Another busy Sunday for our Interclub teams and a more than decent return for our Club.
First out were Tom Byrne’s Senior Cup team who took on Bray in the Semi Final of the Leinster South division. Our lads were up against a Dun Laoghaire team who many fancy to win the competition outright and in the end despite our best efforts we came up a little short. Away from home Daniel O’Byrne remained in contention for the front 9 turning 1 down but found himself 3 down after 13 and despite a win on 14 lost 3&2. At home Adam Packman came up against a very much in form Mark Nolan and his match ended 5&4. 5 down through 9 was not how Gary Dunne saw his day going but he fought on but eventually succumbed by a margin of 2&1 in Dunlaoghaire. At home Eddie Lonergan was all square through 14 and Shane O’Connor was dormie two up when called in. Hard luck to all involved.
Straight after the Senior Cup team, our Under 15’s team also took on Dun Laoghaire, this time with three matches away, in the second round of this Leinster pennant. The matches had a staggered start with the Greystones end teeing off at 16.00, an hour before the matches in Dun Laoghaire. Our home players, Dylan Holes and Jamie Anderson were giving lots of shots ( 10& 5 ) respectively and this is always a tough ask of course. Dylan played like a pro and was a couple under by the time his finished his match 5&4. Jamie’s match was a much tighter affair and while turning all square, Jamie’s opposition did little wrong and Dun Laoghaire wins on 10, 13 & 15 closed the match out in their favour 3&2. The word coming in from Dun Laoghaire was that all was tight there also in the early stages. Jack McGovern was all square through 7, Toby Murphy ( just back from a broken arm) was 5 down through 9 but Marc Lawless was 4 up at the same point. Jack hit the Pro Button and wins on 8, 9 12 & 13 had him at 3 up playing the 14th hole. Dun Loaghaire won that hole but two world class drives on 15 and 16 and Jack sealed the deal 3&2. Toby, in true Toby style, never gave up after his poor start and got the match back to one down with one to play, while Marc didn’t take his foot off the gas and closed his match out with style 4&2 to win the tie for Greystones. A great performance all around.
Our third team out was our Jimmy Bruen team who were playing the two home matches of this tie having already played the away leg on Thursday night due to fixture congestion. The heroics of Tom Byrne & Jamie Anderson on the back nine on Thursday had kept this tie alive. Alan Byrne’s team knew that nothing less than two wins would do. Our first pair out in this foursomes competition were Ray Crotty & Kieran Dowdall who, despite loosing the first hole, were 3 up through 10. That lead however had been cut to a one hole advantage by the 17th tee box. Meanwhile, our second pairing of George O’Brien & Trevor Philips played some scintillating golf from the off and never gave their opposition a chance to gain any foothold. In the end George & Trevor won 5&4 and all eyes turned to the 17th tee. Having won the 16th, Bray teed off first and hit a great drive past the fairway bunker, only to see Ray boom one up to the rough just short of the greenside water. Bray hit an excellent shot to 12 feet and Kieran dug the ball out of a terrible lie to just over the back of the green. Two good putts by each team had the hole halved in pars. Bray then hit a huge drive up the 18th and Kieran followed with a good one up the middle. It looked like the 19th might be looming when Ray tugged his approach shot slightly and ended up in the green side bunker to the left of the green and very much short sided while Bray were just short of the green on the fringe. What followed was dramatic to say the least. Kieran hit a wonderful bunker shot to 12 feet under the hole and Ray rattled it in to seal a great win for master tactician Alan Byrne’s team.
Last, but by no means least on Sunday, Gerry Browner and the Powerscout Cup team open their campaign with a home match against Woodbrook. This is a scotch foursomes event and Greystones had home advantage with three matches at home. First out at home were Michael Gaughran & Michael Whelan who turned 1 up and with good wins on 10, 13 and 15 gave Gerry his first 2021 point by a margin of 3&2.Our second pair, of John Comer & Kevin Cahill fared less well unfortunately and despite not giving up ended up loosing early. Joe Ahern & Michael O’Neill must have had somewhere to go in the afternoon as they hit the showers early ( at home ) after a 7&5 win. In Woodbrook, our first pair of Simon G. Keane & Maurice Bracken were involved in a tight match with no more than one hole separating the sides for the whole match. Any bit of luck going either way can decide such a match and in the end it fell Woodbrook’s way with a win on the eighteenth for the home team, 1 up. Two all in the tie and it fell to our final away pairing of Heber O’Farrell & Conor Ahern to try to close the match off in our favour. The lads were not found wanting and a 2&1 win for them takes us to the next round. Congratulations to Gerry and all his team.
Just a reminder that on Monday morning the Boys Under 18 Interclub team head for Royal Curragh to play in the Leinster finals of this competition. Tee off is at 9.30.
Looking forward to later this week, on Wednesday our girls head for Tulfarris G.C. to compete in the Golf Ireland Interclub event.
Best of luck to all the teams and as always you can follow the live scoring using the Live Scoring webpage which can be found by CLICKING HERE or by following the link on this website’s Home page.
