Pitch & Putt IrelandNATIONAL MATCHPLAY 24 REVIEW STATS
By John Manning
Ray Murphy moves on to seven National Matchplay titles, extending his own all-time record.
Having claimed the 2006 Strokeplay championship at Larkspur Park, Ray is now the second player in history to win the NationalGents Matchplay and Strokeplay on the same course. Sean Downes is the other.
The now 26-year gap between Ray Murphy’s first win in the National Matchplay and his most recent is the longest in history, lengthening his own record.
The 11-year gap between Ray’s most recent and second most recent win is also a new record, overtaking Sean Harkins (1991-1999).
Ray Murphy has contested fifteen National Matchplay semi-finals, winning eleven.
Ray Murphy has also won the National Inter-County championship (1997 and 2009) and the National Club Tournament (1997) at Larkspur Park.
D.J. Lynch contested his first National Matchplay final.
D.J.Lynch joins Paul O’Brien as a Tipperary National Matchpayrunner-up. Both have lost to Ray Murphy in finals.
D.J. Lynch reached the third round at Larkspur Park in 2020, beating Rob O’Donoghue and Dean Grannell before losing to eventual champion Kieran Earls.
2021 quarter-finalist Dean Grannell reached the National Gents’ Matchplay semi-finals for the first time. Dean was defeated by Ray Murphy in 2021 and 2024.
Dean is the first Co. Wexford player to reach the semi-finals since DayleDonohoe and Martin O‘Neill played in the 2016 last four.
Paudie O’Sullivan was previously a National Matchplay semi-finalist in 2006 (when he went down to John Walsh).
He was a member of the Cork team that clinched the 2009 National Inter-County championship at Larkspur Park, one of four such victories for Paudie in the rebel red.
The 2024 National Gents’ Matchplay championship final was the third ever (and second in succession)between Cork and Tipperary club representatives.
Munster domination of the National Gents’ Matchplay championship continued. Ray Murphy made it six wins in a row for the southern province.
20 of the last 22 champions have represented Munster clubs. Only John Ross Crangle and Darren O’Reilly have bucked that trend.
By contrast, 19 of the last 22stagings of the National Ladies Matchplay championship have seen wins by players representing Leinster clubs.
Amy Galvinwon the National LadiesMatchplay championship for the first time.
Amy is the third player from Co. Offaly to become National Ladies Matchplay champion (and the first since Margaret Hogan at Collinstownthirteen years ago). Tracey McGrath won in 2009.
Amy Galvin’s winning margin at Larkspur Park is the third highest in history (eclipsed only by Clare Foley Keating in 1963 and Teresa McGuigan in 1966).
2012 and 2014 National Girls Strokeplay victor Amy Galvin is the eighth player in history to win the National Girls Strokeplay and the National Ladies Matchplay championship, following Ann Ginnane, Eleanor Walsh, Marian Marks, Marian Byrne, Bernadette Coffey, Tracey McGrath and Martha O’Brien.
Paula Lynch’s performance is the best defence by a first time ladies champion since Marian Byrne reached the 1999 final at Lakewood having been victorious at Glenville the previous year.
It was Breda White’s eleventh National Ladies Matchplay semi-final. Her first was in 1978. She holds a 36% record.
Breda White contested the semi-finals at Larkspur Park for the third time, having also made (at least) the last four in 2010 and 2020.
SarahO’Neill played in her first National Matchplay semi-final.
Sarah O’Neill is the first Collins member to reach the semi-finals since Siobhan Scannell in 2009.
2019 victor Sarah O’Neill is the first winner of the Nett Cup to subsequently reach the ScratchMatchplay semi-finals.
The 2024 ladies final was the first-everNational Ladies Matchplay championship decider to be contested by players representing Meath and Offaly clubs.
Paula Lynch is the 34th reigning National Ladies Strokeplay champion to at least reach the National Ladies Matchplay semi-finals in the following season’s event.
For the third time in history thesemi-finalists in the All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup were split Munster 3 and Leinster 1.
Marion Gannon Kelly is the fourth playerrepresenting a Leinster club to win the All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup. Munster players won the first three; Leinster representatives have now captured the last four.
Marionis the second Co. Kildare player (after Abby Whelan) to win All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup.
Marion is the third player in history (after Sarah O’Neill and Margaret Hennessy) to win the National Ladies Junior Strokeplay championship and the All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNettCup. Margaret achieved the feat in reverse order to the others.
Gemma Martin is the second player fromHillview and the second from Tipperary to be runner-up in the All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup. Lorraine Creed is the other.
Veronica Anglim has reached the All-Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup semi-finals on three separate occasionswhich is a new record.
Catriona O’Connor replicates Tralee clubmate’s Lisa O’Connor’s feat of reaching the All Ireland Ladies MatchplayNett Cup semi-finals.
1987 National Intermediate Strokeplay champion John Looney becomes the first player in history to win All Ireland Matchplay and Strokeplay titles in the intermediate grade.
John Looney is the first player representing a Munster club to win the National Intermediate Matchplay championship.
Ryan Sexton is the third Cork player in history (after Frank Dineen and Philip Burns) to be runner-up in the National Intermediate Matchplay championship.
Ryan Walsh (along with Looney and Sexton) made it three Cork semi-finalists -the most by any county in a single year (in the small number of stagings of this event).
Michael Kirby is the first player to play a National Intermediate Matchplay semi-final on his home course since Tommy Lynch and Charlie McGrath at Cement (nowKillineer) in 1991.
Gerry O‘Connoris the first Munster winner of the National Gents Junior Matchplay championship since Bruff’s Liam O’Donovan in 1990.
Gerry O’Connor is the second player ever to win the National Gents Junior Matchplay championship over his own course, emulating Eugene Smith at Cement (nowKillineer) in 1991.
Sean Kellyis the first Bagenalstown player and the second from Co. Carlowtoachieve a podium position in any grade of the National Gents Matchplay championship
Luke Mannering is the first player in history to win the LeinsterJunior Matchplay championship and be a semi-finalist in the National Gents Junior Matchplay championship in the same year.
Dylan Carrollis Ashgrove’s first National Junior Matchplay semi-finalist.
Three of the four National Junior Matchplay semi-finalists represented Leinster clubs, just as they did at Cement (now Killineer) in 1991.
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