Last year’s Volopa Irish Challenge hosted by Mount Wolseley Hotel Spa and Golf Resort was a dramatic one as Tom Murray stole the show, holing two huge putts to collect his maiden European Challenge Tour title after a play-off.
The first of the mammoth putts came on the last hole of regulation play, where the Englishman had a 25-foot birdie putt to force a play-off with Nino Bertasio - Murray duly converted to tie the Italian on 16 under par.
In the play-off, the two had a par apiece on the opening hole before Murray was faced with a 30-footer for the win. He stood and delivered the final blow to secure the title.
After the victory Murray spoke about the two putts that he had holed late in the day. “They were both very similar putts so that helped me for the second one,” he said. “I didn’t take much time over the second one, I knew the read – it was a bit uphill off the right - and it was the best putt of the day to be honest, rolled it in the front door.”
Unable to believe he had won, the 25 year old continued: “It’s kind of surreal right now but it’s what I’ve been working for. I had a couple of good days working at home and mentally preparing for this. Mentally I was in a much better place and to get a first win is big.”
