Karl Holmes’ Darcy Trophy team put in a great shift early this morning (12th Feb) away to Woodbrook.
This was the team’s fourth outing and they travelled to Woodbrook unbeaten and knowing that a win would almost certainly secure a semi final place.
Leading the team out today was Shane O’Connor who started with a half at the par five first. Shane found the bunker off the tee and his bunker shot hit a tree with the ricochet finding the water. Shane’s drop left him with 150 yards to the pin but he hit his approach shot to two feet which was enough for an unlikely half. After that the next few holes didn’t go according plan for the Greystones man and he found himself three down after seven holes. Wins on eight and nine however, reduced the deficit to just one as they headed to the tenth tee. An excellent tee shot to the par three eleventh afforded Shane another win and it was nip and tuck from there on in with Shane getting his nose in front after thirteen by the a single hole.
Second out today was David Byrne who played his normal solid golf on the front nine to turn comfortably three up. From there it was a case of managing the match, something which David is very experienced at and his win on the fourteenth earned the team it’s first point today with a 5&4 victory. One point on the board for Greystones.
Number three out today in the singles was Niall Gaffney. Niall lost the fourth to go two down after playing a poor bunker shot by his standards from the green side bunker. He got it back to all square after eleven however, but a loss on the thirteenth put him behind once again.
Our foursomes pairings today were Adam Packman and Dave Martin, who was making his club debut, and Dylan Holmes who played alongside Jamie Anderson.
Adam and Dave made a strong start and turned in full control of the match at three up and then won three on the bounce from the eleventh to win the match 6&5. One from one for Dave and a second point on the board !
Dylan and Jamie were also playing excellent golf and had turned three up after the first nine but they were up against a very experienced opposition who fought back strongly on the back nine.
Meanwhile, Shane got a very unlucky break after a good tee shot on sixteen with his ball ending up on a downhill lie on the back of a fairway mound. This undoubtedly contributed to Shane losing the hole and going back to all square which is how the match finished after the pair halved the remaining holes. This half point brought the team tally to 2 1/2 points.
As this unfolded, Niall was chipping in on the par five sixteenth from off just the green to win the hole and square his match. Both players hit excellent tee shots on the short par three, seventeenth with the hole being halved in birdies. Two pars on the eighteenth halved the match and secured the Greystones win.
In Dylan and Jamie’s match, the Woodbrook pair had won the tenth to reduce the margin to two holes and an excellent tee shot to the eleventh for Woodbrook heaped the pressure on Dylan as he stood on the tee. The eleventh today was playing extremely difficult into a strong wind but Dylan hit a fantastic shot over the pin to also find the green. Woodbrook shaved the hole for birdie and Jamie was left with a very difficult downhill putt – he hit a magnificent putt which dropped for birdie and restored the Greystones advantage. Woodbrook then stepped up their game and won the next two holes to bring the match to just one up and it took cool heads from Dylan and Jamie to half the fourteenth and fifteenth and stay in front. Woodbrook were in trouble all the way up the par five sixteenth and Dylan’s birdie putt ensured the pair wouldn’t loose the match at dormie two up. Both pairs hit shots to eight feet on the seventeenth and both shaved the hole for birdie to complete the days golf with a 2&1 Greystones win, and an overall team victory by a margin of 4-1.
Congratulations to all involved today.
