HOLMES GOES WIRE-TO-WIRE TO WIN MULLINGAR SCRATCH CUP
Dylan Holmes with the Mullingar Men's Scratch Trophy at Mullingar Golf Club. (Photo: James Crombie/Inpho)
Dylan Holmes added his name to the illustrious list of winners of the Mullingar Men’s Scratch Trophy in impressive fashion with a wire-to-wire victory at Mullingar Golf Club.
The Greystones golfer finished the 72-hole strokeplay championship on 15-under-par, three shots clear of Carton House’s Paul O’Hanlon in second, to join the likes of Rory McIlroy (2006), Shane Lowry (2008), Pádraig Harrington (1994), Paul McGinley (1991) and Darren Clarke (1989) on the much coveted roll of honour.
“I feel brilliant yeah, it’s nice to get a win this year, haven’t had many good events so it’s nice to get a win finally,” said Holmes.
Holmes carded opening rounds of 66 (-6) & 68 (-4) to get to 10-under and carry over a five stroke lead into the penultimate round. A three-under 69 then opened up a seven shot cushion over 2007 champion O’Hanlon and Grange’s Jake Foley, heading into the final round.
The 2025 Men’s West of Ireland Champion began his final round with back-to-back bogeys, whilst Foley was two-under through six, meaning the seven stroke gap was quickly reduced to three. A birdie on four settled things for Holmes, before another on the short par 4 ninth in front of the clubhouse gallery gave him a four stroke lead at the turn.
“I got off to a ropey start. When you’re seven shots ahead, without thinking, you are almost in the wrong headspace. I’m really proud of how I battled and how I faced adversity because I played really poorly on the front nine and made a lot of good up and downs from 50/60 yards.”
O’Hanlon wouldn’t go away, however, and pulled level with Holmes on 12-under with both players deep into the back nine, albeit on opposite ends of the property with the two-tee start. A massive birdie on 16 for Holmes coincided with a bogey for O’Hanlon, and that two shot swing proved to be decisive.
“I didn’t know until 16 (how close it was), I saw someone was going to probably get to twelve (under) and then I hit a terrible second shot into 16, which was probably a result of me knowing. But I managed to hole a 20 footer for birdie, which was a big momentum switch in my head, it meant I needed to just par the last two”.
Holmes would finish in style with a classy birdie on the last. It was a sweet triumph for the 19-year-old after a second place finish in Mullingar in 2025.
“I’m delighted, it wouldn’t have been good if I came second twice. It was nice to get revenge I suppose,” he said.
On etching his name in history alongside some of Ireland’s greatest ever players, the Golf Ireland Men’s High Performance Panellist was noticeably delighted.
“It’s brilliant to put your name on a trophy with all those people, it’s not often you get to do it, so anytime is brilliant”.
Attention now turns to the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship later this month in Portumna Golf Club on 13-15 August.