You wait for a bus for ages and then two come along together…
Having won the Leinster South blue pennant last Monday in Edmonstown against Bray, Peter Anderson had his players out once again this afternoon (24th July), this time competing for the coveted Fred Daly Leinster South pennant. As was the case last week our opponents were Bray but as Greystones were hosting the final it was, in effect a home draw for us today.
On paper Greystones had the stronger team but when it comes to matchplay golf, and especially in a final anything can happen.
First out today Dylan Holmes was to face the toughest match on paper with nothing to choose between him and his opponent in terms of handicap and experience. Dylan lost the first and third holes to be two down but managed to get the match back to all square by the tenth tee and took a lead for the first time with a win on ten. Holes were then halved, in this very tight match but a birdie blitz from fourteen to sixteen from the Bray player got him back ahead, dormie two up. On seventeen both players hit good drives and when Dylan’s opponent hit his second to twelve feet Dylan kept his nerve and hit his approach to eight feet and holed out for birdie and a win to keep the match alive. On eighteen Dylan split the fairway while his opposition found the trees on the left of the fairway and was to play first. He hit a good recovery shot to the edge of the green. Dylans approach shot was a little heavy and came up just short and the hole was halved in par but the match point went to Bray.
Junior Boys’ Captain Jamie Anderson was out second and got off to an excellent start, winning the opening three holes. Jamie was playing some excellent golf and gave his opponent little of no opportunity to get back into the match. At four up through nine the game looked like it would be going Greystone’s way and, with the exception of a birdie win for Bray on the fourteenth it was all Greystones with Jamie closing his match on fifteen with a 4&3 win to level the tie at 1-1.
Third out today was William O’Riordan who shot 68 in Saturday’s medal and was plainly in fine form. William’s match ran pretty close to how Jamie’s had. Will took control of his match early on, and like Jamie, he was three up after three. Also like Jamie he turned with a four hole lead and closed his match out with a win on fifteen 4&3.
One more match needed to secure the pennant but where might it come from?
Our fourth man today was Jack McGovern. Jack halved the first four holes but lost the fifth before winning the sixth with a great up and down from the bunker for par. Seven and eight were halved before two great shots from his Bray opponent found the ninth green in two while Jack was green side in three. Jack’s par wasn’t enough to half the hole and he moved to the back nine, one down. Ten and eleven were halved but a win on twelve with a birdie levelled the match once again and Jack got ahead with another win, this time with a par, on thirteen. Jack was now playing extremely well and he halved fourteen and fifteen in par. On sixteen, Jack hit a great tee shot but his opponent flew the green long right leaving himself what would be an impossible up and down – nine times out of ten. To his credit he hit a superb chip to eight feet and held the putt for a par and a half. Jack remained one up with two to play…
Our anchor player today was Toby Murphy who wasn’t quite at his best but was fighting like only Toby can. Toby had won the first, third and sixth holes but had lost the second, forth and fifth to be all square standing on the seventh tee. Seven was halved in par and on eight, Toby’s iron off the tee found the rough to the right of the fairway while his opponent had hit driver to sixty yards of the green. Toby’s second shot was heavy and come up short of the green side bunker. With his opposition having hit to fifteen feet, Toby hit a great recovery chip to six feet and held the put for par which was enough to halve the hole. This excellent half was followed up by a birdie for the win on nine and the match moved to the back nine with Toby one up. Holes ten through fourteen were halved but, with his opponent finding tree trouble on fifteen, Toby’s par won the hole and he was not two ahead with just three to play…
On seventeen, Jack’s tee shot found the long grass to the left of the fairway but his ball was found, albeit buried, while the Bray player had hit a good drive up the fairway. Jack then hit an unbelievably good shot from this heavy rough to ten feet ! His opponent was unfazed and hit a good shot also but it ran through the green and into the bunker behind the green. With Jack one up the Bray man looked like he was in trouble but he hit a fantastic bunker shot to four feet below the hole for what would undoubtedly be a par…
Toby hit a nice tee shot on sixteen to twenty feet and watched on as his opposition could only find the front left bunker. The Bray man hit a decent bunker shot to fifteen feet but failed to make the putt and Toby, having putted to three feet had this putt for his match…
Practically simultaneously, Jack held his birdie putt on seventeen to win his match and Toby knocked in his three footer to win his on sixteen.
So an overall 4-1 win for Greystones, a second Blue Pennant for the club, and the opportunity to challenge for al All-Ireland pennant in August.
Congratulations to Peter, Karl and all the team on an excellent result today.
Pics from today’s matches (24th July)
