Pitch & Putt Ireland2019 National 0-55's Strokeplay & U-16 Matchplay Facts & Figures
A look at some stats from ESB & Deerpark
John Manning takes a look at some stats from both the National O-55’s Strokeplay and National U-16 Matchplay the weekend before last.
National O-55’s Strokeplay
Ladies
- Margaret Hogan becomes the third multiple winner of the National Ladies O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship (joining Sheelagh Elmes and Mairead O'Toole on that particular list) 40 years since she completed her National Ladies Strokeplay Championship treble. Margaret has been winner twice, second once and third once in the National Ladies O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship.
- National Matchplay champion Mary Murray has been National Ladies O-55 Intermediate grade Strokeplay Champion as well as National Ladies O-55 Senior grade Strokeplay Champion and Runner-Up, all inside the last four years.
- The National Ladies O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay championship went to a play-off for the third time in history. It was the first play-off in the Championship to require sudden death.
- 2016 champion Breda White took third place in the National Ladies O-55 Senior grade Strokeplay championship on the course where she also finished third in the 2017 Munster Ladies Strokeplay Championship and took the 2013 Munster Matchplay title.
- Maree O’Toole achieved her fourth consecutive podium finish in the National Ladies O-55 Strokeplay Championship – Senior grade Runner-Up (2016), Intermediate grade Winner (2017), Senior grade Runner-Up (2018) and Senior grade Best Nett (2019).
- 2013 Munster Mixed Foursomes winner Frances Ryan progresses from third place in the National Ladies O-55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay Championship last year to be the 2019 National Ladies O-55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay Champion, building on her success with Lakeside in the National Ladies Inter-Club last October.
- Patsy O’Donovan maintained her uncanny record in All Ireland Ladies championships in 2019. Already Runner-Up in the National Ladies Matchplay Nett Cup at Rocklodge and in the National Ladies Intermediate Strokeplay championship at St. Bridgets, Patsy finished second in the National Ladies O-55 Intermediate grade Strokeplay Championship. Patsy has now been second twice and third once in the Over 55 Championship in the last five years.
- Another player with an outstanding record in the Ladies O-55 Strokeplay championships is Margaret Forde. Junior Champion at Collins in 2012, Margaret has now been third twice in the Intermediate category as well as picking-up the Intermediate Best Nett 12 months ago.
- It was Patsy second and Margaret third for the second time at the National Ladies O-55 Intermediate grade Strokeplay championship. The pair previously filled those positions at Old County four years ago.
- Mary Fullam captured National Ladies O-55 Intermediate grade Strokeplay Championship Best Nett 13 years after she was crowned National Ladies Junior Strokeplay Champion at Portmarnock.
- Margaret O'Donovan becomes the first player from Bruff to win a National Ladies O-55 Strokeplay Championship and is the first player to win the Munster Ladies Junior Strokeplay Championship and the National Ladies O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay championship in the same season.
- Anne Sweeney’s Runner-Up placing represents the best result by a defending Champion since 2013 title holder Margaret Clear retained her crown at Gaeil Colmcille in 2014.
- Nuala McNamara finished third in the National Ladies O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship 15 years since she occupied the same position in the inaugural Intermediate grade equivalent and three years since she captured bronze at the National Ladies Junior Strokeplay Championship at St. Stephens.
- Gabrielle Sweeney won the Best Nett prize at National Ladies O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship 12 years since she was Runner-Up in the same event at St. Patricks.
- St Bridgets supplied the silver medallist in the National Ladies O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship for the second time-in-a-row and for the third time in all. St. Bridgets players have also won on three occasions.
Gents
- Patsy Farrell becomes the first player from Munster to win the National Gents O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship since the late Marty Fawl in 2004. All this 22 years after he helped Limerick to second in the Inter-County and 27 years since he and Phil McNamara were second in the National Mixed Foursomes.
- Patsy and Pacelli Darcy delivered the first Munster 1-2 in the history of the National Gents O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship.
- Pacelli Darcy is the first player to be runner-up to a club-mate in the National Gents O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship since Tom Mason was second behind Loughlinstown colleague Pat Kelly at Collins in 2012.
- Frank Ryan’s performance was the best by a defending National Gents O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay champion since 2008 winner Pat Greene finished second a year later at Tullamore.
- 2015 Intermediate winner Tony Carroll’s return of 93 is the second best ever winning score in the relatively new nett category at the National Gents O-55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship.
- John Tett is the fifth Cork player in history to win the National Gents O-55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay Championship and the second from the Raffeen Creek (formerly Pfizer) club to do so.
- John O’Grady is the first player to finish Runner-up to a club-mate in the history of National Gent’s O-55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay Championship.
- Building on his nett success in the Cork O-55s event at Bishopstown earlier in the season, Pat Haugh becomes the first Majestic player to attain a podium position in the history of the National Gents’ O-55 Strokeplay Championships.
- 2017 Cork Junior Matchplay Champion Michael Bransfield’s 91 is the best ever winning score in the National Gent’s O-55 Intermediate Strokeplay Championship Nett section.
- Gerry Doyle won the National Gents O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship eight years after he was Runner-Up in the Intermediate grade equivalent.
- Gerry is the second successive winner of the National Gents O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay championship to represent a Kildare club. It was a Kildare winner for the fourth time in all (the highest of any county).
- Michael Kenny narrowly failed to emulate Ferbane club-mate PJ Dunne, who won the only other play-off in National Gents O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship history (against Billy Hamilton in 2009).
- Former National Competition Secretary Paddy Browne claimed third spot in the All Ireland Gents O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship over a decade on from his successful stint as an international team manager (leading Ireland to the 2005 and 2007 European Team Championship titles).
- Stephen Ashcroft ensured a National Gents O-55 Junior Grade Strokeplay Championship Nett winner from a third different province (after wins by Cloghogue’s Finbarr Oakley in 2017 and McDonagh’s Sean Crowe in 2018).
National U-16 Matchplay
- Glenn Towler becomes the first multiple winner of the National Boys’ Matchplay Championship. The St. Annes player has contested the Semi-Finals (record W2 L2) of the Championship in every year of its existence.
- Shea Fennell reached the National Boys’ Matchplay Championship final for the second successive year.
- Leinster Boys 14-15 Strokeplay Champion Dylan Hudson made the Championship Semi-Finals for the second time.
- Jack Buckley narrowly failed to emulate Evan Carry’s feat of winning both the National U-16 Matchplay Championship and Plate.
- Eoin O’Riordan Looney became the second player in history to win the National U-16 Matchplay Plate on his home course.
- David Murray ensured a Cork presence in the Plate Final for the third successive year.
- Jack Mullins adds a National U-16 Plate Semi-Final slot to his National Boys’ Strokeplay 10-13 title two years ago and last year’s Runners-Up finish in the National Boys Strokeplay.
- Joey McCarthy made the National Boys Matchplay Plate Semi-Finals on the same course where he made the Semi-Finals of the Munster Matchplay Plate in 2018.
Tomorrow: John will take a more statistical look at both the Munster and Leinster Inter-Counties ahead of the 2019 staging this weekend. We will begin tomorrow with Leinster.
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