Pitch & Putt Ireland2016 Irish Open: Day One Report
Bryan Delaney, Breda Lonergan and Pacelli Darcy lead grades overnight
Click on the above link to see how all players fared today.
Following a rain delay this morning Rocklodge proved that 70 years after its opening it can provide the viewing public and the players with proof of what an excellent course it is. We have some of the best players in the world battling it out in damp but almost perfect conditions. The First Round was to prove the bedrock for the top players to stake their claim on the 5th Irish Open.
Shane Murphy Raffeen Creek started exceptionally well and opened his title bid with a flawless -10, Hot on his heels were Bryan Delaney -9. Defending champion Eamon Gibney, Frank Dineen and Thomas Hanley Bruff all started with -8. Damien Fleming and Current Irish Strokeplay champion both opened their account with -7’s. Ray Murphy’s pitching left him down and a -4 first round left him with it all to do. John Walsh also struggled and was +3 at one stage in his round before finishing -3. In the Ladies Championship Breda Lonergan shot +1 Herma Kleinlugtenbeld and Esther De Shaft both lead on level par and Mary Murray shot an opening +6. In the Over 55 championship Pacelli Darcy, Sean Minogue and Anthony Malone all opened their account with -4’s Best Foreign player was John Fredrick Evans -2, followed by Maurits Rangkouw +2
The second round proved exceptional play of the highest standard - Bryan Delaney started in excellent form -5 for the first 7 holes could have been 2 better. He was 8 under after 10 and looked to be grabbing the championship by the scruff of the neck. Uncharacteristically his pitch on the long 11th went right and he was severely punished with a 5. But then he bounced back immediately with a 2 on the 12th followed by a hole in one on the 15th and 2’s on 17 and a great putt on 18 to post a brilliant -20 for the first 36 holes. Frank Dineen playing just behind Bryan was also striving along and a ultra-consistent -8 to post -16. Shane Murphy also started well and was -15 with 7 to play but a slower finish meant he also finished on -16.
Then the fireworks started Liam O Donovan was proving his excellence as always and a fantastic 5 birdie in a row finish leaped over the field and allowed him to finish on -18. The stage was set for Damien Fleming also including a hole in one on the ultra-difficult 7th the master of the Irish Opens (twice a winner) also finished exceptionally -12 for his second round and a -19 total has set the stage for a fantastic culmination of the event for tomorrow. Other scores of Note include a strong comeback by Ray Murphy to lie on -11 and Eamon Gibney putting up a strong defence on -12
In the Ladies event Breda Lonergan was -5 for the first 9 holes - this slipped slightly towards the end but leads the ladies event on -1 overnight from a rapidly improving Mary Murray +4. Herma +7and Esther +11 feature in the ladies event. The over 55’s is also exceptionally competitive with Pacelli Darcy on -10 and Sean Minogue on -9. Best Foreign player is a tie between John Fredrick Evans and Maurits Rangkouw who swapped scores and both lie on Level par.
All spectators and friends are welcome to Rocklodge tomorrow for what will prove to be an exceptional days play starting at 9.30am.
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