Dylan Holmes breaks Rory McIlroy’s record at West of Ireland Open Amateur
Dylan Holmes (INPHO/Ben Brady Photo)
It is a pretty great month to be associated with Rory McIlroy.
Nine days after the future Hall of Famer from Northern Ireland secured the career grand slam at the 2025 Masters Tournament, 18-year-old Dylan Holmes from Greystones secured the West of Ireland Open Amateur Championship at County Sligo Golf Club in Rosses Point, Ireland.
Holmes defeated Colm Campbell 2 and 1 in a rain-affected final match.
“It’s incredible, I didn’t really have any expectations coming into this week,” Holmes told the Irish Examiner after the win.
“I played a great first 13 holes, some of the best golf I have ever played, and then I don’t know what happened to the weather, but it was worse than the first round, which was hard.”
Holmes added to the Irish Examiner, “I guess I’m in with a few good names now, so it’s nice. McIlroy is incomparable.”
Holmes finished the stroke play qualifying at 10-over after rounds of 77 and 75 in stroke play and he found his groove in the match play portion. He started with victories over Adam Smith 2 and 1, Greg O’Mahony 6 and 4, and David Kitt 1-up.
He defeated Jonathan Keane in the quarterfinals, where he only took the lead for the first time on the 19th hole.
Results:
West of Ireland Open Amateur
ABOUT THE
West of Ireland Open Amateur
From 1923 through 2018, the West of Ireland was a
match play tournament but the format was switched
to 72 holes of stroke play in 2019 before reverting to
match play in 2022. Originally held in
July, it was moved to coincide with Easter but now it is
played in April to open the Irish
competitive calendar each year.