Sweden’s Adam Mednick claimed his maiden European Tour title when he held off the spirited challenges from Ryder Cup players Andrew Coltart and Costantino Rocca to win the North West of Ireland Open at Ballyliffin Golf Club.
Mednick, a winner of five titles on the European Challenge Tour and a graduate from last year’s Qualifying School Finals, birdied the last two holes of the spectacular Glashedy Links for a final round of 68 and a seven under par total of 281 to win by five strokes.
A superb third round of 69, the only sub-70 score of the third round, in wind gusting over 40 miles per hour laid the foundations for his victory. While most of the field struggled against the wind, Mednick stood firm to lie at level par for the 13 holes he was able to play before play was suspended for the day. Returning to the course on Sunday morning, Mednick picked up three birdies in his last five holes to move within a shot of the lead, held by Italy’s Massimo Florioli, going into the final round.
He then moved into a share of the lead with a birdie at the second hole, pitching to four feet and moved to five under par with a birdie on the par five fourth hole, two putting from 20 feet. The American-born Swede, whose great-grandparents emigrated from Russia, dropped a shot on the next after finding the left hand bunker but re-established his lead with his third birdie of the round on the ninth. Three birdies and a bogey on the back nine sealed a memorable first victory, ten years after making his debut on The European Tour.
Victory earned Mednick €58,330 (£37,191) but more importantly earned him a valuable one year exemption to The European Tour.
“It has been a fantastic week and it was nice to finish with that birdie on the last,” he said. “When I first came here and drove up the driveway I said this place looks fantastic. I love links courses and links golf and I am really glad we played on a links course this week. Ballyliffin is right up there with the best of them.
“This win means the world to me. I was on the borderline for not getting into tournaments in the future and I haven’t had many starts this year but now I can plan my season exactly the way I want to the rest of the year and next year as well.”
Coltart emerged as his nearest challenger after a flawless round of 67, five under par, took him to two under par but could not catch Mednick. The Ryder Cup player arrived in Ballyliffin looking for a boost in confidence and found his form over the Glashedy Links, establishing a new course record of 66 in the second round.
"I am starting to hole some putts and that makes a huge difference,” said Coltart. “I’m delighted with the way I have putted this week. It gives me a good confidence boost going into the next few weeks.”
Rocca was hoping to repeat his victory in 1999 at Galway Bay and become the first player to win the title twice but was let down by his putting on the final afternoon, a missed four foot putt on the last costing him outright second place.
“It would have been nice to have won it again,” said Rocca. “If I had been four under par after the front nine might have a chance. Tried hard but didn’t hole anything.”
Anders Forsbrand of Sweden and Frenchman Jean-Francois Lucquin shared fourth place on one under par 287, Lucquin’s performance all the more commendable considering it was his first experience of playing links golf.
Philip Walton finished as the leading Irishman a further shot back in a tie for sixth place alongside Australian Adam Crawford and Massimo Florioli of Italy.
