We had a very busy day on the course today.
First out at 13.50 were Peter Anderson’s Junior Foursomes v Killiney. After a slow start, our home team of Dylan Holmes & Toby Murphy took control on the back nine and a wonderful iron shot into the sixteenth by Toby kept the home pair at 4 up and with the away team all square at the same point in Killiney Greystones were dormie four up. In the end, a half on the seventeenth for Dylan & Toby, added to by a win on their seventeenth for our away pairing of Jamie Anderson & William O’Riordan gave the team a comfortable enough win.
Our Junior Cup team, managed by Brian Frawley & Ray Crotty (allegedly the youngest ever senior team manager in the club’s history !) had put a lot of preparation into their Junior Cup team who were playing Lucan. Their hard work and the very talented squad they selected paid dividends this afternoon. There was a delay to the start of the match in Lucan and so our home matches were ahead.
First out was Kenny Lewis who settled into the match after the first few of holes and won the ninth to turn all square. On the back nine Kenny showed his class and won his match 4&2.
Second out was Alan Keane with the very experienced Collie Dunne on the bag. Alan was assured from the off and was five up walking down the lane to the tenth. The first four holes on the back none were halved before Alan closed the match 6&4 with a win on the fourteenth.
Our third home man, Diarmaid MacGabhann also got off to a flyer, and was also well in control at four up after nine. His opponent was a tough character and got the match back to two up for Greystones after thirteen. The highly experienced Diarmaid was resolute however and wins on the fifteenth and sixteenth closed his match 4&2 and sealed the tie for Greystones.
Away from home, Cian Gilmore and Brian Frawley were two up and one down through eleven respectively when they were called in.
Our final men’s team out were Jim Wood’s and John Burke’s Pierce Purcell team. Jim and John had put a huge amount of effort into preparing this strong team for today. First out were Michael McGrath & Gerry Browner who didn’t loose a hole in their 6&5 victory. It was hard to believe that this was Michael’s first ever club match.
Despite a bright enough early start, our second pairing of Padraig Croke & Antti Happonen found themselves in bother from the fifth hole and lost four on the trot to be three down through nine. Further losses on ten and eleven and they were five down with seven to play.
Our third home pair were Shane Power & Fergal Duffy. Much like Gerry & Michael this pair took their match by the scruff and, despite losing the seventh and eight holes still turned three up. Wins on eleven, twelve and thirteen closed the match by the same margin as the first match, 6&5.
Meanwhile away from home, our first pairing of Andy Nolan & Michael Keating found themselves two down after nine. Unfortunately they were unable to claw their way back from this and lost their match 4&3.
Behind them on the course, Michael’s son Andrew was paired with Trevor Philips. This match was nip and tuck the whole way around the course and had to be settled in the end by heading up the nineteenth.
Back home, Padraig & Antti had halved twelve to steady the ship before they then powered though the next five holes to level the match with one to play.
Alas, it wasn’t to be, Trevor & Andrew unfortunately lost the nineteenth and Padraig & Antti lost the eighteenth and the tie went to Kilmashogue by the slimmest of margins.
After the three men’s matches our Ladies took center stage with Iris Haughton’s Challenge team playing Castle. We had three matches at home and first out was Patricia Moore in her first match for the club. Patricia won the first, always a good start and traded holes with her opponent to get to the turn with nothing between the pair. Castle won the tenth but Patricia came straight back with a great win on the eleventh to remain all square.
Another rookie, Linda Walsh was out second in Greystones and was playing good golf but found herself one down on the tenth tee. Wins on ten, eleven, twelve and fourteen however, brought Linda to three up with five to play.
Our final home player was yet another debutante, Anne Browner and she put her marker down straight away with a great win on the first hole. Anne followed this with further wins on the third and sixth and, despite a couple of losses she was one up by the tenth. Anne moved ahead strongly from there and closed her match out with an impressive 4&3 win.
Away from home Regina Connaughton also impressed and lost just two holes in her match, winning 5&3.
Our final match in Castle saw Wandy Lee come up against a very strong player who ran away to a four hole lead after ten holes. Four wins on the bounce for Wendy from eleven through fourteen had the match back all square and Wendy in the ascendancy. The pair traded wins of the sixteenth and seventeenth and it all came down to the last hole where Wendy held her nerve to win her match and clinch the tie for Greystones.
Patricia was two down through fifteen while Linda was three up through fourteen when called in.
Well done to all the players and managers who pulled on the club colours today – it’s never easy.
