Glee’ for Alex as he lifts Irish Close title

By Stephen Leonard

ALEX Gleeson from Castle Golf Club went one step better on his performance at last year’s Irish Amateur Close Championship by winning the 2016 tournament at Ballyliffin last weekend.

Beaten by Tiaran McLarnon in last season’s decider, he was determined to go all the way this time around and captured the prize following his victory over John Ross Galbraith in the final.

Delighted at raising his first senior championship title, Gleeson “There’s a lot of really good names on that trophy, it hasn’t quite sunk in yet.

“I’m absolutely over the moon, I can’t really put into words how happy I am.”

“I really wanted a championship this year. I felt my game was good enough” he insisted.

That proved to be the case as he put together a great run that included victories over Ireland team mates Robin Dawson of Tramore and Knock’s Colin Fairweather.

And his semi-final match-up against Peter Kerr of Royal Portrush went the distance, Gleeson recalling “I knew I needed to do something on 18.

“When I hit one in tight there, that was massive” stressed the Castle player who clinched passage through to the decider when Kerr bogeyed the last.

In the final against Galbraith, who had beaten Newlands Golf Club’s Jake Whelan in his respective semi final, Gleeson was in front from the sixth and four clear with six to play.

Yet his Whitehead opponent was never going to simply throw in the towel and fought back on the 13th, 14th and 15th to preserve his hopes of a comeback.

Yet Gleeson made it over the line when he parred the 17th, putting behind him the pain of just missing out on the coveted prize last season.

“I knew the mistakes I made last year going into that final and I didn’t make them this year.

“Playing in the final last year was a massive help for this year. I was a lot calmer and composed this year than I was last year.

“I had a tough route [this year] but you’re always going to get tough matches in the Close so you’re going to have to play well” he said.

A past winner of the Leinster Youths Amateur Open, the Irish Inter-Varsity Championship and the Boyd Quaich Tournament as well as a runner-up in the Nassau Open, Gleeson is fast rising through the ranks.