Patrick Curran went wire-to-wire at Kirkistown Castle Golf Club as the National College of Ireland student produced a commanding performance from start to finish on the northeast coast to be crowned the 2025 Irish Intervarsity Champion with a ten-shot victory.
AIG Irish Women’s Amateur Close Champion Anna Dawson would also claim her first Irish Intervarsity Women’s title as the Maynooth University student recovered from an opening round 77 with back-to-back rounds of 72 to finish tied for 22nd overall on +11.
There was further success for Maynooth, as the Kildare college once again retained the team championship. The trio of Conor Stapleton, Lorenzo Fior and Ben Cahill combined for a +2 total, finishing five shots clear of DCU’s Robert Burns, Conor McCarthy and Sebastian Broderick.
After a relatively benign Wednesday, the weather turned bitter and blustery on Thursday morning as Curran teed off holding an eight-shot lead over Maynooth’s Cian Harkin and Morgan O’Sullivan.
Despite the tougher conditions, the Edmondstown golfer showed no signs of letting that advantage slip. Birdies at the 4th, 5th and 9th helped him to a front-nine score of 33, extending his lead to 11 strokes as he made the turn for home.
Curran had played the back nine in a combined eight under par over the first two days, and while the 20-year-old did not quite replicate that form, his closing 37 was enough to post a level-par round and seal an impressive nine-under total, securing a commanding victory on the County Down links.
“It feels great. I played really well all week,” said Curran.
“I was happy with every aspect of my game in quite testing conditions as well today, so to hang in there was nice.”
“I was hitting it nicely. The putts weren’t dropping as much though on the back nine, but I was happy. All in all, it was good.”
Curran’s Intervarsity victory continues a strong run of form, marking his second collegiate win of the season following his R&A Student Series success at Sweden’s Halmstad Golf Club in September and while the latter half of this season has been fruitful, he credits his recent success to a long period of hard work and dedication.
“The last two years, ever since I finished my leaving certificate, I’ve been working like a dog really,” said Curran.
“I just kept patient and trusted in my plan, trusted in God, and it came true in the end and hopefully I’m going to keep working harder for more good things to come.”
