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AFTER three podium finishes in the event in the last six stagings, including two third placed finishes in 2016 and 2017, Deerpark’s Damien Fleming became only the second Kerry player ever to win a National Senior Gents Strokeplay title when he emerged with a one stroke victory in Glenville in Dublin last Sunday afternoon. Damien was second to Tralee’s Jonathon Goodall in 2012 in nearby RGSC in the national’s capital but made sure of his win this year after the bronze medal performances in Tullamore and Clonmel of the last two years.

Damien made a somewhat slow start beginning with two under par for his first 18 holes before firing himself into contention after the first 36 holes with an eight under par round as his score of 10 under par saw him one shot off the lead of 11 under par ahead of the Top 20 playoff for the title. He was sharing the lead on 14 under par with Dubliner and Irish International team captain John Ross Crangle and National Matchplay holder Bryan Delaney with nine holes to go before a Hole-in-One followed by a birdie for Crangle appeared to give the advantage to the Loughlinstown player. Damien remained steady however in picking up another four birdies to pass out Crangle in the finish and win the title by a single stroke with a score of 144, 18 under par.

Damien’s win made him the 14^th player in Pitch & Putt history to win a National Matchplay and National Strokeplay double after his Matchplay success in 2011 back in Collinstown Westmeath. He has previously won the Irish International Open twice as well in 2009 and 2011. Castleisland’s Aidan O’Connor also made the Top 20 Playoff finishing the tournament with a score of seven under par as Tralee’s Jason O’Regan was one shot off the cut with a 36 hole total of four under. Damien’s brother James finished 11^th overall in the Intermediate event the previous day meanwhile in a good showing in tough scoring conditions.