Pitch & Putt Ireland2019 National Inter-Club Finals Day Report
Fermoy & Riverdale win in Lakeside
John Manning reports on yesterday’s National Inter-Club Finals Day in Lakeside.
Scratch
For the fourth year in succession, Fermoy are celebrating victory in the National Pitch & Putt Scratch Inter-Club tournament.
At the excellently-prepared Lakeside course in Templemore on October 19th, Fermoy defeated Larkspur Park (Cashel) by 6-3 in an absorbing final. Fermoy won two of the three foursomes against Larkspur Park and took four singles to secure a landmark victory for the north Cork side.
Daithi Sexton received the Cup from PPI President Mervyn Cooney on behalf of the history-making Fermoy squad, which also included European Strokeplay Champion John Cahill, former Munster Matchplay Champion Declan Freeman, 2003 National Boys’ Champion Darren Quirke, 2017 Munster Intermediate Strokeplay Runner-Up Daniel Quirke, Peter O’Donovan (who adds a second Scratch medal to the Nett gong he collected in 2017), the ageless Barry Morrissey and Daniel Keohane.
Larkspur Park (captained by Shane Hoare and also including Brian Webster, Michael Kirby, Jimmy O’Neill, David White and Christopher Hickey) become the third Co. Tipperary club in a row to lose the National Scratch Final to Fermoy. In the Semi-Finals, Fermoy ran out 6-3 winners over Tralee (having claimed all three foursomes) while Larkspur Park built on a 2-1 foursomes advantage to overcome Collinstown by 6-3.
Daniel Keohane, an Inter-County winner with Cork in 2015 and former National Mixed Foursomes winner Daithi Sexton have played on all four Fermoy winning sides as have John Cahill and Declan Freeman.
Nett
After the heartbreak of consecutive final defeats in 2017 and 2018, Riverdale finally got their hands on the National Nett Inter-Club trophy.
The Nenagh men justified their favorites’ tag with a 6-3 victory over 2014 Champions St Patricks (Enniscorthy) in a high-quality decider. Riverdale’s squad of eight delivered a perfect formula of youth and experience. Father and son Sean and John Minogue teamed-up with Peter O’Brien, Sean Crowe, Michael Brophy, Ger Tuite, Seamus Gleeson and Jim McGrath.
Riverdale, who dominated this event ever since they topped the Munster Qualifying scoreboard at Bruff, led by 2-1 after the foursomes in Saturday’s Final. They then claimed four of the six singles to overcome a gallant St. Patricks line-up of Ruairi Fortune, Diarmuid Cullen, Glen Buckley, Michael Molloy, Jimmy Molloy, Neil Farrington, Colm O’Brien and John Tyrell.
In Saturday morning’s semi-finals, Riverdale beat Collins 8(3)-1(0) while St. Patrick’s were 6(2)-3(1) victors over Hillview (Clonmel).
2018 National O-55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay Champion Sean Minogue accepted the trophy on behalf of Riverdale, who become the first team from Co. Tipperary to win this particular title.
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