UCD golfer Yates claims West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship

Jonathan holes put to win championship

Posted March 31, 2016

• Arts student wins amateur tournament won previously by multiple Major winners McIlroy and Harrington
• Victory is big boost for Dubliner's hopes of getting his first International cap for Ireland

UCD golfer and Arts student Jonathan Yates has won the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship.

Jonathan Yates (22), from Churchtown, Dublin, beat Castle Golf Club’s Daniel Holland with a dramatic 2 and 1 win at the 17th hole at (opens in a new window)County Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point.

He now joins a list of prestigious golfers who have won this competition, including four-time Major winner and World number three Rory McIlroy, UCD’s own Shane Lowry and three-time major winner Padraig Harrington.

Despite the loss of the first hole to a Holland birdie, the UCD Arts student steadied himself with a fine display from tee to green coupled with some precision putting.

He won three of the four holes from the fourth after he birdied the seventh and Holland bogeyed the fifth and sixth, and the powerful UCD man never relinquished his lead after that.

So goodbye from the coverage of 2016 West of Ireland Open Amateur Championship and congratulations to Jonathan Yates (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/7JcEvIYve5

— West Golf 2016 (@2016woig) (opens in a new window)March 30, 2016

A bogey at the eighth left him just one up again. He got a birdie at the 12th and pars for halves at the 13th, 14th and 15th. But a bogey at the par three 16th which left Jonathan just one up again set up a dramatic finale.

Jonathan hit a sold three iron to the fringe at the par-three 17th and two-putted to win the championship with a par after Holland failed to save par from 15 feet.

The UCD student beat defending champion Dermot McElroy in the semi final.

The win means Jonathan, who plays at (opens in a new window)Naas Golf Club, has taken a significant step towards claiming his first international amateur cap for Ireland.

The West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship is the first Major competition on the amateur golfing calendar in Ireland.

Jonathan is a second year BA Joint Honours student: Geography and Sociology at UCD.

Here is how Twitter reacted to the win:

Past pupil Jonathan Yates winner of The West of Ireland C'ship today in (opens in a new window)@CountySligoGC ,Rosses Point. (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/y3B5QlqmSJ

— Kilkenny College (@kilkennycollege) (opens in a new window)March 29, 2016

Well done Jonathan Yates! ???????? (opens in a new window)https://t.co/yvJx7j4gI0

— IrishGolfer Magazine (@IrishGolferMag) (opens in a new window)March 29, 2016

Sligo is Jonathan Yates Country as (opens in a new window)@ucddublin star claims (opens in a new window)@2016woig(opens in a new window)https://t.co/DX7gW0YcAo (opens in a new window)@ExaminerSport (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/DS92NXqOUx

— Irish Golf Clubs (@irishgolfclubs) (opens in a new window)March 30, 2016

Great sporting occasion. This is Daniels mum and Jonathan’s dad after this great match. (opens in a new window)pic.twitter.com/TJ7XKBwIdS

— West Golf 2016 (@2016woig) (opens in a new window)March 29, 2016

By:  Jamie Deasy, digital journalist, UCD University Relations