After the disappointment of the Leinster Under 15 Team Championship being abandoned at the quarter final stage with us still in it last year, this year’s event has taken on a bigger significance, particularly as this is the last year for many of our current squad. Today saw the team face Esker Hills in the semi final – Paul Dunne’s home club versus Shane Lowry’s home club.
Away from home we had Dylan Holmes & Jack McGovern teeing it up for us while at home we had Jamie Anderson, William O’Riordan and Marc Lawless in action. In terms of shots, Marc was getting four, Jack, Jamie & William each had to give four and Dylan had the difficult task of giving seven in his match.
We knew we were in for a tough day and with Marc one down through four and both William Jamie three down through six in the home matches it looked like we were in real difficulty. The Esker team looked extremely strong in all departments and were getting up and down if ever in trouble with apparent ease. Encouraging news from Esker Hills gave some hope that we might be able to knick a match away. Jack was one up after six holes and Dylan was all square through five.
Despite a couple of early three putts, Dylan played a fantastic round of golf on a tricky course and turned two up before winding the screw on the back nine for a 5&4 victory. Dylan was two under for the fourteen holes played and we now have a new definition perhaps of “knicking a match away “.
At home Marc was playing the round of his life. His wins on five, six, seven & eight steadied the ship and, despite a loss on the ninth he turned two up. He started the back nine in the same vein with wins on ten and eleven and stayed calm and in control till the 16th where a great two putt sealed the win 3&2.
Two matches in the bag for Greystones.
After his slow start, William had to work hard for a half on the seventh and followed that up with wins on eight and nine to get to the halfway stage at only one down. William was giving his third shot on the tenth hole but a solid par had him win the hole bringing the match back to all square. A poor tee shot on the eleventh gave the hole back to Esker and they were once again one up.
Jamie found himself down from the start against an opponent who gave no quarter. A win for Jamie on seven was followed by a halved eight and a loss on the ninth saw him move to the back nine at three down. A loss on the tenth, albeit while giving a shot looked ominous. A fantastic half on the thirteenth including a great up and down while stuck up against a sleeper followed by a win on the fourteenth was keeping the match very much alive however. Standing on the seventeenth tee, where he was giving a shot, Jamie was dormi 2 down but still fighting and hit a great drive up the middle.
Away from home Jack lost the seventh to go back to all square but he hit back on the eight and turned one up. Losses on ten and fourteen brought the match to one up in Esker Hill’s favour but, as usual, Jack hung in there, halving fifteen, sixteen and seventeen to be dormie one down on the eighteenth. On the eighteenth, Jack showed his strength of character to win the hole and halve his match.
While Jamie and Jack were fighting hard, William had hit the Pro button from the twelfth and won four holes on the trot. Standing on the 16th tee, William was dormie three up and hit a wonderful iron shot to fifteen feet. His Esker opponent over-shot the green and left himself with an extremely difficult up & down. As it turned out it wouldn’t have mattered as William rolled his putt to the hole-side for par and to win his match 4&2 win and secure a place in the final for the team. William was 1 under for his last five holes.
Jamie was called in from the seventeenth fairway and Jack’s match didn’t continue to the nineteenth.
A great performance from the lads and of course from the management team Peter Anderson & Karl Holmes.
Next up is the final on 26th September against Malahide.
