Peter O’Keeffe had another narrow loss at the South of Ireland, finishing as runner-up after five days of golf in Lahinch.  O’Keeffe agonisingly lost out on the 18th green, just one step away from claiming his first provincial championship.  The three time Irish champion was a semi-finalist in 2021, a finalist in 2022 and reached the final again last Sunday.  Despite leading for most of the final on Sunday, he was drawn back to level by Colm Campbell on the 17th, with the Warrenpoint man winning on the final hole after five today days of championship golf.

It was another impressive week for the big hitting Douglas golfer.  Peter’s path to the final started with a leading score of 68 after the opening round.  The Douglas golfer benefitted from a early tee time and he took full advantage of the kinder weather.  Four birdies and no bogies saw O’Keeffe lead and he followed that with a one under par 71 to qualify just one off the lead.

O’Keeffe also had the advantage of having clubmate Karl Bornemann on the bag for the week.  The Irish Seniors International had been due to play but a longstanding injury forced him to withdraw on Tuesday.  His absence from the field was to Peter’s advantage as the pair were very affective in working together over the five days.  “Having Karl on the bag is a massive help because he is a strategist by nature and I am more of a reactive player,” said O’Keeffe.  “So he is slowing me down and really discussing things and for me that’s actually new.  But it’s enlightening and it’s working.  It’s tough to get your lines right off the tee so you have to really commit.”

Although it was clear to see the disappointment in O’Keeffe’s face after the final, he can be very proud of the excellent performances in eight rounds over five days.  O’Keeffe beat Fermoy’s Dean O’Riordan in the first round and followed that with a win over Patrick Adler.  Peter saw off Berehaven’s Joe O’Neill on Saturday morning and in the quarter final he had a 3&2 win over Gerard Dunne.  Tramore’s Jack Hearn took Peter to the 18th green in the semi-final but the Douglas golfer won 1 up to book a place in the final for a second consecutive year.

While the level of golf in Lahinch was the best seen in a while, the weather was the worst.  The early starters on Wednesday endured heavy showers and gusting winds that caused balls to move on the greens at times.  The late starters had to endure persistent wind and rain, leading to a four shot difference between the morning and afternoon waves.  The wind and rain continued for much of  Thursday’s second round, and when the matchplay started on Friday the conditions were much the same.  For Sunday’s semi-finals severe winds blew across the course and by the time the final started the wind was matched with heavy rain.  With seven rounds already played, the weather added to the test for both finalists.  In addition to the head to head battle the finalists struggled to keep themselves and their clubs dry while the 40kph wind forced them to play the course very differently to normal.

Despite the tough conditions, Lahinch came in for great praise from the competitors.  The South has always been considered as special, with the entire village of Lahinch becoming an extension of the club for the week.  All available rooms were fully booked for the week and there were golfers, caddies and supporters out each night enjoying the Clare hospitality.  While 86 golfers finished up on Thursday, many stayed on for another night or two to enjoy the special atmosphere.  The winner Colm Campbell has been a keen supporter of the South and he was quick to praise the team behind Ireland’s oldest Championship.  “I love Lahinch, when you come to Lahinch, the South of Ireland, it’s the best tournament of the year” said Campbell.  “The way you get looked after by Paddy and Padraig and the team here, it’s different gravy.”

Peter O’Keeffe had a similar view, turning the tournament into a family event.  “Lahinch is always a special one for me being a player from Munster and now it’s like a family holiday week as well for us.  We’ve two small kids and they love going up there so I love it,” said O’Keeffe.

Gallery: South of Ireland 2023

There was a special buzz in Lahinch this year as the course was announced as the venue for the 2026 Walker Cup.  The arrival of the showpiece event of amateur golf was another big coup for the Clare club, and should further boost the popularity of the South in 2024 and 2025.  Lahinch has another big year in 2024 as it hosts the Palmer Cup in 2024.