UT golfer successfully defends title at North of Ireland Championship

July 21, 2014 | Athletics, News
By Steve Easton



Toledo senior Chris Selfridge successfully defended his title at the North of Ireland Championship Friday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Chris Selfridge holds the trophy he won at the North Ireland Championship in this photo courtesy of Pat Cashman/Golfing Union of Ireland.

Chris Selfridge holds the trophy he won at the North Ireland Championship in this photo courtesy of Pat Cashman/Golfing Union of Ireland.

Selfridge posted a 1-up triumph over Robert Dawson to capture the championship. He took the lead for good with a par on No. 17, while Dawson missed a putt from about eight feet and conceded the hole.

Selfridge jumped out to a 1-up cushion through three holes, before Dawson secured the next two holes to go 1-up after five.

The Castledawson, Northern Ireland, native fought back and won No. 7 and No. 8 to assume a 2-up margin at the turn. Selfridge then dropped three of the next four holes and found himself 1-down going into No. 14. Selfridge quickly regrouped and pulled even on the next hole, and the match remained all square until the deciding No. 17.

Selfridge has earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference accolades the last two years after being named the MAC Freshman of the Year and a second-team All-MAC honoree in 2011-12. A member of the 2013-14 Academic All-MAC Team, he ranked fourth in the league with a team-best 73.3 stroke average and helped UT finish second at the MAC Championship by tying for eighth place with a five-over par 293 (75-77-71-70).

Royal Portrush Golf Club is home to one of the best and most challenging courses in the world, the Dunluce Links, and the hidden gem, the Valley Links. The only club in Ireland to have hosted the Open Championship, Royal Portrush is a members club that welcomes visitors all year round to face the challenges of its courses and to brave the testing conditions.

Selfridge and the Rockets are scheduled to open the 2014-15 campaign at the Memphis Intercollegiate Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 15-16, in Tennessee.

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