Incredibly, the four inter-club matches played this afternoon brought the total played so far this year to just shy of fifty …
Our Men’s Senior Cup team, managed by Karl Holmes were first out at 13.50, playing Wicklow. Karl’s team had three matches at home and two away.
First out at home and leading from the front was David Byrne and at this stage we know what to expect from him. He started fast and had a five shot lead by the tenth, not having lost a hole at this stage. David was six up after eleven and despite losses on the twelfth and fourteenth was able to close his match out 5&3 with a win on fifteen.
This was not however our first point on the board. Karl put Dylan Holmes out second this afternoon and he turned in another fine performance, three up after the front nine, wins on ten and fourteen gave him his win 5&4.
Our anchorman at home today was Shane O’Connor. Shane lost the first two holes but found his rhythm from there and had the match back to all square two holes later. He powered ahead from this point, turning three up. A loss on the thirteenth was immediately cancelled with a win on the fourteenth and when the fifteenth was halved the match was dormie.
Meanwhile, we had had a staggered start today with the Wicklow match only teeing off at 15.00. Adam Packman was first to play and a good up and down out of the bunker on the first for par earned him a half, the second was also halved in par, after a somewhat fortuitous bounce into the green for Adam’s second shot. The pair also shared the third but four and five went the way on the home player and another loss on eight and a half on the par three ninth had Adam three down heading out the country.
Behind Adam, Darren McCormack was playing steady golf. A win on the second was undone by a loss on the fifth and six and seven were also traded. Darren hit a fantastic second to the eighth hole and won the hole and repeated this on the ninth, hitting an excellent iron to five feet.
Adam was on the tenth green and Darren had teed off the same hole when word came through from Greystones that Shane had won the sixteenth to secure a 4&2 win in his match and an overall 4-1 in the tie.
Well done to Karl and all the team.
Straight after the Men’s Senior Cup our Ladies’ Senior Cup team, managed by Mary Kavanagh took to the course at 14.00 to play Arklow.
With most of her panel available, bar our girls Junior Captain Isabella who is still in a golf camp in the US, Mary was able to field her strongest team today, however given our ladies handicap range it was suspected that this was always going to be, at best, a learning curve.
As it turned out however the progress that has been made within the ladies section over the years is starting to bear fruit and the match turned out to be far from a dead rubber.
Aishling Marmion was back in action after her exams and was first out at home today and was in great form. Aisling had put in a stellar performance in the Senior Cup last year and repeated the performance today, going one better however as she won a well earned point for the Greystones team. Aisling turned four up and completed her victory with a win on fourteen for an impressive 6&4 win.
1-0 Greystones
Another young player who has shown such promise and is now very much delivering, Sophie Lumley, was out after Aishling. Sophie lost the ninth to turn just one behind her Arklow opponent. She found herself two down after the eleventh but bounced straight back, winning the twelfth. The game ebbed and flowed a bit from there with a win for Arklow on thirteen and for Sophie on fifteen to have Arklow just one ahead heading for the sixteenth.
Our final player at home was the talented Shauna Seifried who emulated the Lady Captain’s win in the Challenge Cup on Friday winning by an outrageous margin of 9&7, not having lost a single hole.
2-0 Greystones
Mary had sent her more experienced players to Arklow. Mary Hutch was first out playing a five handicapper in a flat match.
After Mary, Jennifer Moore was our final match away. Jennifer was also in a tough battle as she was matched against a seven handicapper, again with no shots being given.
Both away players acquitted themselves very well, Mary turned three down but was playing well and was back to two down by the thirteenth. Losses on thirteen and fourteen and it looked like Mary’s day was done but she played the next three really well and won all three to get the match back to just one down playing eighteen. Unfortunately for Mary her great work was undone when she lost the last to give Arklow their first point of the day.
2-1 Greystones
Jennifer started slowly, losing the first three before bouncing back with a win on four and she turned two down. She got the match back to all square after twelve but local knowledge came to the fore over the next two holes and despite a great win on the fifteenth the Arklow player had just too much and won the sixteenth to close the match 2&1.
2-2
Meanwhile back in Greystones Sophie who was up against a player with a much lower handicap came undone on the sixteenth and seventeenth to lose her match 3&1.
Congratulations to Mary and all the players who put in such a great performance today. Arklow may have won but they knew that they were in a match.
And then it went from Senior to Minor. Regina Barry put out a strong Minor Cup team to play Ballinascorney in the first round of this competition.
Helen Creedon got the match underway at home and was in great form today. Helen was two up after four but her opponent changed gear from the sixth to the tenth at which point Helen was two down. She got her nose back in front however by the fifteenth with three wins from four holes. A loss on fifteen squared the match once more but Helen made a great par for a win on the sixteenth. One up with two to play…
Second out was Aine O’Rourke who has been performing well for various teams so far this year. It was a case of once more with feeling today, as Aine got to two up through the first nine before hitting the pro button on the back to win her match and get a point on the board for Greystones with a 5&3 win.
Bringing up the rear at home this afternoon was Michelle Knapp. Michelle was in a tough match but had edged ahead by one after nine. She lost ten but from there Michelle made few errors and a win on the sixteenth was enough to win her match 4&2 after an excellent performance.
In Ballinascorney, Joyce Kirwan was first out and there was a very evident home course advantage today, it wasn’t to be Joyce’s day as she faced a really strong local player. Ballinascorney got their first point on the board with a win on the thirteenth.
Regina picked Ann Clarke to play the anchor role away from home and once again Ann was up against a good player with good local knowledge. Ann was three down after five but fought back to level the match after eight however as the match headed into the back nine it was all Ballinascorney and they won their second point on the fourteenth.
With the match now at two all it was coming down to Helen’s match. Helen’s one hole lead was gone after getting into trouble off the tee and the pair headed to the eighteenth with the whole tie now in the balance.
On eighteen Helen hit a great drive and it was the Ballinascorney player’s turn to find trouble off the tee. Helen found the left edge of the green in three and hit a great putt from there to the pin which was bottom right today and her bogey putt missed narrowly – in for a six which was matched by her opposition.
On to nineteen and nerves were jangling. On nineteen Ballinascorney, hit a good shot but misclubbed and went to the back of the green with the pin at the front. Helen’s tee shot came up just short right – an excellent miss under the circumstances. The Ballinascorney player hit a decent putt from where they were but it ran passed the hole leaving themselves an eight footer back. Helen hit a brilliant putt which was conceded for a par and when Ballinascorney missed their eight footer the match and tie was settled.
A great win for Regina and her team.
Our final match today was that of Deirdre Ahern’s Carton Cup team who played their home leg of their match against Kilmashogue, their away leg was to have been played earlier this month but had to be postponed till the 28th of this month due to a waterlogged course.
For the most part this would have been these players’ first chance to play inter-club matchplay and while the result might not have been as they would have hoped, all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Deirdre’s team, for this nine hole competition, was lead out by Pauline Short Foley who played well and was well in contention until losing the sixth and seventh with the match finishing 3&2.
Second out was Mary Nohilly who lost the first three holes but responded brilliantly by winning the next three to level the match. Unfortunately Mary fell foul of the seventh and also lost the eight to lose her match 2&1.
After Mary, Avril O’Farrell was next to play. Avril also found herself three down through three but won the sixth to get the deficit back to two. The seventh was halved but, like Mary, Avril unfortunately lost the eighth for a 3&1 loss.
Fourth out was Fiona Tilson who was one ahead after three but it was all Kilmashogue from there with their player playing really well and getting whatever rub of the green that was going to finish the match 3&1.
Fionnuala Meehan was the last Greystones player to head for the first tee box this afternoon. Fionnuala was down early in her match, having lost the second and third holes but played the fifth great for the win. The sixth was halved but Fionnuala lost seven and a half was enough for Kilmashogue to finish the match 2&1.
Some excellent play today from Deirdre’s team – onwards and upwards.
