Pitch & Putt Ireland2019 Provincial Scotch Foursomes Review
Scores from Collon & St Stephens
Links for the Provincial Scotch Foursomes Scoreboards are available below
For St Stephens in Cork click below:
Munster Scotch Foursomes Scoreboard
For Collon in Louth click below:
Leinster Scotch Foursomes Scoreboard
The Collins husband and wife combination of Nicola Ahern and Morty Ahern emerged victorious in the Munster Mixed Scotch Foursomes at St. Stephen’s, Glanmire, Co. Cork today. Nicola and Morty produced eighteens of 43 and 45 for a 36 hole tally of 88 stableford points, which was good enough for a two stroke win over home club pairing Mairead Manning and Dave Towler.
Former Cork Mixed Foursomes winners Nicola and Morty fired six under par gross in compiling their winning total for the event, which was played in near perfect weather conditions on an excellently-prepared St. St. Stephen’s course. Nicola and Morty become the fourth pair from the Collins club to win the Munster Mixed Foursomes since 2005.
2018 National Mixed Foursomes winners Mairead Manning and Dave Towler scored 40 points over the first eighteen but dipped four under par in their second round of 46 points stableford. That 46 point haul in the second round for the St. Stephen’s pair was pivotal as it gave the Co. Cork couple second spot on the tiebreaker from two other teams (both from Co. Tipperary) – Catherine Dunne & Seamus Gleeson (Riverdale) and Josie McCormack & Anthony Maher (Lakeside).
Reigning National Ladies Matchplay champion Mary Murray teamed-up with her Rocklodge clubmate John Treacy to clinch Best Gross on 81 points – that’s nine under par. Mary and John thus replicate their Best Gross win at the 2015 Munster Mixed Foursomes at Lakeside.
The new Non Mixed section of the provincial foursomes represented a hugely successful day for the Deerpark club with the Killarney outfit supplying both the winners and the runners-up. Pitch and Putt Ireland Executive Officer Ger O’Connor dovetailed splendidly with clubmate Declan Kelly for a 91 points points tally, which represented nine under par gross. That saw Kelly and O’Connor home by just a single point from another Deerpark duo, Noel Moynihan and Kieran Fitzpatrick. Moynihan and Fitzpatrick led by one after the opening round but a 49 gross by Kelly and O’Connor in round two for 46 points clinched an exciting win.
2018 National Under 20 Strokeplay kingpin Eoin Keating and his Douglas colleague Evan Sheehan dominated the Non Mixed Gross category – their 16 under par 88 points giving them a comfortable cushion.
MIXED
1. Nicola Ahern & Morty Ahern (Collins) 88 points
2. Mairead Manning & Dave Towler (St. Stephen’s) 86 points (on back 18)
Best Gross: Mary Murray & John Treacy (Rocklodge) 81 points
1st 18: Vera McCarthy & Jim Ahern (Collins) 44 points (on back 9)
2nd 18: Paula Nolan & Hugh Cooney (Rocklodge) 45 points.
NON MIXED
1. Declan Kelly & Ger O’Connor (Deerpark) 91 points
2. Noel Moynihan & Kieran Fitzpatrick (Deerpark) 90 points
Best Gross: Eoin Keating & Evan Sheehan (Douglas) 86 points
1st 18: Michael Long & Ian Leech (St.Anne’s) 46 points
2nd 18: Noel Coonan & Gerard Tuite (Riverdale) 47 points
It was a marathon day of Pitch and Putt at Collon in Co. Louth but it was one of the early finishers that produced the top score of the day. John Gilsenan & Margaret Conneely of Trim were in the second group out just after nine o’clock this morning and dovetailed brilliantly for a phenomenal return of 95 stableford points to win the Leinster Mixed Scotch Foursomes by three shots.
Margaret Conneely, who was a National Mixed Foursomes runner-up with Michael Conneely at Seapoint seven years ago, and John Gilsenan gave themselves the perfect platform with an opening round of five under par gross 49 for 48 points and a two stroke lead. The impressive Co. Meath team almost matched that with their second eighteen of 47 points and their victory is the first for Co. Meath in this event since Newtown’s Yvonne Carney & Daniel Carney won at Castletown back in 2006.
Former Leinster Strokeplay champion Pat Greene & Ann Ward of Seapoint signed for eighteens of 45 and 47 and the Termonfeckin team’s total of 92 secured runners-up slot on the second eighteen from Peter O’Toole & Angela Owens (Trim) and by just one stroke from their clubmates Colin Campbell & Jan Mooney.
John Donnelly & Mary Agnew (Collon) produced an impressive 98 (-10) to capture the Best Gross award for the home club pair on 82 points.
Jonathan McCabe and Jimmy Burke of Navan led the Non Mixed classification by two at the halfway stage following their opening 47 and continued to top the leaderboard after handing in their second round 45.
A number of pairs came close but none could overhaul the Navan double act. Gareth McLoughlin & Stephen Behan (Laytown) trailed by five points in the Non Mixed after their opening 42 on the first-rate Collon track. However, an outstanding eight under par gross 49 points second round saw them post an aggregate of 91 points to take second spot on the Back 18 countback from another Navan pairing - Cliff O’Brien and Brian Daly who fired 46 and 45 for their 91 total. But Jonathan McCabe and Jimmy Burke’s four under par gross tally whilst receiving eight shots takes the inaugural title.
Louth Inter-County player Barry Thornton teamed-up with his McBride clubmate Mark Donnelly for a 15 under par 87 points return to take Best Gross laurels by two from the left hander Paul O’Rourke (Dunshaughlin) playing with Anthony Carroll (Royal Meath).
MIXED
1. John Gilsenan & Margaret Conneely (Trim) 95 points
2. Ann Ward & Pat Greene (Seapoint) 92 points (on back 18)
Best Gross: Mary Agnew & John Donnelly (Collon) 82 points
1st Session: Peter O’Toole & Angela Owens (Trim) 92
2nd Session: Abby Whelan & Koe Whelan (McDonagh) 87.
NON MIXED
1. Jonathan McCabe and Jimmy Burke (Navan) 92 points
2. Gareth McLoughlin & Stephen Behan (Laytown) 91 points (on back 18)
Best Gross: Mark Donnelly & Barry Thornton (McBride) 87 points
1st Session Cliff O’Brien and Brian Daly (Navan) 91
2nd Session: Leo Gibney & John Byrne Junior (Bellewstown) 90.
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