
Fota Island’s David Howard is looking forward to making his pro dreams come true after finishing with a brilliant birdie to win the Pharmaher Healthcare-sponsored East of Ireland Championship by a shot at a windswept Baltray.
The 26-year-old, a native of Currabinny near Ringaskiddy, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (C.F.) when he was just seven, but he hasn’t let that blunt his golfing ambitions.
Battling a northwest breeze gusting to 50 kmph at times, he shot a morning 72 to go into the final round tied for second with Stuart Grehan and David Kitt, two strokes behind County Louth’s Gavin Tiernan on three under.
Dun Laoghaire’s Robert Abernethy stormed through the field, carding sensational rounds of 66 and 69 to set a formidable four-under clubhouse target.
But after following birdies at the second, third, fourth and sixth with four bogeys in a row from the seventh to trail Abernethy by a shot, Howard made 12-footers for birdie at the 12th and 14th to take the lead.
A bogey at the 17th left him needing a birdie to win, and he pulled it off, holding up a 211-yard five-iron that finished 15 feet above the flag from where he two-putted for a 70 and glory on five-under 283.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” beamed Howard, who is playing as an amateur on the Clutch Tour and hopes to go to the DP World Tour Qualifying School in the autumn.
“After making four bogeys in a row, my girlfriend said I was one behind Robert, so I knew I needed one or two coming in.
“I didn’t hear anything until the last when I asked my dad (and caddie John), ‘Do I need to make his putt?’. And he said, ‘No’, so I knew I could lag it up to give myself something small or finish it off.”
As for his battle with C.F., he admitted it was a challenge, but he was managing well.

“I was diagnosed at seven, and it was a big impact from then on,” he said. “There have been ups and downs, but medication is really good these days, so the health’s been pretty good.”
Howard spent the evening celebrating with the members and received some sound advice from eight-time European Tour winner and two-time Ryder Cup player, Des Smyth, who watched him in action.
“Des was great,” Howard said as he headed home with the trophy the following day.
“He said, ‘Keep winning!’ because that’s the key.”