Title’s in the net for cool O’Neill

RYAN O’Neill kept his composure to win the De Vere PGA North Region Championship at Blackpool resort Heron’s Reach then attributed his success to the time he spent playing football for his home town club Wigan Athletic youth team.

The 22-year-old Penwortham assistant, who led overnight after a course record six-under-par 66, slipped back into the pack when he double bogeyed the sixth to allow Tom Murray to seize the initiative.

“He was two ahead after 11 holes but I regrouped and stayed focus to regain the advantage,” said O’Neill who also saw off challenges on the home stretch from the formidable trio of Barry Taylor, David Shacklady and Will Barnes as he closed with a 72.

“The disciplines I learned playing football and a season of rugby with Wigan Warriors junior side helped me to stay calm under pressure and not get ahead of myself,” he explained. “I transferred a lot of stuff to do with the mental side into my golf game and my physical fitness was also a factor.”

They were wise words from a third year trainee professional who only swapped his studs for spikes he was 17 after the two Wigan clubs did not offer him contracts.

His defining hole was the 280-yard par four 17th where his drive ripped through the prevailing wind and into the heart of the green and rewarded him with a three. It put him two strokes ahead but a bogey on the last caused some anxiety as Murray’s birdied attempt from 18 feet pulled up two inches short.

That’s how close the 21-year-old Didsbury assistant went to forcing a play-off and giving himself a chance of emulating his dad Andrew, a former European Tour champion, who won the North Region title at Windermere in 1985.

“He’s 55 today so it would been a nice birthday present for him,” he said as he settled for second place with PGA Cup player Shacklady, from Mossock Hall, and Garstang’s Barnes with Houghwood teaching pro Taylor sharing fifth spot two off the pace with Swinton Park’s David Smith.

A shot further back were defending champion John King, from Lindrick, alongside Tees-side’s Vincent Guest and past winner Craig Corrigan, from Haigh Hall.

LEADING SCORES: 138 Ryan O’Neill (Penwortham) 66 72; 139 Will Barnes (Garstang) 70 69, David Shacklady (Mossock Hall) 69 70, Tom Murray (Didsbury) 67 72; 140 David Smith (Swinton Park) 70 70, Barry Taylor (Houghwood) 68 72; 141 Craig Corrigan (Haigh Hall) 71 70, John King (Lindrick) 71 70, Vincent Guest (Tees-side) 70 71.