Scot Grant Forrest heads to this week’s Tour flagship event at Wentworth buoyed by his best finish all year at the Amgen Irish Open.
Forrest, 31, grabbed seven birdies in a five-under par 66 to secure a share of fifth place at four-under on the host Royal County Down course.
The Scot’s effort handed the Craigielaw-attached Forrest a best Tour result since a share of fourth at last December’s co-sanctioned Australian Open in Sydney.
A year ago, Forrest had shared third place in the Irish Open at the K. Club.
WELL DONE @grantforrest93 @craigielaw @bouncespmgt
Grant secures best @DPWorldTour result all year, sharing #AmgenIrishOpen 5th place with @robert1lefty
Read: https://t.co/t4VLDYFSRq
✅ @TOURMISS @Record_Sport pic.twitter.com/6lUbSZqEKj
— Golf & Science News (@TOURMISS) September 15, 2024
Dane Ramus Hojgaard brilliantly pulled the rug out from any Irish victory celebration birdieing his final three holes in a closing score of 65 for a one stroke triumph at nine-under.
Hojgaard denied overwhelming crowd favourite World No. 3 Rory McIlroy who clumsily bogeyed the penultimate hole and then failed to hit the hole with his eagle ‘3’ attempt at the last.
Mcllroy, needing the hole the eagle putt to force a play-off, signed for a 69 to finish second at eight-under and one clear of Italian Matteo Manassero (69).
It is a third occasion McIlroy has been on a losing end at Royal County Down – beaten by the Americans in the 2007 Walker Cup and hopelessly missing the cut in 2015 Irish Open won by another Dane in Soren Kjeldsen.
Forrest headed into the final round trailing 20 places behind McIlroy after having completed Saturday’ round in a golfing ambulance, dropping five shots in his closing four holes in his score of 73 and this after eagling the first.
His last round Royal County Down effort was a best in 32 rounds over the past four months.
Forrest said: “I got the tough side of the draw this week. Played pretty solid Thursday, Friday to get through to the weekend and then yeah, had it going yesterday and had a really tough finish.
“I dropped five shots in the last four, so dinner didn’t taste too good last night.
“Though proud of the way I picked myself back up this morning. Come out, obviously a much nicer day today. Stayed patient and made a few putts coming in.
I was disappointed with the finish on 18 as it was a good birdie chance to do that with the wind direction.
“But all in all, the way the season’s been, it’s a big relief to get a week like this under my belt”.
Robert MacIntyre’s quest to create Tour history and be the first to win both the Scottish and Irish Open titles in the same season ended with the Oban lefty birdieing the last in a one-under 70 to be tied with Forrest on four-under.
MacIntyre, as the second highest world ranked player in the Irish field, failed to get out of first gear in posting a closing until holing a six-incher at 18.
