With a two shot lead over Max Kennedy unfortunately his only bogey of the day came on the par 5 18th, when he missed a five-footer for par as he tried to close out his victory, leaving to a very nervy half hour as he waited to see if he would be caught.
“It feels better than I thought it would”, said Caolan, “It’s a huge weight off my shoulders. I only had three bogeys all week, so it was the wrong time to have my third on the 72nd hole”.
Caolan has finished back-to-back runner-up in the last two East of Ireland Championships and spoke recently how he really wanted to add this Championship to his previous triumphs in the West of Ireland and South of Ireland.
This win, brings his tally to three of the four amateur provincial championships and coupled with his international career, including the Walker Cup, he has confirmed his place as one of the leading amateurs in Ireland.
He has spoken this year that he is reducing his competitive schedule and will not play as much competitive golf this year, although he has made a great running start to his 2024 season, recently winning the Laytown and Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup for the fourth time.
He was tied for the lead at the turn with Max Kennedy, but put his foot down on the back nine with three further birdies after his epic front nine. Kennedy was unable to keep pace and slipped back with a three-putt bogey.
He was four shots clear playing the par 3 17th, but his nearest challenger Kennedy, playing two groups behind birdied 15th to narrow the gap to three shots. Having short-sided himself on 17, Caolan got up and down with a beautiful chip and seven foot par putt.
Kennedy kept the fight going to the end, closing to within two with a birdie on 16.
The former Dundalk Golf Club greenkeeper had huge galleries with big local support from Dundalk and Greenore Golf Club where he played his juvenile golf around the Baltray links this afternoon, as he played stunning golf, being -8 under through 17 holes.
The course record was on the line playing 18 and Caolan took a 3-wood with his second and finished 80 yards short right of the green. His chip took an unlucky bounce to just off the left-side of the green, leaving him a 30-foot putt to break the course record. Possibly showing some signs of nerves his putt fell five foot short and his par putt missed on the left side of the hole.
Kennedy parred the 17th and was short left in deep rough in two on 18, needing an up and down to force a play-off. His chip and run, ran out to six feet below the hole. However his putt dipped low left giving Rafferty a most dramatic win.
Fellow Dundalk golfer Eoin Murphy was in the mix going into the final 18 holes playing alongside Max Kennedy in the final three-ball but a double-bogey on the front nine stalled any momentum.
