Naas’ Conor O’Rourke pulled off a major surprise on Sunday when he completed an impressive wire-to-wire victory in the St Andrews Links Trophy.
Ranked 1,245th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, the 24-year-old closed with rounds of 71 and 70 on the Old Course to win by a stroke on 12 under par.
O’Rourke becomes only the second Irish winner of what is regarded as one of the top 10 amateur events in the world, following Antrim man Alan Dunbar’s triumph in 2009.
O’Rourke, who saw off the challenge of Scotland’s Sandy Scott for victory, said: “To win is fantastic, to win my first proper tournament here is just unbelievable.
“The only thing I’ve won before was a wee scratch event in Ireland. I’m just relieved I managed to keep my head together.”
