CARTERSVILLE, Ga. – Joe Lyons entered Saturday’s final round at Cartersville Country Club with a three-stroke lead. Six under through 36 holes, the Irishman was confident in his ability to close, but knew it would be a tall task given the strength of the field and venue.
“One of the big selling points for us [Team Ireland] coming across is that it’s a WAGR-ranked event,” Lyons told Golfweek. “Our events aren’t so highly ranked. WAGR is important nowadays and we don’t have so many WAGR-ranked events across the pond.”
With the field rating being second only to the U.S. Senior Amateur, everyone in attendance knew it would be a battle for the ages.
Paired with Utah’s Shane McMillan and Oklahoma’s Michael Hughett, the trio traded blows throughout the day but never caught up to Lyons until the back nine. Just past the halfway mark, the pressure cooker that is playing for a championship, made for some fantastic golf.
On the par-3 13th, all three men found the bottom of the cup in two, covering each other’s birdies from well beyond 20 feet. McMillan’s putter would stay hot on No. 14, making birdie from 60 feet, giving him a share of the lead with four holes to play.
On the par-4 17th, McMillan dropkicked his drive left, nestling up against a tree. Taking an unplayable, he came away with a double to fall one back of Lyons heading to the final hole. Meanwhile, Hughett made a late charge. Calmly in control of his game, the Oklahoman clawed his way into a tie with Lyons at 4 under as they trekked to the 18th tee box.
All three men missed the fairway on the par-5 18th, leaving it anyone’s ball game.
“Probably the best shot I hit this week was my second shot into 18,” Lyons said. “I was in hardpan but there was Bermuda [grass] around the ball, I had to dig for it. I was hitting rescue and I knew I had to miss it left, I couldn’t miss it right.”
From about 235 yards out, Lyons ripped his 3-hybrid pin-high, just left of the greenside bunker, leaving himself a straightforward up-and-down opportunity to make birdie and win the championship.
McMillan double-crossed his second shot, making bogey while Hughett knocked his third shot to 12 feet for his potential tournament-winning birdie.
Lining up his pitch shot from around 25 yards out, Lyons did this:
How did this not go in?! Joe Lyons nearly walked it off! pic.twitter.com/ttkWMa50Kf
— 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 (@byBraydenC) October 8, 2023
Nearly making an eagle, Lyons tapped in for birdie, leaving the pressure on Hughett to force a playoff.
“I actually thought I holed it,” said Lyons. “I thought Michael (Hughett) might hole his [birdie putt] afterwards. I won’t say I was wishing him any bad luck or anything but my heart definitely slowed a little once he missed.”
With a 54-hole total of 5-under 211, the 51-year-old Irishman picked up his second win in the United States and his first as a senior.
Aside from taking home the trophy, Lyons’ favorite part of the week? The Southern hospitality shown by Cartersville Country Club and their volunteers.
“Hats off to everybody at Cartersville. The staff, the volunteers…the welcome we received was unbelievable and the golf course is really so well presented. The greens were amazing. It was a great week all-around.”