Pitch & Putt Ireland2024 Leinster strokeplay previews
By John Manning & Declan Sheedy
Leinster strokeplay 2024
John Manning explores the Gents field in Ierne this coming weekend for the Leinster strokeplay. Best of luck to all competitors.
First player off in intermediate is John Mahony (Lucan) who has harvested intermediate wins at Stackallen and R.G.S.C. Scratch Cups.
Gerry Ward (Lucan) was intermediate runner-up at Ierne eighteen years ago. Gerry plays with Michael Kehoe (Gowran), a 2018 National Inter-Club winner.
Tom McMorrow (Lucan) helped Dublin to Leinster Intermediate Inter-County glory at Royal Meath in 2019. McMorrow finished tied second in the 2012 National Intermediate Strokeplay championship at R.G.S.C., losing runners-up and third slots on the tiebreaker.
Aaron Brazil (Lucan) has won Dublin championships at intermediate and junior levels. 2017 LeinsterMatchplay semi-finalist Martin Baird (Bagenalstown) has represented Carlow with distinction in the Inter-County arena.
Pat McDermott (Lucan) is the reigning Dublin Intermediate Strokeplay champion. Pat plays with 2017 Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay champion Ruairi Fortune (St. Patrick’s).
Denny McGuinness (Cloghogue) was third in the National Over-55 Strokeplay championship at Cloghogue in 2017 just as he was in junior at Lakeside in 2010.
Dan Power (St. Patrick’s) was a 2022 Leinster Inter-County winner with Wexford and a 2023 EamonnBirchall Trophy victor with the Model County.
Current National Junior Strokeplay kingpin Kyle Thornton (Killineer) collected a Leinster Inter-County winners medal with Louth last year. Kyle partners 2008 Leinster Juvenile Strokeplay champion Richard Grannell (St. Patrick’s).
St. Patrick’s duo Dale Kirwan and Paul Gorby are two more players to see success in the purple and gold of Wexford.
Richard Harkin was a National Mixed Team event silver medallist with Loughlinstown in 2010.
Loughlinstown’sJames Fagan was provincial Matchplay runner-up at junior grade level two years ago. James partners Billy Buckley (Collinstown), losing finalist in the recent Leinster Intermediate Matchplay.
Albert Mithen (Loughlinstown) was 2005 National Over-55 runner-up at senior level in 2005. Albert lines up alongside 2024 Leinster Scotch Foursomes winner Derek Reynolds (Killineer) and 2022 provincial intermediate Inter-County runner-up Anthony Browne (Custume).
Gel Martin (Killineer) picked-up two Leinster Inter-County winners medals with Louth in the noughties.
McDonagh’sJohn Kennedy has seen podium finishes in Leinster Intermediate and National Over-55 Strokeplay championships.
Charlie Egan (Shandon) was second in this championship at Seapoint in 2011.
Lough Owel’sMichael Dinnegan was third in Junior at Collinstown while Gareth McLoughlin (Laytown) was 2019 Leinster Scotch Foursomes runner-up.
Shane Kinahan (Lough Owel) helped Westmeath juniors to Leinster Inter-County glory in 2019.
EoinComiskey (Athgarvan) is the reigning Kildare Strokeplay champion.
Stephen Knight (Royal Meath) was a Nett winner at the 2020 National Strokeplay championship in St. Stephen’s. Athgarvan’s Kevin Lambe is another former National Strokeplay Nett winner – that was in junior at Ryston in 2019.
Carlow Kilkenny Wexford Matchplay runner-up Stuart Poole will pitch the opening teeshot in the Junior B championship at Ierne on Saturday afternoon.
Joseph Deegan (Ryston) played on the Kildare team that finished third in the 2018 Leinster Junior Inter-County championship.
Alan Devaney (Lough Owel) claimed third place in last year’s Junior B championship at Seapoint.
Robbie McManus (Custume) was runner-up in the recent Kilbeggan Scratch Cup
2024 Kildare Matchplay runner-up and 2023 Kildare Junior Scratch Cup winner Michael Foley (Athgarvan) is in the first group out in Sunday’s Junior A championship.
The very next threball features 2023 National Junior B Strokeplay champion Colin English (McDonagh). Colin plays with Bagenalstown’sKen Hickey who helped Carlow to third place in last year’s provincial Junior Strokeplay championship.
Loughlinstown Junior Scratch Cup winner John Boyle (Loughlinstown) will play in the company of Killineer man Michael Leech, winner of the 2023 Leinster Junior Inter-County championship with Louth
BozidarStjepanovic (McBride) claimed the 2023 (and inaugural) Leinster Junior B Strokpelay championship in a play-off at Seapoint twelve months ago.
Alan Gilmartin (Lucan) was another play-off winner, in the recent Dublin Junior Strokeplay championship at Lucan.
Robert Middleton has picked-up a National Handicap Inter-Club winners’ medal with Gowran in addition to success with Kilkenny in Leinster Junior Inter-County championships.
Luke Mannering (Erry) will seek the Matchplay/Strokeplay double having been crowned Matchplay kingpin at Erry in May.
Michael Cunningham (Kilbeggan) is an acknowledged top-class juvenile coach and has seen success on the course with Kilbeggan teams, mixed and otherwise.
First in senior action will be R.G.S.C.’s Paddy O’Connorwho was runner-up on the last occasion the championship was played in Ierneback in 2006. Last year’s intermediate champion at Seapoint, Dylan Hudson (St. Patrick’s) will accompany Paddy.
Last year’s National Mixed Foursomes Gross winner and former Leinster Intermediate Inter-County winner (with Dublin) Gareth Walsh(Lucan) is in the same group as 2017 provincial Matchplay champion Dean Grannell(St. Patrick’s) and Frank Ryan (St. Bridget’s), winner of that Matchplay in the successive years of 1996 and 1997 and Strokeplay runner-up in 2017. Dean was Strokeplay runner-up at Bagenalstown six years ago.
2022 National Over-55s senior grade Strokeplay bronze medallist Tadgh Harrington (Lucan) tees up alongside Navan’sPaul Nolan, provincial Matchplay runner-up in 2013.
2016 LeinsterStrokeplay champion Keith Redmond (Lucan) plays with his 2022 Matchplay equivalent Ian Dillon (St. Bridget’s) and 2009 European Strokeplay winner Ian Farrelly (Bellewstown).
2016 Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay champion at Collinstown, Michael Ahern (Lucan) will play with reigning Irish Open champion Evan Carry (Castletown).
2024LeinsterMatchplay champion EamonGibney has been Strokeplay runner-up in each of the last three years.
Darren O’Reilly (Lucan) was National Matchplay champion back in 2003 but still performs to a high level as does Ryston’sDarren Keogh,Leinster Inter-County runner-up with Kildare in 2001.
Seven-time Dublin champion Chris Gallagher (Lucan) is paired with three-time National Matchplaychampion Sean Harkins (Ryston).
Strangely, Anthony Malone (Lucan) has never won an individual provincial title although he has been a runner-up in both Matchplay and Strokeplay
2021 National Intermediate Strokeplay bronze medallist Evan Ganly (Trim) has been prominent in Scratch Cups at Stackallen, Castletown and Trim
2022 Dublin Strokeplay champion Jason Larkin (Portmarnock) helped his county to national glory at McDonagh in 2019.
Two former provincial intermediate podium highlight the 12.30pm group. Dunshaughlin’sPaul O’Rourke was provincial intermediate Matchplay champion in 2019 while Patrick Robinson (Gowran) filled runners-up position in the 2022 Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay just as he did in the 2023 National Stroke.
Wayne Allen (St. Patrick’s) was 2023 Leinster Intermediate Matchplay champion and went on win the National challenge at St. Bridget’s
Holder Darren Fagan (Seapoint) will be looking to claim a third LeinsterStrokeplay title having also won the intermediate at Royal Meath in 1997
2010 champion George McGreal (Old County) will have 2022 LeinsterMatchplayand Strokeplay champSean Goggin (McBride) for company at Ierne on Sunday.
Three-time LeinsterMatchplay champion William Buckley Junior(Erry) has been crowned Strokeplay titleholder on four occasions, the most recent in 2011
Stephen Murray (Old County) has been a past LeinsterStrokeplay and Matchplay silver medallist.One of Stephen’s fellow competitors will be Aongus Coughlan (Erry) who beat Anthony Malone in the 2018 LeinsterMatchplay final at Inniskeen.
Jim Judge (Killineer) was a LeinsterMatchplay finalist in 2018.
2012 and 2018 winner John Ross Crangle(Loughlinstown) was provincial Matchplay kingpin in 2009, 2012, 2013 and 2015.
Loughlinstown star Gary Healy, the 2022 LeinsterMatchplay runner-up, is in the same threeball as his 2016 equivalent George Beardsley (McBride) and 2024Gelders International Open victor Rene Jan Bloem (Collinstown) who reached the 2012 LeinsterMatchplay decider.
Provincial Inter-County winner with Dublin in 2007,EoinMithen (Loughlinstown), has been showing some excellent recent form and won’t be overawed alongside Mark Millar(Killineer), themillennium LeinsterMatchplay winner who triumphed again in 2019 and was second in the 2000 Strokeplay.
Hubert Kelly (Loughlinstown) will bid to regain the title he won at St. Patrick’s in 2015.
The evergreen Dennis Monaghan (Shandon) was provincialMatchplayrunner-up back in 1993 and is a four-time Leinster Inter-County winner with Dublin.
The two combatants in the 2022 provincial Intermediate Matchplay final will contest this year’s Senior Strokeplay – Daniel Condon (Ryston) and Paddy Kelly (Trim).
Leinster Ladies Strokeplay @ Portmarnock on 13th July 2024
By Declan Sheedy
Junior
No fewer than 28 junior ladies will contest this weekends Leinster Championship – 19 of which come from the host club Portmarnock. Hopefully, after the success of the upcoming weekend the high level of entry will continue into future championships.
Hilary Walsh, defending champion will start proceedings in the Junior Grade and will no doubt contest again this year given her great support of the game. Cloghogue have had a resurgence of ladies in 2024 which is a fantastic benefit to the ladies game, all of which have a skillset that can win this championship. Angela Connolly and Chris Foley are great supporters of the National Game and the testing links of Portmarnock will not daunt them.
Intermediate
22 ladies will be battle it out in the intermediate championship on Saturday. 7 portmarnock players in this grade will have a huge advantage over the rest of the field given the links nature that most players and not accustomed to. However, beyond that there is a very high quality of past championship winners in the field who have the skillset to overcome a difficult course like Portmarnock. Barbara Furlong is no stranger to winning cups as is Audrey Donnelly and Marian Gannon Kelly. While Maria Cranny will be looking to add the strokeplay crown to the matchplay championship she won in Erry only a few weeks ago. Mary Fullam and Patricia McLoughlin are regular championship players and both have the game and skillset to win in Dublin this weekend.
Senior
A total of 66 ladies will contest the Leinster Strokeplay Championships over three grades in Portmarnock this weekend. A very positive entry which will hopefully continue in future hostings of this event.
The senior ladies are early starters this weekend and will kick off events at 8.30am on Saturday. No fewer than 18 competitors will contest this years senior championship. It’s a quality field full of past Leinster and National Champions which will ensure a very high quality scoring championship on what is a tough links test.
Nine Dublin ladies will be setting the pace which includes multiple inter county winners Maree O’Toole, Siobhan Keely & Sheelagh Elmes. Ger Ward needs no introduction and will start out as hot favourite this weekend. However, Glenda Hoey is a Dublin Strokeplay champion on this very course and will take a lot of beating.
Liz Quinn, Louise Grace, Tracey Smith, Helen Greagsbeyand Margaret O’Reilly are tremendous supporters of the game around the country and would be deserving of the title this weekend.
Former champions Margaret Hogan, Tara Dillon, Paula Lynch & Chrissie Sheedy all have the game to produce championship wins, while Marian Courtney will be looking to finally add this championship that has eluded her CV.
Returning players such as Pauline Balfe, Marina O’Rourke and Tracey Redmond have added a huge amount of talent back into the field and no doubt will be contesting this weekend despite their absence from championship play over the past few years.
Portmarnock is a course that requires patience and course management where every shot will count this weekend.Whoever will overcome the links test to become Leinster Champions this weekend will earn it.
Good luck to all competitors.