament. 'I thought if I could maybe go out and shoot maybe four under five that would gave been a really good Sunday. So, to shoot 60 is just unbelievable.' Finishing with a five-under-par target, he came up just one short of a play-off that saw Morrison beat Kennedy at the first extra hole. 'This place is never there for the taking and my game this week has been a bit mixed,' said Young, who picked up €21,000. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Bizarrely, I've driven it great, which you need to do round here, but my approach play had been pretty slack, though it tidied up a bit today.' The effort lifted Young from 52nd to 26th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, with the top 25 at the end of the season securing DP World Tour cards. 'It's been quite a frustrating year,' he admitted, having made it to the season-ending Grand Final in Mallorca for the first time last season before ending up a career-best 32nd in the standings.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Max Kennedy shoots 60 to take the lead in European Challenge Tour event
Dubliner Max Kennedy shot a sensational 10-under-par 60 to storm into the lead after the first round of the Blot Play9 tournament on the European Challenge Tour. Kennedy, 23, was within a whisker of getting home in 59 at Golf Blue Green de Pléneuf Val André in northern France. The Royal Dublin golfer needed one more birdie on the 18th to do it, but he had to settle for par and a four-shot lead ahead of England's James Morrison. Kennedy's card was dotted with six birdies and, remarkably, two eagles, which came on the par-five seventh and 11th. Another Irishman, 24-year-old Mark Power, is in the mix too. The Kilkenny native is four-under after starting with a 66.
