Golf
Former Alfredton Primary School and Rathkeale College student Harry Bateman has snared his first professional golf title.
Bateman, 22, won the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour's Buildbase Open on Sunday, carding a final round three-under-par 69 after earlier scores of 67 and 68. He won by one stroke from England's Scott Campbell to claim the major prize of £10,000 ($19,500) and a brand new Motocaddy trolley at Frilford Heath Golf Club, in Oxfordshire.
Now playing out of the Royal Wellington Golf Club, Bateman had begun his last round two strokes behind overnight leader, amateur Tom Wilde, and while Wilde's 77 relegated him to a tie for 18th, Bateman retained his composure, staving off a determined bid from Campbell who birdied the last two holes.
It was a welcome change of luck for Bateman who is in his debut season on the EuroPro circuit, having successfully gone through the qualifying process in March. It is the third tier of tours in Europe, after the European PGA and the Challenge Tour, and the Oxfordshire event was the fifth on the tour, Bateman having missed the cut in the previous four.