GOLF: McGeady wins SWALEC Wales Challenge

Ireland's Michael McGeady won the SWALEC Wales Challenge in the Vale Hotel Golf & Spa Resort yesterday when defeating overnight leader Sweden's Joel Sjoholm at the 2nd hole of a sudden-death play off.

McGeady's final round of a four under par 68 ensured his place in the play-off. The winning cheque of €22,400 saw him jump 125 places to 34th in the European Challenge Tour Rankings. This gives him an excellent chance of obtaining a European Tour Card for 2009, as the first twenty on the rankings at the end of the season are guaranteed their card.

After his victory Michael said "This win's massive for me- I am absolutely delighted. Those four birdies in five holes on the back nine really got my round going and from there on I just tried to play steady golf because I knew four under would have a chance- and so it proved.

It's a big relief for me, because my category did not guarantee me entry into every event. But now, I am fully exempt for the rest of the year, which means I can pick and choose the tournaments I play in. So it's really set up my season.

I am going to relax at home for a couple of days before getting ready for the Challenge of Ireland in Glasson next week".

Gareth Maybin continued his recent good form by finishing joint third, one stroke behind McGeady and Joel Sjoholm and is now in 15th place in the Challenge Tour rankings.

Both Michael and Gareth received an allocations from the Team Ireland Golf Trust in 2008- Michael €12,500 and Gareth €15,000. The Team Ireland Golf Trust is a public private partnership designed to provide support, both financial and non-financial, to emerging Irish professional golfers to help them realize their potential on the world stage.

Golfers on the scheme have access to the sports science and medicine network already provided by the Irish Sports Council to high performance athletes on the International Carding Scheme. Access to these services is administered by the National Coaching and Training Centre in Limerick.

Since 2006 golfers supported by the Trust are able to freely access the Golfing Union of Ireland's new National Academy facilities at Carton Demesne in Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

For Further Information: www.europeantour.com