The Bank Holiday weekend past more or less completed the Pitch & Putt season for 2023 at county and national level as despite both Tralee and Deerpark failing to reach the Top 4 in the National Inter Club Finals last Saturday, the County Board finally got their Paul O’Sullivan Scratch Cup played after its postponement back in September.
88 players took part in Deerpark on Monday in a 36 hole event as National Senior Mens Strokeplay Champion Stephen Shoer from Riverdale in Nenagh was the Senior Mens winner with a total of 16 under par. That was two shots clear of Tralee’s Jason O’Regan on 14 under as he claimed second by one shot from Deerpark’s Damien Fleming. The Back 18 prize in this section went to Tralee’s Jamie Blake meanwhile with a score of 10 under par.
Father and son claimed the Intermediate and Junior A Mens events as Deerpark’s Gearoid Cronin won a second Scratch Cup for the year on home turf adding this event to the club event he won back in May. His 10 under par total was one clear of Brian Barry from the St Annes club in Cork who claimed second in this section on countback from Deerpark’s Adam Kelly who won the Back 18 prize on Back 6 from his club-mate Ger Casey.
In the Junior A event Gearoid’s son Nathan won his first county competition as an adult player with a two under par total that gave him a two shot win from Tralee’s Mark Lucey on level par with a level par second 18 also giving Deerpark’s Paddy Murphy the other prize in that category. The Junior B Mens meanwhile was won by Tralee’s Jerry Lee with nine over par, two ahead of Deerpark’s Jason O’Connor in second.
The Ladies saw Collins’ Sarah O’Neill from Cork win the 0-10 section with one over par, 10 ahead of Rocklodge’s Paula Nolan. The 11-18 grade meanwhile was won by Tipperary’s Elaine Quinn on eight over par as Limerick’s Margaret O’Donovan finished second. Our thanks to everyone who played on Monday as well as our Competition Secretary Christy O’Mahony on running things. Our thanks once more to Deerpark on taking the event on short notice, the course was in magnificent condition and their hospitality was great on the day.
On Saturday at the National Inter-Club Finals in St Bridgets in Kildare, Tralee were denied a chance for the bronze medal match only on countback as they finished level after the Scotch Foursomes and Singles with St Patricks of Enniscorthy. That meant that they finished the tournament in fifth overall with Deerpark finishing just behind them in sixth place.
There is one final event to officially end Pitch & Putt Ireland’s season this weekend, a novel Ryder Cup style match between Leinster and Munster based on the Top 12 Mens rankings for both provinces in the official national rankings. Deerpark’s Damien Fleming finished the year as Irish No 1 one more (fourth time in five years) as Tralee’s Jason Cregan’s Munster Matchplay win back in May helped him finish 19th in the Irish rankings and eligible for Munster selection also.
Both will head to McDonagh in Kildare this Saturday for the event which is being held in aid of Temple Street Children’s Hospital. We wish both the very best of luck and encourage anyone interested in making a donation to the charity to do so through the fundraising page Pitch & Putt Ireland have set up.
