DUBLIN’S NIALL KEARNEY celebrated the best-ever finish of his pro career with a blistering final round at the Canary Islands Championship in Tenerife.
Kearney’s putter was red hot as he racked up nine birdies and an eagle on his way to a stunning Sunday 61 at the European Tour event.
As well as equalling the course record at Costa Adeje, Kearney’s final-day charge up the leaderboard saw him finish on 19-under par in a tie for fourth place, taking home prize money of just under €55,000 for his week’s work.
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo ran out a comfortable winner, finishing six shots clear of the field on 27-under after a final round of 64.
For Kearney, it was a fitting end to an impressive week which saw him open with back-to-back rounds of 68 and 64 to enter the weekend four shots off the lead.
A one-over par 72 on Saturday took the steam out of his challenge but teeing off on the 10th on Sunday morning, he quickly set about making amends and played his first nine in four-under par.
It only got better from there with a birdie on the first followed by an eagle at the third to move up to -16, and after further birdies at four, six and seven, Kearney stood on the eighth tee with a very real opportunity to become only the second man in European Tour history to shoot 59.
A par-par finish ended that prospect but rounded out an excellent week for the 33-year-old.
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