We had a busy day on the course today with four teams attempting to progress to the next round of their respective competitions.
First out were our Ladies Junior Cup team who faced an uphill battle with three away matches to a traditionally very strong Dun Laoghaire team. This year has witnessed a sea change with three girls from our junior ranks joining the junior cup panel. Manager Mags Smith elected to play Aishling Marmion and Isabella Stewart at home, hopefully as bankers, with both girls is great form this season. Aishling played exceptionally well and was unrelenting, running out 5&3 and putting our first point on the board. Isabella’s match was a very much tighter affair and she turned as she began, in a flat match. The back nine was equally tight and it took a Dun Laoghaire win on seventeen to take the match to the eighteenth, once again all square. A half on eighteen and the girls headed back up the lane to the first to try to settle the match.
Away from home Mags had a mixture of youth and experience. Marguerite Hamill lead the way, playing well but unable to quite match her opponent in the middle of the front nine which lead to a three hole deficit after nine. It was always going to be a tough one from there and so it turned out to be, Marguerite eventually loosing out by a margin of 4&3 and leveling the match at one all.
Our number three out in Dun Laoghaire was another of our juniors, Sophie Lumley. Although Sophie was one down through nine she played exceptionally well on the back nine to close out her match 3&2.
Our deciding match was Jennifer Moore who was out number two in Dun Laoghaire. Jennifer didn’t get into her stride right away and turned one down. A big push however early on the back nine reversed this and more for Jennifer and she moved to two up after fourteen. Despite a fight back from Jennifer’s opponent she held on for a one up win and the match.
Isabella was called in on the nineteenth.
Congratulations from all involved in the team.
Our second match out was a quarter final of the Barton Cup, managed by Colm Mulcahy and Eddie Lonergan. Colm had some re-arrangements to make this morning when Chris Boylan missed a flight back from the US but thankfully had a good pool of substitute pairings to pick from. We had three matches at home against Courtown.
First out at home were Diarmaid MacGabhann and Declan Murray who had to fight very hard on the front nine just to stay in touch with their opponents, turning one down. The back nine did little to ease their pain and they ended up dormie four down. A win on the fifteenth only delayed the end of the match with a half on sixteen being enough for Courtown to put the first point on the board. Our third pair at home were Martin Nolan and John Egan. Turning one down Martin and John imposed themselves on the match on the back nine and closed out it out 3&2.
Away from home in Courtown, our first match of Gavin Nolan and Ben Crowley were late call ups this morning and boy were the management team glad that they were able to call on them. The pair played great from the off and were four up through six holes. From there it was a matter of getting over the line which they did, winning their match 4&2. Our second away pair of Peter Anderson & Toby Murphy were fighting hard but unfortunately the golfing Gods were not on their side today and they were two down after ten. Despite wins on the thirteenth and fourteenth this match went Courtown’s way 2&1.
So, as so often happens it came down to the odd match to settle the tie. Second out in Greystones today were Dave Kirby and Jamie Anderson who stormed out of the traps to establish a four hole lead after just seven holes. Eight was halved but when Courtown eagled the ninth they seemed to get a shot in the arm and they went on to win the tenth and eleventh holes also to reduce their deficit to just one hole. Both teams were in trouble off the tee on twelve but the Greystones pair managed their game better to walk off the hole with a bogey and a win to stem the tide. Despite another blip on the fourteenth the pair managed their way in, winning the sixteenth and and good long range lag putt by David on the seventeenth was enough to win the match 3&1 and the tie 3:2.
Congratulations to all involved in the Barton today.
Third out today were our Ladies Challenge Cup team who played Coolattin. We had three matches at home and this home advantage proved vital today in the end. Our away players of Wendy Lee and Regina Connaughton were unlucky not to earn an away point, Wendy loosing narrowly on the nineteenth and Regina loosing on the eighteenth, both ladies having played very well.
At home, manager Iris Haughton selected Anne Browner, Orla Rush and Grace Dodd to play and all three ladies came up trumps. Anne’s match was tight but she got over the line 2&1, Orla won fourteen, fifteen and sixteen to win 3&2 while Grace had full control of her match to win 4&2.
A great win and the team now moves to the semi finals of the Leinster region.
Our final team out today was the All Ireland Fourball, managed by Gerry Browner. Gerry had perhaps the toughest of the ties today with three away matches to Castle.
Away from home, Ally Taylor & Declan Murphy lead the charge followed by Gerry Browner & John Forde with Michael McNaughton & Conor Lucey (who was drafted in this morning as a late replacement) bringing up the rear. Castle is a tricky golf course and it didn’t suit our players today with all three pairs loosing the away matches.
Our home pairs of Andrew Keating & Chuck Tarter and Michael McDonnell & Colm Drew played well and were both up in their matches when called in.
Hard luck to the Gerry and his panel.
