Willie Fitzgerald - Prevailed in Ryston play-off

Willie Fitzgerald was understandably in buoyant mood when we caught up with him in the aftermath of his thrilling Irish Open victory over his current home course, Ryston in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. "It's a very special feeling to win such a prestigious international event in the pitch & putt calendar,." enthused Wllie. "To win it on my home course and to lift the trophy in Shane Murphy’s memory, makes it even more special."

Willie's expectations in advance of the Open were reasonably ambitious but realistic. "I am playing more events this year than last and starting to score better and more consistently in the last two months, so the aim was a Top 10 finish."

Although it's not his original home course, Willie is pretty familiar with the IX Irish Open host venue."I am a member of Ryston for the last 13 years and on the committee for the last 10 years as Treasurer, so I know the know the course very well.  It is a fantastic championship course, in immaculate condition.  It’s a course where you can shoot a low score but also where one bad shot on a hole can put paid to your chances with many tricky sloping greens and many tough bunkers.  So, it’s a course where you have to think about your shots and play to the safe side of some of the hole positions." 

Willie originally hailed from Co. Tipperary. "I’m originally from Clonmel and spent the first half of my playing career, from 1996, as a member of Hillview (birthplace of Pitch and Putt Ireland in 1960).  I moved to Kildare in 2011, subsequently joined Ryston and have been a member there since, continuing to play there now, while living in Dublin."

Five strokes behind overnight, what was Willie's plan for Sunday? "I was in tenth position going out. The plan was to post an overall score in the 20s (under par) and hopefully get into the Top 5. Given the calibre of player ahead of me, I did not see myself with a chance of winning the overall."

We asked Willie to tell us about that superb 43. "To be honest it looked unlikely early on in that round.  The first was playing tough with wind behind and I was big on that and very big on the second hole, holing six foot putts  on both holes for par. If either of those had missed, things would have been very different.   From there on, I pitched well birdieing eight of the next ten holes, with further birdies on the way home on 14, 16 & 17 to shoot 11 under."

How much did Willie enjoy playing with Chris Scannell and Mark Millar (his final round partners who played together on Ireland's 2001 European Team championship success at Lloret)? "Chris and Mark are both super players, legends of the game with multiple national titles behind their names.  They both pitched well on Sunday but the putts didn’t drop for them.   As ever, it was a pleasure to play with them both."

How did the play-off unfold for the new champion? "Going out I felt I needed at least two birdies to have a chance.  Given poor pitches on the first two holes in the final 18, the focus was to ensure I was on both greens and at least gave myself a chance of a birdie.  I hit a great pitch to the first and while Kieran and Daithi made their putts, I had putted well earlier on Sunday and was confident of making it.   After lipping out with my putt on the second hole, I felt that my chances may have gone,  expecting Kieran to hole his birdie chance. After my pitch to the third, I was very confident over the putt, having had that left to right breaking putt many times on that hole."

Willie holds high opinions about his play-off adversaries Kieran Earls and Daithi Sexton. "They are both great players and playing great stuff this year.   Daithi is Cork Matchplay champion, which is no easy title to win and Kieran finished second recently in the World Strokeplay in Spain.  So, I knew both were on form and that the playoff would not be easily won."

Willie hasn't yet played international opens abroad but plans to rectify that shortly.  "Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to date but I hope to change that in the near future, reflected Willie.

Will that change following his Irish Open win? "I would like to think so! After a big win like that, it gives you the motivation to go on and compete in the big events."

There is likely to be an Irish Master event at McDonagh later in the year and that definitely figures on the Fitzgerald radar. "Yes, that is an event that I am really looking forward to competing in, in November this year.   McDonagh is a course that I really enjoy playing and it is always presented in impeccable condition."

We wish him well.