Dundalk golfer Caolan Rafferty completed the career Grand Slam as he added the North of Ireland Amateur Open title at Portstewart on Friday.
The 32-year-old had previously been crowned champion in the South (2018), West (2019) and East (2024) and became the first person in history to win all four regional championships.
Rafferty, who will represent Ireland at the World Amateur Team Championships in Singapore next month, lead all the way from Round 1 and ended up claiming a one-shot win over Ben Willis (Hunstanton) and Andrew Mulholland (Castlerock) on the links.
He had already finished ninth at the East and runner-up in the South this summer, but held his composure in the closing stages here, bouncing back from a bogey on 15 to birdie the difficult 17.
Rafferty sealed a memorable and historic win before celebrating with his family and his daughter Maisie.
“I can’t believe that’s the first time it’s been done,” said Rafferty.
“It’s a nice feeling, got to look over and see her (Maisie) in the corner, little hoodie, look like a teddy bear. I was laughing.
“She’s not going to have any idea what’s going on but there will be plenty of pictures to show her the first trophy that daddy won.
“It just takes my mind away from what you’ve done, there’s a lot more to life now than golf as well. It’s always nice to have that moment afterwards to just walk away and get a little cuddle.”
Rafferty was tied at the top of the standings with Cathal MacCanna (Carton House) at the beginning of the third round, with their playing partner Dylan Shaw-Radford (Huddersfield) just one shot behind on one-under. He was T3 alongside the only other players who were under-par, David Shiel (Enniscrone) and David Kitt (Athenry).
Last year’s East of Ireland champion used his vast links experience to keep himself at the head of the standings, they began their rounds on the back nine and he birdied 11, 13 and 15 to quickly move to five-under.
However, he dropped two shots on the last two holes of his front nine, and a further bogey at the sixth meant he finished with a third round of 71, and a three-under par total.
At that stage Shaw-Radford was still well in contention on level par, while MacCanna was one shot worse off after a third round of 74.
South of Ireland winner, Jonathan Keane (Lahinch), had emerged from the chasing pack with a stunning round of 66, which included six birdies and an eagle. However, Rafferty was one ahead with 18 holes remaining and he began the front nine with eight pars and one birdie for 35 shots on the way out.
Shaw-Radford and Dylan Keating (Seapoint) closed in, on one-under just two shots in arrears, but while many faltered in behind, Rafferty kept his cool throughout the back nine.
There was a blip at 11, where his par putt slipped just by but he hit back with a birdie on 13 and while Willis and Muholland finished their weeks on two-under, it left three tied at the top.
Rafferty had to dig deep and he did that on 17, with a brilliant birdie meaning he had two putts to secure his piece of history on the 18th green.
“We had a great birdie on 13 and then it was just a sloppy iron shot into 15 that put me under pressure, actually hit a good putt, thought I held it,” said Rafferty.
“But to finish the way I did and probably the hardest hole that we played out there this week. Birdie it to get myself back in the lead and then it’s just a case of let’s make four down the last.
“Easy on a normal day but a little bit more stressful when you know what it’s for.”
