Simon Thornton's putter heated up at just the right time on the back nine as he put on a clinical display of front running to clinch his fourth Brown & Brown Irish PGA Championship at Monkstown Golf Club.
Leading by one overnight, Thornton overcame a sluggish start to eventually ease to a two-shot victory on nine-under courtesy of a final round of 66, holding off Mount Wolseley's Sean O'Donoghue.
"I'm absolutely delighted. Yesterday I was a little disappointed coming off the golf course but I played lovely today. Bogeyed the first, fair enough, I knew there was a long way to go and from there I hit some good shots. My putting really came to life on the back nine when I needed it. Clutch putts on 16 and 17, couple of bad tee shots and in the moment I didn't know where I was but to win I am just delighted."
The former European Tour winner started nervously with an opening bogey after pulling his tee shot left of the green but he soon settled down with birdies on the third and fourth.
In the group ahead however, O'Donoghue was continuing in the same vein of form from his 65 the day before, rolling in birdies on the third, fourth, fifth and seventh to hit the front on eight-under, three ahead of Thornton.
But Thornton remained patient and after lamenting a cold putter on Wednesday, the flat stick caught fire with clutch birdie putts on the 10th, 12th, 14th and 15th to move three clear on ten-under. But crucially he also kept up his form on the greens to hole lengthy par putts on 16 and 17 to maintain his three shot advantage.
He could afford to coast down the last and drop a shot but it was enough to seal an emotional victory with his son Ryan caddying for him.
"I knew only being a couple under par around that stage I was probably one clear, or level or even one behind! To have those three birdies in quick succession, played a lovely shot on 14, to get those quickly gave me some daylight between the rest of the field.
"It's great to have Ryan, he's just starting out on his golfing journey so for him to experience that and to understand the game a little bit more when it's coming down the stretch to keep breathing, stay in the moment. He's 13 he wants to hit driver and go for the green and all that stuff but it's been a great week for me.
"That's what golf is all about, he was very excited this morning and if we take it too seriously the good golf isn't going to come from that, it was a nice distraction but we worked well together in the end I was asking him a few wind questions and he seems to be learning. Hopefully it's a job as a golfer and not a caddie he gets!"
O'Donoghue kept up his fight and closed with a final round of 67 to take solo second on seven-under.
The big hitters were all snarling at Thornton's heels but they couldn't quite do enough to get close to him, particularly on the front nine.
Niall Kearney and Cormac Sharvin both closed with rounds of 67 for six-under alongside Colm Moriarty who shot the joint low round of the week with a bogey-free 65.
Richard O'Donovan secured sixth place on five-under after a final round of 69 while Limerick's Tim Rice will have to wait another year to get his hands on a second Irish PGA trophy after he fell to a closing 72 for two-under.
Thornton now moves alongside Paul McGinley and Philip Walton in winning his fourth Irish PGA crown and his first since 2020.
To see the full, final leaderboard, click here.
