TJ Dowling Grabs Grand Prix Glory

TJ Dowling has won the Gerry Stokes Grand Prix after a 4-0 victory over Brendan O’Donoghue at the Ivy Rooms on Sunday.

The reigning national champion dominated the final against the top seed to collect his second senior ranking event of the campaign.

The success means that Dowling, O’Donoghue, and Michael Judge have equally shared the six points tournaments this season ahead of the former’s defence of the National Championship.

Dowling reached the final with a hat-trick of straightforward whitewash triumphs before a 4-2 defeat of Mark Tuite in the last four.

O’Donoghue met more resistance, particularly in the last 32 when he required all five frames in dispatching of young talent Shane Bates, before a semi-final 4-2 win over Johnny Farrell.

However, the former professional could not add to the trophies he collected in the Barracks Classic and Irish Masters as Dowling closed the gap at the top of the rankings in comprehensive fashion.

Judge, meanwhile, suffered an early defeat for the second successive event as he was beaten in the last 16 3-0 by Rodney Goggins, who compiled a 101 in the competition.

The Grand Prix was a disappointing conclusion to the season’s regular events as just 37 competitors turned up to compete.

The campaign heads now towards its climax with the National Championship taking place at the end of April and start of May.

Click here to view the Grand Prix draw.