Two teams played this afternoon (16th July), both in semi finals of their respective competitions.
First out were Regina Barry’s Minor Cup team who took on Woodenbridge, always a tough opposition, but with the added difficulty of having three matches away from home.
The away leg of this match teed off at 14.00 in Woodenbridge with the home matches only starting at 15.20.
First out in Woodenbridge was Janet Devin, who lost the opening two holes but got to one ahead after six after a string of three wins from the fourth. The match was levelled by the ninth tee box but Janet managed to eek out another win on nine to take a one hole advantage to the back nine and she doubled this with another win on ten.
Behind Janet, Bernie McGowan was also playing great and won the first and third holes to get to two up but then lost the fifth. The remaining holes of the front nine were halved but a win on the tenth meant that Bernie was now two to the good.
Our third player in Woodenbridge today was Ann Clarke, who also got off to a good start with a good win on the first. Ann wasn’t playing badly but struggled a little bit against a strong opponent and found herself three down at the turn.
At home, Helen Creedon lead the way and found herself under the cosh early on, being two down after just three holes. Helen had levelled her game by the sixth however and was one ahead after seven holes. The match was all square after a loss on the eighth but an excellent win on the ninth, followed by another on the tenth and Helen was two ahead.
Our last player out today in this competition was Aine O’Rourke. Aine has played an awful lot of excellent team golf this season but wasn’t quite on top form today on the front nine, and was playing an excellent opponent. Ever the competitor, Aine fought back from three down through six with wins on the eighth and ninth to be just one behind heading for the tenth tee box. The back nine began similarly to the front for Aine and all looked to be lost when losses on ten and twelve had the match at three up to Woodenbridge. Aine bounced back however, winning thirteen and fourteen in par to reduce the deficit once again.
As this was unfolding good news was arriving from the away team camp as, in fairly quick succession the matches came to a close.
Janet’s match had been two up for Greystones after ten, but it had been back and forth since that point. Woodenbridge won eleven, Greystones, won thirteen. Woodenbridge recorded another win on the fifteenth but Janet cancelled that out with a win of her own on the sixteenth to get to one up with two holes remaining. A solid performance on the seventeenth from Janet was enough to win the hole, and the match 2&1.
Bernie was one better than Janet after ten being two up on her opponent. It’s never easy of course when you are playing a strong team and Bernie lost both the eleventh and twelfth to have her match back to level. Bernie found another gear at this point however and gave her opposition little or no opportunity to win again. Greystones wins on thirteen, fifteen and sixteen finished the game with a 3&2 victory.
Ann Clarke had lost thirteen to go four down with five holes left to play, but was far from throwing in the towel. Ann won the next three, testing the metal of her opponent but it was a bridge just too far and the match was concluded on the seventeenth with a Woodenbridge 2&1 win.
So two away wins – an excellent return.
Meanwhile in Greystones, Helen’s match was now front and centre for the gallery. Helen had lost the twelfth and thirteenth and her match was back to all square. An excellent tee shot on the fourteen to ten feet after her opponent had found the drain in front of the tee box got her to one up. This was followed by another excellent par for the win on the fifteenth but when her tee shot on sixteen found the bunker to the left of the green and her opponent had found the putting surface with her tee shot, it looked like this match might go all the way. Helen’s bunker shot got just out of the bunker but her chip from there was to two feet. The pin today on sixteen was back right and the Woodenbridge player was putting from twenty feet below the hole. Her putt never made it to the upper level and came back to her, helped by the wind. Her second putt was very much better and finished four feet from the hole, however she lipped out for her four and it was never in doubt that Helen would hold her nerve and slot her bogey putt home.
Helen’s 3&2 win sealed a Greystones victory by 3.5 to 1.5, with Aine having been called in on the fifteenth.
Next up will be the Leinster South final against Beech Park (August 13th). The match will be played in Beech Park as they had offered their course for the final irrespective of who might have been playing in the final.
Well done to Regina, Orla Delaney (who looked after the home team today) and all the team, final number seven for the 2023 teams beckons !
Our Best Cup team under the guidance of Pat O’Dowd and Joe O’Brien were in action after the Minor Cup team today, when they played Newlands in their semi-final. Pat was in Newlands looking after the away leg while Joe, assisted by Killian O’Dowd were looking after the Greystones leg.
This was a game of two parts for sure today. The weather conditions had worsened considerably as the day progressed, so much so that the Newland’s course had to close due to flooding of the greens and bunkers. When the away leg was halted, George Hughes & Pat Tracey were one up after nine holes, Quentin Teggin & Dermot Whiston were five ahead of their opponents after ten holes and Joe Grennan & Emmet O’Brien were all square through nine.
While Greystones has taken a hell of a lot of water over the past three days, all the drainage work of recent years enabled the course to remain open today, which was no mean feat.
First out at home were Michael Whelan & Jim Kinsella. Michael & Jim got off to a good start despite playing against, what appeared to be two excellent players, and were two to the good by the fifth tee. This early, two hole lead was reversed by the ninth and the deficit was increased to three after another loss on the tenth. As the conditions became wetter and wetter it was the visitors who seemed to be managing them better. Greystones’ wins on eleven and twelve gave hope but a Newland’s birdie on thirteen was followed by three halved holes for the match to be dormie two up to the visitors. On seventeen Jim had hit three good shots to be just off the back of the green, but with one of the Newlands players on in two the writing was on the wall. In the end a Newlands’ three putt for a five was enough to halve the hole and for them to notch up their first point of the tie.
Behind Michael & Jim, Tom Purcell & Jimmy Hempenstall stormed, into a four hole lead after nine, having played some excellent golf. In this match, once the weather came in, it most definitely turned the advantage from Greystones to Newlands. Jimmy & Tom lost the opening two holes on the back nine but steadied the ship somewhat with an excellent half with a par by Tom on thirteen where he was giving a shot. Thirteen was also halved but a Newland’s birdie two on the fourteenth followed by another Greystones loss on fifteen got the match back to all square. Sixteen was halved with pars after two excellent tee shots found the green, ten feet fro the pin. On seventeen, all four players found the fairway and both Newlands’ men and Jimmy hit good lay up shots. Tom, who had no shot on the hole hit a poor second shot (easily done in the conditions) but hit a fantastic recovery shot from 140 yards right over the pin to five feet. Jimmy, who had a shot in the match found the bunker behind the green while both Newlands players were just off the green. Jimmy was first to play and left his ball in the bunker but held his second bunker shot for an unlikely five/nett four which was sufficient to half the hole and to take the match to the eighteenth as the light was fading. On eighteen, once again, all players found the fairway. Jimmy’s second was heavy and came up well short while one Newland’s player found the putting surface albeit it ran to the lower level with the flag on the left of the green today. Tom caught his second heavy also and was left with eighty yards to the pin while the second Newland’s man was thirty feet from the green. Tom’s approach was to fifteen feet left of the hole, Jimmy found the green side bunker with his third and was, effectively out of the hole, while the second Newland’s player hit a similar shot to Tom but was just outside him.
All down to putting now….
Newlands #1 hit a decent putt from the lower level of the green to ten feet.
Newlands #2 got caught by the speed of his putt and raced it past the hole by six feet.
Tom’s putt ran out to an uncomfortable four feet past the hole.
Newlands #2 misses and picks up for six.
Tom misses and also makes six.
Newland’s #1 misses his par putt but makes his three footer for bogey to win the hole, the match and take Newlands into a two nil lead with nine holes or so remaining when play resumes in Newlands.
