Dundalk's Rafferty completes historic slam in Portstewart

Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty has become the first player to win all four provincial amateur championships after he sealed the North of Ireland title at Portstewart on Saturday.

A birdie on the 71st hole proved decisive as Rafferty closed with a one-under 70 to finish three-under to edge England’s Ben Willis and Castlerock’s Andrew Mulholland by a single stroke.

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Rafferty shared the overnight lead with Cathal MacCanna and got off to a flying start with three birdies in his opening six holes.

But dropped shots at 17, 18 and 6 tightened the field, and a tense back nine saw both Willis and Mulholland surge into contention.

With the pressure mounting, the Dromiskin native found inspiration when he spotted his wife and young daughter beside the 17th tee. He responded with two superb shots to set up the birdie that ultimately clinched the historic provincial slam.

The 31-year-old’s journey began with the South of Ireland crown in 2018, followed by the West in 2019, and last year’s long-awaited East at Co. Louth.

Now, with the North secured, Rafferty has achieved what legends like Joe Carr and Darren Clarke could not, as he now stands alone as the man to conquer every province in Irish amateur golf.