WPPT Double up at Tullamore - John Walsh

2013 World Strokeplay champion John Walsh delivered a  tour-de-force at McDonagh in 2024 to win the WPPT Ireland Master title. Twelve months on, he repeated the dose at Tullamore. The multiple European Team champion articulated the straightforward formula for victory immediately after his 2025 Ireland Master success. "If I could get on the greens, I was putting very well."

"Six under after nine, -10 after 13. That was a great boost," said the Irishman with typical understatement. Some caution remained however. "It's very easy to get  a four on the back nine. I just played for the greens. That worked to my advantage." It certainly did. His closing 44 gave Walsh a five-stroke winning margin.

He likes Tullamore and praised the efforts of the course grounds staff in preparing a fabulous test of Pitch and Putt. "It's worth the money to come and play here. This course is one of the best in Ireland. It's top-class. Rain was frightening here in recent days. It was very wet!Tullamore did a fabulous job on course set-up."

In contrast to the run-up to the 2025 WPPT Ireland Master, the tournament itself was played under blue skies. "Sunshine two days running in November. It's unusual!" laughed Walsh.

Beaming from ear to ear, the double champion enthused about his latest succes and is already looking forward to future possibilities. I'm over the moon I won, I'm thrilled. This place is immaculate and there's an All-Ireland (Irish Strokeplay championship, which the Cork player has won twice previously) here next year."

Even Walsh's birdie misses were left stone dead. Two fours for the weekend tells its own story as Walsh posted a 27 under par 54-hole winning aggregate of 137.

"It's a great tournament," reflected the man who has undeniably seen it all in his near four decades playing elite Pitch and Putt. "I'm delighted, to be honest. I got a few putts." (I) thought it'd be a bit cagey," said Walsh of the final round. "Anthony Galvin (the runner-up who lay just a shot back overnight Saturday) is a local. I though he'd do a bit better. I just got a few putts and he didn't."

Walsh strikes the ball superbly and doesn't suffer from the excessive spin that bedevils some top players in wet conditions. His pitches soar towards the green and stop dead where they land. The secret? "Just wet the club." But the sage-like advice carries a warning too. "The ball can skid as well so you need to know what you're doing!"

"Getting better with age," is Walsh's roguish sign-off!