Latest news with #GavinTiernan
Irish Times
36 minutes ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Gavin Tiernan aims to make history after reaching Amateur Championship final
Gavin Tiernan, the 19-year-old Co Louth player, will aim to become a history-maker and also earn places in next month's 153rd Open and next year's Masters tournament after reaching the final of the Amateur Championship at Royal St Georges in Sandwich, England. Tiernan, the first player to reach the final after coming through the stroke play pre-qualifying, has played 139 holes so far this week in reaching the final where world amateur number seven Ethan Fang of the United States provides the opposition. After defeating Estonia's Richard Teder in the quarter-final, his third time to close the deal on the 18th hole, Tiernan returned to the links in the afternoon to defeat Italy's Riccardo Fantinelli where, having turned for home level, the he won the 10th, 12th, 14th and 15th holes for a 4 and 3 win. Fang, a student at the University of Oklahoma, is aiming to become the first American winner of the Amateur since Drew Weaver in 2007, while Tiernan is looking to become the first Irish winner since James Sugrue won at Portmarnock in 2019. READ MORE Tiernan – 1,340th in the world amateur rankings – has played more golf than anyone, reaching the final from an original field of 288 players and taking a superbly positive attitude into each match: 'If you'd told me at the start of the week I'd be in the final, I would have been over the moon. I'm just really enjoying it, taking it one shot at a time, and just having fun out there. That's all I'm trying to do.' 'I hit it way better this afternoon. Off the tee I was way better. I hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens. I think this morning it was a little bit scrappier but this morning was tighter as well. I wasn't up the whole match until 18 when I won,' Tiernan said. 'You don't need to go and take a tonne of birdies. If you're hitting it to the middle of the green all the time, you're just going to bore them to death. That's what I've been trying to do this week, and it's worked so far. 'In my head, I'm the best player here. It might not be the truth, but that's what I believe. It doesn't really matter who I'm playing against. Really I'm just playing against the golf course. Playing against myself.' Gavin Tiernan during the semi-finals of the Amateur Championship at Royal St George's in Sandwich, England. Photograph: Oisín Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images Meanwhile, Shane Lowry struggled to a second round 73, which included three successive bogeys from the 10th to the 13th, to reach the midpoint of the Travelers championship at TPC River Highlands on five over 145, close to the tail end of the field. In the Blot Play9 tournament in France on the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour), Dubliner Max Kennedy followed up his opening 60 with a 76 to reach the halfway stage on 136 in tied-third, six shots behind leader James Morrison.
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Gavin Tiernan on cusp of glory after semi-final win at Amateur Championship
Gavin Tiernan from the County Louth club in Baltray is just one match away from the Amateur Championship title at Royal St Georges in Kent. The 19-year old Tiernan is ranked outside the top 1000 male amateur golfers in the world at 1340th. This afternoon, in breezy conditions, Tiernan easily defeated Riccardo Fantinelli of Italy (ranked more than 1000 places above him) in the semi final by 4&3. The second Finalist of the 130th Amateur Championship, Gavin Tiernan 🏌️♂️ — The R&A (@RandA) June 20, 2025 The winner tomorrow gets invitation to the Open next month in Royal Portrush and also the 2026 Masters and US Open along with one of the most coveted titles in men's amateur golf worldwide. Tiernan will play the World No 7 ranked player Ethan Fang of the United States in a 36-hole final starting just after 8.30 tomorrow morning. The last Irish winner was James Sugrue of Mallow in 2019. He won the title at Portmarnock when ranked 232nd in the world. Tiernan is seeking to become the ninth Irish winner of the Amateur Championship, with Jimmy Bruen the first back in 1946.
Irish Examiner
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tiernan and Ireland look to make history in Killarney
Gavin Tiernan's sensational run to the quarter-finals of The Amateur Championship has helped earn him a place in the Irish selection for the European Amateur Team Championship at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club next month. The 19-year-old is part of a six-strong outfit who will hope to make history on the 50th anniversary of the last staging of this competition in Killarney. Ireland are looking to bridge the gap back to 2008 when Shane Lowry was one of the stars of that victorious side. They had gone back-to-back with Rory McIlroy also part of the team in 2007. Tiernan has built on a third-place finish at his native County Louth in the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship last month, with another strong showing at Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports, where he is up against Estonian Richard Teder this morning. He is joined by another exciting teenager, John Doyle, who has already claimed the Flogas Irish Boys' Amateur Open Championship and Munster Stroke Play in Cork this year. Doyle's runner-up finish at the St Andrews Links recently was another huge step forward while Roscommon golfer Thomas Higgins had a fantastic T6 there to help secure his spot on this team. Killarney Golf & Fishing Club will host the European Amateur Team Championship next month. Reigning Flogas Irish Men's Amateur Open Champion, Stuart Grehan, is also selected alongside the 2024 winner Matt McClean and fellow former Walker Cup star Caolan Rafferty. The Irish Boys' team has also been announced ahead of their trip to Golf Resort Kaskada Brno in Czech Republic. John William Burke, Caelan Coleman, Adam Fahey, Louis Goodman, Isaac Oliver and William O'Riordan will form the team. Both events take place between July 8-12, there will be two rounds of stroke play on the first two days before match play, with the eight teams who are still in contention for a medal then playing two foursomes and five singles, as the Final takes place on Saturday. Ireland Men: John Doyle (Fota Island), Stuart Grehan (Co Louth), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth). Support Team: Captain - Damien Coyne (Tuam); Manager - Mark O'Sullivan (Laytown & Bettystown); Coach - Michael Collins. Ireland Boys: John William Burke (Ballyhaunis), Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay), Adam Fahey (Portmarnock), Louis Goodman (Co Louth), Isaac Oliver (Glasson), William O'Riordan (Greystones). Support Team: Captain - John Carroll (Cork); Manager - James Corcoran; Coach - Stephen Hood.
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Irish players progress at Amateur Championshops
Three Irish players have guaranteed their place in the knockout rounds of the Amateur Championship. Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth) was best of the Irish qualifers, finishing tied for 6th on six under after the second round of strokeplay at Royal St George's and Royal Cinque Ports. Joshua Hill (Galgorm Castle) tied for 21st on four under and recent Irish Amateur Open champion Stuart Grehan (Co Louth) tied for 35th at three under overall. There were 24 players tied for 60th on 1 under after the two rounds, including Keith Egan (Carton House). They will return for a Wednesday morning play-off to decide the make up of the last 64. The leading qualifier at The 130th Amateur Championship for the second time running was young Scotland star Connor Graham on nine-under. Jack Murphy (Douglas) was among those disappointed to miss the cut. Murphy opened with a two-under 68 at Royal St George's, where Darren Clarke won the Open in 2011, but slumped to a six-over 78 at nearby Royal Cinque Ports to miss the cut. Recent East of Ireland champion David Howard (Fota island) also missed out.
