Carrigaline’s Joe Doyle RIP was the first player to win the National Gent’s Matchplay championship on three occasions. Only the great Ray Murphy lifted the Day Cup more often. Sean Harkins and John Walsh subsequently won on three occasions.

The young Carrigaline player was a comparatively recent convert to Pitch and Putt and playing off a provisional six handicap when he triumphed at Rocklodge in 1969.

The 16-year-old and relatively unheralded Doyle fought his way through the early rounds before facing the great Mick Forrest, then playing out of the Highfield club, in the semi-final on the morning of June 2nd. After a wonderful joust between the two Corkmen, Joe Doyle prevailed on the 38th hole.  Doyle’s opponent in the final was Andy Doherty (Portmarnock).

Doherty, who had been already an Inter-County runner-up with Dublin in 1966 and who would go on to win three Inter-County titles with the metropolitans, was probably a slight favourite in advance of the 1969 National Matchplay final, but there was to be no denying Joe Doyle who ran out a comfortable 4&3 winner. He thus became the fourth different player from Cork to win the National Gent’s Matchplay championship – T.J. O’Riordan had already claimed the trophy on two occasions. 

The National Gent’s Matchplay championship returned to Rocklodge just two years later. In the 1971 semi-finals, Joe Doyle faced another Dublin maestro – Portmarnock’s Seamus Rogers, who had been crowned National Matchplay champion at Ierne in 1966. However, there was to be no denying Joe Doyle who was a convincing 4&3 victor.

A familiar face loomed to be Joe Doyle’s friendly adversary in the 1971 National Matchplay final. Doyle’s opponent was none other than Carrigaline clubmate Robbie McCarthy. 1971 was the first time two players representing the same club contested the National Gent’s Matchplay decider. Robbie McCarthy was seeking redemption after his loss in the previous year’s final but Joe Doyle triumphed by 3&2. Joe Doyle was now the second-ever multiple Gent’s National Matchplay champion.

Joe Doyle crossed swords again with Andy Doherty at Mellows, Galway in the 1972 National Gent’s Matchplay semi-final. Defeat was once more to be the destiny of the Portmarnock man as Joe Doyle won through to his third final in four years by a 5&4 margin.

Three up at halfway in the 1972 final against Seapoint’s Ray Matthews, Joe was pegged back to level at the 32rd. Having pitched inside Matthews, Joe birdied the 33rd to move one hole ahead. Having halved the 34th and 35th, Joe’s tee shot to six feet on the 70 metre home hole clinched a one up victory.

The charismatic Doyle was voted seventh best Pitch and Putt player of the 20th century in a feature run by P.P.U.I. monthly magazine ‘Backspin’ in millennium year.

Joe was 1971 Cork Matchplay champion at St. Anne’s and runner-up in the 1968 Cork Juvenile Strokeplay and Matchplay championships at Rocklodge and Douglas respectively. 

Sincere sympathy is extended to Joe’s family and friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

 

 

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