Many congratulations to Brian Frawley, Ray Crotty, Collie Dunne and all their squad on their win yesterday afternoon( 27th August) in Youghal against an excellent Monkstown (Cork) team.
In this, the first of the quarter finals Greystones had put a strong team out in William O’Riordan, Harry Kirk, Jack McGovern, Toby Murphy and Chris Boylan.
Early in the match it looked like it could be a fairly straight forward Greystones victory however nothing could have been further from the truth as it turned out.
The golf played by all the players, from both teams today was of an exceptionally high standard. To illustrate, only one player (Monkstown) failed to par the first hole and both Toby and Chris made birdies to both go one ahead.
William came out of the traps fast after his half on the first and was four up after the front nine before winning ten to further extend his lead. He got a little unlucky on the thirteenth to lose the hole and he also lost fourteen but closed out his match 4&2 on the par three sixteenth with a par after an excellent tee shot.
Toby’s birdie win on the first was followed by two more wins on the next two holes but he stuttered a bit at this point, losing four and six before taking control of the match once again from there to secure an excellent 5&4 win, and a second point for Greystones.
Chris was in a tough game and despite winning the opening two holes found himself one down after nine but got ahead by two once more with wins on the tenth, eleventh and fourteenth holes.
Harry Kirk’s match was of an exceptionally high standard indeed and was all square through nine before Harry won ten, eleven and thirteen to move to three up.
Jack McGovern was playing very well also today but still found himself three down after the front nine, just a couple of putts that didn’t drop and couple of lucky bounces for the Monkstown man being the main differences between the two players. Jack started the back nine well, winning ten with a par before birdieing twelve and thirteen to get back to all square. Another win on fourteen saw Jack ahead for the first time in the match.
While it all looked good at this juncture for Greystones, within a half hour there was a very different complexion to the tie.
Harry’s opponent won fifteen with a par, after Harry’s approach to the small green had run off the right hand side. Another Monkstown win, this time with a birdie, on sixteen, had the match back to just one up for Greystones with two to play. A half on seventeen had Harry dormie one up and he played the eighteenth perfectly, picking up his ball for a par after a lovely approach and putt on the par four hole. His opponent had also played a good approach to fifteen feet and rolled his putt in for birdie to take the match to the nineteenth – the roar from the Monkstown crowd was probably heard in Cork, all very exciting. On nineteen, both players were on in regulation two but Harry’s first putt ran four feet past the hole and he failed to make the one back while his opponent got down in two to win the hole, and the match.
While this drama unfolded, Jack was in a bit of bother. Fifteen went to Monkstown to level the match, and sixteen was halved in pars but it was the Monkstown player who crucially got his nose back in front with a win on seventeen to go dormie one up. Jack’s approach to the back pin on eighteen ran through the green and, in the end he could only manage a half which was enough for another Monkstown win and a 2-2 scoreline overall.
At the back of the field Chris was in a tough match. He was two up with four to play after a good start to the back nine. Fifteen was halved but his opponent held a twenty footer on sixteen to reduce his lead to just one hole. Chris pulled his long approach to seventeen and found himself forty yards left with little of no green to work with while his opponent had found the left edge of the green. Chris’ pitch to four feet was magnificent but his putt to win the match slipped agonisingly by the hole and the hole was halved in par.
It all came down to the eighteenth. Both players found the putting surface in two with Chris thirty feet from the hole and the Monkstown man in to fifteen feet. Chris hit a great putt, particularly under the circumstances, to a foot and was in for his par.
After what had happened in Harry’s match, the entire gallery held their collective breath to see if Monkstown could find a second birdie on eighteen, however it wasn’t to be and the match, and the tie went to Greystones.
This was a brilliant tie with some excellent golf played by both sides.
Well done to Brian, Ray and Collie and the entire squad – a brilliant squad effort again today.
Next up is a trip to Knightsbrook on the 14th & 15th September for the All-Ireland finals.
