Josh Irving goes wire-to-wire at Texas North Amateur

PROSPER, Texas — Josh Irving from Fort Worth claimed his second regional victory of the year after three days at the North Amateur Championship presented by UST Mamiya. Irving, who was also part of the winning North Four-Ball team early in the season, cruised to a wire-to-wire victory at the North Amateur with a closing round of 1-over-par 73.

Irving’s solid play from the first two rounds continued into the final round, which included two birdies on the front nine. They came consecutively, back on the third and fourth holes, each of which demand precise tee shot placement. As he made the turn in 2- under par on the day, Irving said he faltered with his putting to open the back nine.

“I found a few three putts on the back nine and struggled on the greens, let a few strokes get away from me,” said Irving.

In typical fashion, Irving managed to earn a few strokes back from the golf course, picking up two birdies on the back side en route to his final round 73.

Despite fighting the putting surfaces on the back nine, Irving’s sentiments of the golf course were consistent with those of his fellow-competitors.

“These are some of the best Bermuda greens I know of in the state,” Irving said. “The layout is awesome at Gentle Creek, a great design and very well-conditioned.”

Dallas’ Rob Couture continued his steady play into Sunday, turning in a 1-under par 71, for his third consecutive sub-par round of the weekend. Couture, the 2009 Texas Mid-Amateur Champion and former Player of the Year, tried to close the gap on Irving in the final round, but fell a few strokes short. Nonetheless, both players will tee off in the upcoming 2015 Texas Mid- Amateur Championship, which will be contested at Royal Oaks Country Club in Dallas this September.

The top three players and ties from the 2015 North Amateur Championship have each earned an exemption into the 2016 Texas Amateur Championship.

Andrew Morsinkhoff of Rockwall contributed to final round headlines at the North Amateur with an ace on the par three eleventh hole, which played 191 yards on the day. Morsinkhoff recalled the ace as, “a stock four iron, which never left the flag”. Morsinkhoff’s ace was the lone hole-in-one of the championship.