First year Harrington Golf Scholar Stuart Grehan claimed the biggest prize of his amateur career winning the East of Ireland Amateur Championship at the County Louth Golf Club.
The Tullamore man led from start to finish firing a superb 67 (-5) in his opening round followed by 69 (-3) to post eight under par at the halfway stage. Grehan’s eight under total earned him a six shot lead from nearest challenger John-Ross Galbraith, the reigning Irish Close Champion on two under par.
Commenting on his excellent performances over three days Grehan said: “I felt good coming in this week, but I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself, I just played freely.”
Grehan, 22, left Eastern Michigan University in 2013 to take up an offer of a Paddy Harrington Golf Scholarship at Maynooth University last September. He has just finished his first year of BBS Entrepreneurship and paid tribute to the University’s golf scholarship programme which has allowed him to develop and improve his golf whilst studying for a degree.
“It’s fantastic to win such a prestigious title,” he said, “Maynooth has been great for me because it offers a nice mixture of golf and academics, and my game has come on a lot in my first year there, I've really enjoyed it so far. It's a good, competitive atmosphere."
Speaking about the final day, Grehan praised the golf scholarship coaching team at Maynooth who has helped improved his putting and mental game which were key in overcoming the tough weather conditions over the three days and in holing crucial putts. He credited tour coach Johnny Foster, putting expert Donal Scott, and Yoga for Golf’s Anne Marie Kennedy. He also praised the work with his new personal golf coach Eamon O’Flanagan.
Grehan's Maynooth University teammates also had a strong showing at the tournament. Kyle McCarron (1st Arts) finished tenth, Alan Lowry (3rd Arts) finished twelfth, while Sean Flanagan (1st Year Business & Accounting) finished within the top fifty.
The Paddy Harrington Golf Scholarship at Maynooth University is now viewed as one of Europe’s leading University golf programmes, offering elite golfers the opportunity to combine a high performance training & competition schedule with study for an internationally recognised degree course.
Craobh Amaitéarach Oirthear na hÉireann Buaite ag Scoláire Gailf
Is Scoláire Gailf Harrington sa chéad bhliain ollscoile é Stuart Grehan atá tar éis an duais is mó dá réim amaitéarach go dtí seo a thabhairt leis nuair a bhuaigh sé Craobh Amaitéarach Oirthear na hÉireann ag Club Gailf Chontae Lú.
Bhí fear Thulach Mhór chun cinn ó thús deireadh. Bhain sé scór iontach amach sa bhabhta tosaigh – 67 (-5) agus 69 (-3) ina dhiaidh sin, rud a d’fhág é 8 mbuille faoi bhun an phar ag an gcéim leath bealaigh. Ocht mbuille faoi bhun a bhí Grehan ar deireadh, rud a d’fhág sé bhuille idir é féin agus an té ba ghaire dó – John-Ross Galbraith, Curadh Chraobh Dhúnta na hÉireann, a bhí ar dhá bhuille faoi bhun an phar.
Ag trácht ar a chuid sárimeartha thar trí lá, dúirt Grehan: “Bhí mé ag mothú go maith i dtús na seachtaine agus ní raibh mé ag iarraidh brú a chur orm féin. D’imir mé go han-éasca ar fad.”
D’fhág Grehan, atá 22 d’aois, Eastern Michigan University in 2013 chun glacadh le tairiscint ar Scoláireacht Ghailf Phaddy Harrington ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad i Meán Fómhair na bliana seo caite. Tá sé i ndiaidh an chéad bhliain den Chéim Bhaitsiléara Staidéar Gnó san Fhiontraíocht a chríochnú. Mhol sé clár scoláireacht ghailf na hollscoile a lig dó a chuid scileanna gailf a fhorbairt agus a fheabhsú le linn dó a bheith ag déanamh staidéir ar chúrsa céime.
“Rud iontach atá ann duais chomh gradamach leis seo a bhuachan,” ar seisean. “Tá Má Nuad fíormhaith dom mar tá meascán deas gailf agus acadúlachta ann. Tá mo chuid imeartha ag teacht ar aghaidh go láidir le linn mo chéad bhliana anseo. Bhain mé an-taitneamh as go dtí seo. Tá atmaisféar breá iomaíoch ann."
Agus é ag cur síos ar an lá deireanach, mhol Grehan an fhoireann chóitseála a bhíonn ag plé leis an scoláireacht ghailf i Má Nuad. Chabhraigh siad leis feabhas a chur ar a chuid amasaithe agus ar ghnéithe síceolaíochta dá chuid imeartha, rudaí a raibh sé ag brath go mór orthu agus é ag tabhairt faoi amais chinniúnacha le linn na drochaimsire a bhí ann ar feadh trí lá. Mhol sé cóitseálaí an turais, Johnny Foster, an saineolaí amasaithe Donal Scott, agus Anne Marie Kennedy ó Yoga for Golf. Thug sé moladh freisin don obair a rinneadh lena chóitseálaí pearsanta nua, Eamon O’Flanagan.
Chruthaigh comrádaithe Grehan ar fhoireann Ollscoil Mhá Nuad go maith le linn an chraobhchomórtais. Bhain Kyle McCarron (Céad Bhliain Ealaíona) sa deichiú háit. Sa dóú háit déag a bhí Alan Lowry (Tríú Bliain Ealaíona) fad is a bhí Sean Flanagan (Céad Bhliain Gnó & Cuntasaíocht) sa bharr caoga.
Áirítear Scoláireacht Ghailf Paddy Harrington ag Ollscoil Mhá Nuad a bheith ar cheann de na cláir ghailf is fearr in aon ollscoil de chuid na hEorpa. Tugann sé deis do scothghalfairí tabhairt faoi sceideal ardfheidhmíochta traenála & comórtas chomh maith le staidéar a dhéanamh ar chúrsa céime a bhfuil aitheantas idirnáisiúnta ag baint leis.