Pitch & Putt Ireland2018 National Matchplay Draws Report
Wildcards square off in Round One of Mens
2018 National Matchplay Draws from Tullamore click on the links below:
2018 National Ladies Matchplay Draw
2018 National Gents Matchplay Draw
LAST night’s National Matchplay draws in Tullamore produced some very interesting ties not least in the top half of the Mens section where not long after being announced as the two ‘wildcards’ to join the Irish European Championship team for next month in Urduna, defending champion John Ross Crangle was drawn against his Irish World Cup winning team-mate from 2016 in Eamon Gibney from Castletown in Co Meath.
Local hopeful and former National Strokeplay Runner-Up Darren O’Connell was drawn out next to face Bellewstown’s Peter Reilly while two former winners of the event also feature in the top quarter. 2016 winner Shane Murphy takes on another member of the upcoming Irish team in Bruff’s Thomas Hanley while 2012 winner Kevin McCarthy from Rocklodge will play Graham Donohoe of St Patricks. Fermoy club-mates and upcoming Irish team-mates Bryan Delaney and John Cahill find themselves in the second quarter with Delaney facing another St Patricks player in Martin O’Neill while Cahill will play Phillip Sweeney in Match 10. 2011 winner Damien Fleming plays Erins Isle’s Jason Larkin in this section as well.
Irish Strokeplay Champion Mark Millar heads the third quarter of the draw with Christopher Hickey his opponent in the First Round as former Runner-Up Eoin Walsh plays Gary Middleton in this section also. The bottom quarter sees three stand out ties meanwhile as World Strokeplay Champion Liam O’Donovan will take on Erry’s William Buckley Snr while after qualifying for the Irish team last Saturday in Larkspur Park, James Cleary will face Parteen’s Kieran Earls who wasn’t too far anyway from the top four in the overall standings last week. Last year’s runner-up and six time winner Ray Murphy meanwhile will play Lough Owel’s Dessie Baker in the last of the First Round ties to tee-off on the Saturday afternoon.
The Ladies draws meanwhile will see defending champion Portmarnock’s Ger Ward begin her bid for three-in-a-row against fellow Dubliner and last year’s Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay winner in Lucan’s Philo Condron. The reduced 16 person Gross section sees an intriguing tie in the First Round between 2014 winner Breda White of Tipperary Hills and former National Strokeplay winner Sheelagh Elmes. 2016 Runner-Up Eleanor Walsh will play Denise Pyke from the host club in the First Round as former winner and local player Margaret Hogan comes next in the draw against Old County’s Pauline Balfe. 2008 winner Tara Dillon will play Sarah Byrne of Fermoy while Chrissie Byrne (last win in 2015) plays Louise Grace in the First Round.
The new Nett section meanwhile sees a novel meeting Riverdale club-mates Margaret and Liz Forde in the First Round as former National Ladies O-55’s Junior Strokeplay winner Dina Dillon takes on Cement’s Audrey Donnelly. Former National Ladies Strokeplay winner Sarah O’Neill of Collins plays Tralee’s Lisa O’Connor as Annie Galvin from the host club will play Dora Keane of Lucan. The meeting of Catherine Dillon and Evelyn O’Gorman rounds off the First Round draw in this new event.
Click on the links above for the full draws in all three competitions.
If you wish to see the videos that were streamed on Facebook last night please have clock on the link below:
John Ross Crangle (Loughlinstown) and Eamon Gibney (Castletown) have been chosen as the two wildcards to join Bryan Delaney and John Cahill (both Fermoy), Thomas Hanley (Bruff) and James Cleary (Hillview) to present Ireland at next month's European Team Championships at Urduna.
We acknowledge the contribution of Dunnes Stores, Balon Sportswear and Paul Griffin Drain Doctor as sponsors of the team which we are especially grateful for.
Latest National News
| National Matchplay 2024 Qualifier Draws |
| 2024 Rules of Play |
| Ladies National Strokeplay accommodation |
| 2024 National Matchplay Entries |
| National Coach Stephen Enneguess - upcoming sessions |