Monday 17th August
Our Cullen Cup team hosted Newbridge in the second leg of the competition semi final yesterday. Team managers Michael Keating and Mary Hutch team had come away with a 3-2 advantage after the first round last week but still needed a 3-2 win at home to avoid a playoff. First blood went to the home team with Emma Hanley & Diarmuid MacGabhann winning 6&5 after a relentless display of good golf. Quickly after this good news our first match of Polly O’Reilly & Shane O’Connor lost 3&2 in a match where they were giving 6 shots. Ciara Marmion & Barry Davis were giving 6 shots also but played very solidly and brought the next point our way with a 3&2 victory. 2 – 1 to Greystones. Trish Sheil & Walter Gilbert were under the cosh from the off and were 2 down through 13. They won 14 but were giving shots on 15 & 17. Halves on 15 & 16 followed by a fantastic win on the 17th had them all square on the 18th tee. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and the Newbridge team won the 18th with a par. 2 all with one match on the course. Geraldine O’Shea & Eddie Lonergan were 1 up on the 18th tee after a see-saw match. Newbridge won the 18th and the 19th was halved in pars. Newbridge held a great putt on the 20th to win the match and bring a tie play off into effect. Polly O’Reilly & Shane O’Connor were our first pairing on the day and as such it fell to them to settle the match. Giving shots on the 2nd & 3rd Shane knew he would have to hit a good shot on the 1st playoff hole. Shane struck a fantastic 7 iron to around 15 feet and when Newbridge missed left it looked good for the home team. Newbridge hit a poor first chip shot and Polly rolled the Greystones putt to around 2 1/2 feet which Shane holed for a par and a great win. The final will be played in Baltinglass on Sunday 30th August.
