Dara Lernihan this season won the Mullingar Grant Thornton Scratch Trophy and was the winner of the Irish Close title at Royal Dublin in June - delighted to shake the tag of the “nearly man”.
Despite his victories he was omitted from the three-man Ireland team for the Eisenhower Trophy in Argentina in October and remained a non travelling reserve.
Lernihan created history two years ago when he became the first Castle player to attain senior international status and this year added to his place of honour as the first player from the Rathfarnham club to win a senior national championship.
In June was crowned 2010 Golfsure Irish Close champion after a 3&2 victory over Rory Leonard of Banbridge in the final at Royal Dublin.
"I was wondering if it was ever going to come. I have been close a few times. I'm just delighted
"I've played well all week. The furthest I went all week was to the 16th green, so that's an indication of how I played," said Lernihan.
A UCD golf scholarship student, Dara Lernihan, won the Leinster Youths Amateur Open Championship at Seapoint GC in 2006 when he defeated the 2004 champion, Ciaran McAleavey (Banbridge GC), at the fourth tie hole in a dramatic play-off. Dara’s scores of 77, 77, 75 and 79 gave him a total of 308 against a competition standard scratch score of 306.
In the three-hole play off, Dara fell one behind at the first and then only managed to maintain this differential by getting up and down from off the second green. At the third hole, a par was enough to see him draw level as McAleavey took a bogey.
The Championship was now to be decided on sudden death.
After McAleavey was forced to take a penalty drop from a gorse bush, Dara played his approach to the par 5 hole to four feet and, after watching his opponent miss his par putt from 15 feet, took the two puts that would ensure his success.
In 2009 Lernihan was part of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad with Niall Kearney the only Irish player to make the team.
Last week Lernihan qualified for the 2011 Alps Tour along with Brendan McCarroll and Gareth Shaw after finishing in a share of 6th place following rounds of 67, 67 and 71.
Fact File
Attachment: Castle
Date of Birth: February 12th 1987
Handicap: +1.9
Tour: 2011 Alps Tour
