Pitch & Putt Ireland2016 National Mixed Foursomes Preview
A look ahead to Saturday in Riverdale
59 Pairs are entered for tomorrow’s National Mixed Foursomes in Riverdale. Communications & Press Officer Jason O’Connor takes a closer look at the field in this preview.
NENAGH plays host to the last edition of the Brophy Brothers Builders sponsored National Mixed Foursomes with defending champions from last year in Collins, Mary and Alan Daly of St Stephens back to defend their title. They will play alongside local pair and recent Second 18 prize-winners from the Munster event in Tralee in the form of Margaret and Dean Courtney who are one of five pairs from the host club entered for the event. They include Catherine Dunne and Seamus Gleeson, Margaret Clear and Damien Long, Margaret Forde and Peter Dunning along with Liz Forde and Donie McCleverty.
They will tee-off in the first of two shotgun starts tomorrow (9.30am and 12.30pm) as some recent prize-winners from the provincial competitions and last year’s National are featured amongst the field. Last year’s National Runners-Up Lisa O’Connor and Tony Blake from Tralee finished second at the recent Munsters on home turf and will tee-off in the second session alongside Veronica O’Neill and Brian McCabe from Ratoath. Veronica is a former winner of this event, stretching back to 1995 in another Tipperary course Lakeside where she won alongside Dara O’Neill. The winners from Tralee, Lakeside’s Elaine Quinn and Mick Fennell will tee-off in the first session alongside Niamh and Jerry O’Donovan from Collins who were amongst the prizes last year in Collins. Gross Prize winners from Munster Paula Nolan and Hugh Cooney from Ballinlough will be in action alongside Lakeside’s Frances Ryan and Martin McCormack with Rocklodge’s Mary Murray reunited with John Tracey after winning the First 18 in the Munsters with Garret O’Mahony.
In terms of Leinster, the runners-up from Lucan will be in action as McBride’s Audrey Donnelly and Padraic Sarsfield tee-off alongside Catherine Fox and Desmond Radburn from Glenville in the second session. St Bridgets Chrissie Byrne is also playing tomorrow after winning the Gross prize in the Leinsters but Derek O’Toole from the Kilcullen club is her playing partner tomorrow in the absence of Darren Keogh. After sharing the Second 18 prize with Niamh and Jerry O’Donovan last year, Kilbeggan pair Dina Carton and Michael Cunningham tee-off in the first session alongside Kathleen Shanley and John Fitzgerald from Hillview. After winning the 2014 National in Ringcommons, Catherine McCreevy and William Sheridan tee-off with a Ringcommons pair this year in the form of Theresa Mulcahy and Michael Keegan. William has already regained the National Seniors title he won in 2014 this year and will hope it’s a good omen ahead of tomorrow. Laytown’s Ann and Paddy Bird have featured amongst the prizes in recent Mixed Foursomes events and both provincial and national level and they tee-off tomorrow alongside another Ringcommons pair in Laura Murphy and Jack O’Connor.
Tipperary, as the host county, has a decent entry with five Hillview, four Lakeside and one entry from Tipperary Hills to go with the five entered from tomorrow’s hosts. Some other pairs to look out for tomorrow include 2013 Leinster Mixed Foursomes winners Mary Farrell and Martin Reilly from Gaeil Colmcille, the 2015 victors of the same competition in Tullamore’s Christine McCarthy and Jimmy Scanlon along with Josie McCormack and Anthony Maher of Lakeside, Mary and Patrick Quinn from Lakeside as well, Jacinta Nugent & Eddie Tuohy from Tipperary Hills, Sarah O’Neill and Finbarr Looney from Collins, Margaret & William O’Donovan from Bruff, Esther and Patrick Martin from Ryston and Bernie Dunne and Liam Sherry from St Bridgets.
As is regularly pointed out this is a tough format that requires a lot of patience and skill for those who want to succeed as it is a format where mistakes will inevitably happen with alternative tee-shots. Whoever copes best with these could well be the ones to come out on top and receives the Sean Coyne Memorial Cup come tomorrow afternoon.
We wish all those travelling to Nenagh tomorrow the very best of luck and a safe journey. Updates will be available on the PPUI website but please note that due to the Shotgun Start format they will be less frequent as at some of our other events.
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