National Mixed and Non Mixed preview at Lakeside
By John Manning
Saturday 5th - Mixed Scotch Foursomes
68 pairs contest the National Mixed on Saturday.
35 years since she was runner-up at Irish Ropes (now Ryston), Breda White lines-up with Tipperary Hills colleague Michael Brennan. That combination secured Best Gross in the successive 2023 and 2024 Munster Mixed Foursomes tournaments, at Tralee and at Bishopstown respectively.
24 years have elapsed since Eileen McCarthy claimed Munster Best Gross alongside Damien Fleming. Eileen now partners another Kerry Inter-County player, Tralee's Darren Goodall.
Current Munster Mixed Foursomes champions Linda Griffin & Sean Looney (Bishopstown) tee-off in the first session while their Leinster counterparts Sharon Haines & Lee Haines (Royal Meath) are drawn in the afternoon wave. 2023 2nd Session category frontrunners Marie Power & Dick Dreeling (Gowran) will play in the 9.30 group in 2024 alongside Linda and Sean.
Having won the 2022 Leinster Mixed Foursomes, John Carton & Kathleen Carton (Kilbeggan) were provincial runners-up in 2023.
Successful in the National 1st sessions of 2015 and 2016, Elaine Quinn & Michael Fennell (Lakeside) claimed the Munster Mixed Foursomes title twice, in 2016 and in 2018. The Templemore twosome were Munster runners-up two years back.
Nicola Ahern & Morty Ahern were crowned Munster champions at St. Stephen’s in 2019. The Collins couple partner Josie McCormack & Anthony Maher (Lakeside), session winners provincially at Hillview in 2018.
Gillian Morrissey (St. Anne's) & Dylan Ahern (Collins) took second session honours on the last occasion the National Mixed Scotch Foursomes tournament was contested in Co. Tipperary. That was at Larkspur Park in 2022. This time, Gillian and Dylan play in the morning session and will partner event specialists, Chrissie Sheedy & Darren Keogh (Ryston). Chrissie and Darren have topped the Best Gross leaderboard on three occasions (in 2013, in 2018 at Lakeside and 2019). Chrissie also won Overall in 2016 (at another Co. Tipperary venue, Riverdale) while Darren previously claimed another Best Gross (with his wife Margaret) in 2002.
Ian Dillon and Catherine Dillon (St. Bridget’s) were Leinster Mixed Foursomes winners in 2017 and 2018. Ian also won that event twice with Marian Byrne Courtney as well as being 2022 runner-up with Catherine. Catherine and Ian won a session prize nationally at Lucan seven years ago and provincially at Royal Meath last year.
Kathleen Shanley & John Fitzgerald (Hillview) will be hoping to hoping to replicate the form they showed when finishing a close second at Larkspur Park two years ago.
Winner of a 2011 category prize with David Coogan (St. Bridget’s) and runner-up in 1998 with her son Liam, Mairead O’Toole links up this year with Tony Barry (St. Bridget’s) with whom she was a session prize winner in 2023 at Royal Meath.
Patsy O’Donovan (Collins) finished second in this event with her late husband Finbarr at R.G.S.C. in 1983. Now she joins her grandson Callum O’Donovan, the reigning National Junior Strokeplay champion.
Final pairs of the 34 morning groups are a brace of former Munster Mixed Foursomes winners, Frances Ryan & Martin McCormack (Lakeside), who won at Lakeside in 2013, and 2017 titleholders Vera McCarthy & Jim Ahern (Collins). Frances & Martin were also 2015 runners-up.
Holders Audrey Donnelly and World Cup debutant Padraic Sarsfield (MacBride) headline the afternoon session.
Also enjoying a 1.30 tee–time are 2019 champions Paula Lynch (Oldcastle) & Kevin Carolan (Rathfeigh) and 2022 Best Gross winners Paula Nolan & Garrett O’Mahony (Rocklodge).
Veronica Anglim, who now plays with Adrian Anglim, won 1st Session laurels (with David Cahill) at Lakeside in the 2018 event at which 2019 runners-up Marie Brennan & Richard Brennan (Bellewstown) were 2nd Session winners. Adrian was 2018 Munster runner-up (with Pauline Lucey).
1st Session winners on home turf last year, Robert McCabe & Susan Synan (Royal Meath) are placed in the afternoon wave this time, in which they will partner their 1st Session counterparts from Larkpur Park 2022, Josephine Tobin & Thomas Roberts (Lakeside). The latter pair can also boast a provincial session prize victory as can Veronica Anglim and Adrian Anglim.
Lisa O’Connor & Tony Blake (Tralee) were crowned Munster champions at Fermoy 10 years ago before clinching All-Ireland runners-up slot a year later and Second Session honours nationally in 2016. They took Munster Best Gross in 2022 at Tralee and filled provincial second place in 2016 and 2017.
Margaret Hogan & Darren O’Connell (Tullamore) claimed Best Gross honours at R.G.S.C. in 2010 and at Royal Meath in the 2013 Leinster tournament. The Faithful County team will play alongside provincial 2013 and 2017 1st 18 winners Theresa Fagan & Sean Kelly (Royal Meath).
Ursula Dowd & Eamonn Dowd like second session starts. The Navan pair scooped the prize in this category at the 2022 Leinster Mixed Foursomes.
Bernadette O'Regan & Jason O'Regan (Tralee) Munster second place finishers in 2023, will have Leinster titleholders Sharon Haines & Lee Haines for company.
The Munster Mixed Foursomes 2024 Session winners are both in the second wave here: Mary Quinn & Sean McCormack (Lakeside) and Jamie Blake & his sister Charlotte Blake (Tralee).
Sunday 6th -Non mixed Scotch Foursomes
In an unusual twist, not one of the holders, the 2023 runners-up nor last year’s Best Gross winners will be present at Sunday’s National Non-Mixed event.
The 2019 and 2022 title holders will not play either, so no former winner (of this relatively new event) will tee it up at Lakeside in a strong field of 74 pairs.
2022 runner-up John Fitzgerald does play but with a different partner this time, his Hillview club colleague John Cawley.
2023 National Strokeplay champion Stephen Shoer teams with Riverdale clubmate and multiple Co. Tipperary champion Paul Shoer.
Multiple Irish champion Bryan Delaney (E.S.B.) is partnered by Bishopstown’s John Morrissey.
Former All-Ireland Intermediate Strokeplay kingpin Michael Herlihy links with his E.S.B. clubmate Barry Cusack.
Past National Scramble victor Seamus Gleeson will bring considerable experience to his Riverdale partnership with Noel Clarke.
Munster 2nd session victors Joe O’Riordan and Michael Farrell (Bruff) will participate in the first session at Lakeside.
Their Bruff colleagues James Ryan & Mark Ryan were Munster runners-up last season.
2023 National Intermediate Strokeplay runner-up Patrick Robinson and last year’s Leinster Intermediate Matchplay finalist Mark Comerford form a formidable Gowran permutation.
Another strong Gowran partnership is that of 2022 Leinster Matchplay champion David Holland and 2024 All-Ireland Junior Strokeplay runner-up Michael Holland.
Sean Dinnegan & Dean Dinnegan (Lough Owel) were Leinster runners-up at Kilbeggan last year.
Cork Inter-County stalwarts John Cahill & Daithi Sexton (Fermoy) have been a hugely effective foursomes pairing in Inter-Club combat.
2022 Irish Matchplay champion Barry Morrissey teams up with fellow Bishopstown player Tim O’Connor.
The provincial champions automatically qualify this year. Both are drawn in Lakeside’s second session.
Following their victory at Tralee, father and son Tony Blake & Jamie Blake (Tralee) will partner a very interesting combination of reigning Leinster Strokeplay champion Stephen Murray (Old County) and 2023 WPPT Ireland Master Over-55 winner Tadgh Harrington (Lucan), who was the 2022 All Ireland Over 55 Strokeplay bronze medallist at Bellewstown.
Triumphant at Trim, Alan Kierans & Derek Reynolds (Killineer) are grouped with John Fitzgerald & John Cawley.
2023 WPPT Irish Master champion Damien Creevey (Lucan) and Scratch Cup specialist Gareth Walsh are sure to be Best Gross contenders.
Munster Best Gross winners Frank Dineen (St. Anne’s) and John Walsh (Collins) have been in outstanding form all season, highlighted again by their recent tour-de-force for the Cork Inter-County side at Bagenalstown.
All Ireland Intermediate Matchplay kingpin John Looney will join forces with former Cork Strokeplay winner Eoin Shannon (Collins).
2023 provincial Junior Strokeplay champion Stephen Behan, Leinster runner-up in 2019 with Laytown’s Gareth McLoughlin, now plays with 2022 National Junior Strokeplay runner-up John Conaghan (Killineer).
Jason O'Regan & his son Mark O'Regan (Tralee) captured Best 2nd 18 at the 2022 Munster Scotch Foursomes tournament. Darren Goodall was victorious in the 1st 18 category that day, alongside Roger Guthrie and now tees it up alongside fellow Tralee club man Gavin Carroll. That Kerry combination’s fellow competitors are the Evans from Meath, Carry (Castletown) and Ganly (Trim).
In another intriguing match-up, Jason Cregan (Munster Best Gross winner in 2022 with Alan Hobbart) will partner Kerry Inter-County colleague Damien Fleming (Deerpark).
Huge interest will centre round the presence of Pitch and Putt Ireland President Mark Keohane in the field alongside his Bandon clubmate Ivone Buttimer.
There will also be plenty of attention on the two all-ladies pairings, who are grouped together in Session Two. Riverdale’s Margaret Hennessy & Liz Forde play opposite Eileen McCarthy (Deerpark) & Charlotte Blake (Tralee). Eileen helped Kerry to victory in the 2001 Munster Inter-County championship and (on her return to the sport) joined Charlotte in the Kingdom ladies set-up that clinched the Nett prize recently at Tralee.
2020 All Ireland Ladies Matchplay Nett Cup winner Margaret contested the play-off for the recent National Ladies Intermediate Strokeplay championship at Stackallen. She is a previous National Ladies Junior and Intermediate Strokeplay champion. Liz has been a regular podium finisher in national championships, including bronze medals in the 2017 Over-55 junior grade Strokeplay championship and 2023 Over-55 intermediate grade Strokeplay equivalent. There was also a best final eighteen award in the 2019 National Junior Strokeplay championship at St. Bridget’s.
Martin Flynn & Peter Kearney (McDonagh) will be bidding to build on their Leinster performance earlier in the season where they bagged 1st session laurels at Trim. Their title push will be conducted in the company of Tipperary Inter-County stars Kyle Kennedy & Eoghan Aylward (Hillview).
Lakeside pitch and Putt previous Scotch Foursomes
1995
A cool showery day in the shadow of Devil’s Bit mountain greeted the 38 pairs who contested the 1995 National Mixed Foursomes at lakeside.
Tournament director Liam Houlihan sent the first group on their way as the clock struck ten.
To Sydney Venner (Templebreedy) fell the honour of striking the first teeshot. Sydney and his wife Dee had featured well up the field in this event in the past.
Sydney’s pitch found the centre of the green on the 47 metre opening hole. Dee’s putt found the cup for an inspirational birdie. Hopes were high that one of their three pairs could maintain Templebreedy’s extraordinary record in team events.
Playing with Sydney and Dee were the Dublin Postal combination of Ger Holland (third in that year’s National Junior Strokeplay) and Derek Mulroy, the leading Dublin qualifiers. Derek’s opening teeshot also landed on the prepared surface and the south-west Dublin pairing started with a solid par.
Sydney and Dee ran into trouble at the uphill 5th, which they bogeyed to record their first loss. An eventual +4 for the first 18 represented reasonable scoring in the tough conditions. Ger and Derek had moved to +5 after 12 (winning four in a row from the 9th) but a couple of bogeys on the way saw them finish +5 for the round.
The second Templebreedy duo (and the pre-tournament favourites) Richard O’Flaherty and Lynda Venner (both members of the winning 1994 Skoda team) started hesitantly with three fours in the first five. They rallied well after a marvellous three on the downhill 6th and joined Ger Holland and Derek Mulroy on +5 after 18. Playing just behind Richard and Lynda were the Ierne partnership of Dan and Dolores Horan who made productive use of their fourteen shot allowance to end the opening round on +6.
Munster Mixed Foursomes runners-up J.J. O’Sullivan and Majella Hayes (Castlelyons) quickly joined the Horans on 6 up having sped to the turn +5. 1994 Leinster Juvenile Strokeplay champion and 1995 provincial Intermediate Matchplay finalist Alan Weston and his Seapoint clubmate Wendy Leech played alongside the Castlelyons pair and matched their +6 return. 6 up proved to be a popular score.
One of the four Navan pairings on view, Gerry Allen (4) and Bernie McCann (17) safely parred the last for 6 up. Fellow Co. Meath players, Dara (11) and Veronica (16) O’Neill of Ratoath, didn’t lose a single hole until the 39 metre 14th. They struck back immediately with a birdie on 15 and while another hole got away at the 17th, a safe three down the last got them into the six-way first round lead on +6.
Completing the sextet of couples were Tony Killoran and Paul Moran (Glenville), who boasted the lowest combined handicap among the six. Tony and Pauline were just two over par gross in compiling 6 up, having birdied the 3rd, 5th and 18th.
With six pairs on +6, two on +5 and another half-dozen on 4 up, the field couldn’t have been more bunched as they braved the wind for the second time after a brief mid-round break.
First to make a significant move were Richard O’Flaherty and Lynda Venner. The Templebreedy twosome recorded four straight pars from the start to be 2 up for the round. They proceeded to birdied the 5th with a shot, having had all sorts of problems on that hole In Round 1. Par at the 6th secured another win and it was +5 for the outward nine after another three at the 61 metre ninth. They had failed to make par (like so many more) at the Index 1 70 metre eighth, which played so difficult in the high wind. After plusses at 12 and 13, they recorded their first loss on 14. However a grandstand finish of three successive wins, including a 17th hole birdie following a vintage pitch from Richard, gave them 14 up overall, which seemed to have secured another national title for Templebreedy.
Conventional wisdom suggested that Richard and Lynda’s herculean effort (equal to the average winning score over the previous decade) would not be overhauled on such a trying day weatherwise.
Conventional wisdom is sometimes wrong! Just a few groups behind the Templebreedy pacesetters, Alan Weston and his equally youthful partner Wendy Leech threw down the gauntlet with a streak of five wins in six holes from the 2nd. The Co. Louth partnership had improved to 8 up for the round and +14 after 16. The 50 metre 18th, close to the famous old church ruin, proved their undoing. Par would have given them 15 up and the lead. As it was, their bogey gave them a half and left them in second place on the tiebreaker.
J.J. O’Sullivan and Majella Hayes faded after double-bogeying 1 and 2 second time. There was a frisson of excitement among the local gallery as the Lakeside team of Club Chairman Tommy Heaney and Cork native Kathleen Collier shrugged off a mediocre first round of +3 to improve to 13 up overall with two to go. A four at the 17th (only loss of the round) wrecked their momentum, albeit a win on the home green left them one back.
Ratoath’s Dara O’Neill and his wife Veronica previously qualified for the National Mixed Foursomes three years before in Tullamore. They hadn’t been playing the game all that long at that point and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, shooting +7 to finish down the field.
In 1995, the O’Neills played in the inspiring company of Ray Murphy (Templebreedy) and his regular Foursomes partner at that time Suzanne Venner, the 1995 National Intermediate Strokeplay champion.
Dara and Veronica’s second round got off to an inauspicious start with a four at the first to lose the hole. Four pars in a row with shots steadied the ship and, after a bogey at the 7th for another loss, they made a great par up the long eighth for an encouraging win.
This laid the platform for the most telling phase of play for the day. A birdie on 10 kick-started a two under par six wins in a row blitz (the other birdie coming at the short 14th). A four at 16 represented a half and they now just had to negotiate the last two safely to grab the clubhouse lead.
There was to be no mistake. The 17th was safely halved in par and another cast-iron three on the 36th gave them a brilliant 10 up for the second eighteen and 16 up for the tournament. This ultimately gave Dara and Veronica a two stroke win and they thus became the first Co. Meath pair to win the National Mixed.
Best Gross was the primary target of Ray Murphy and Suzanne Venner. They shot +1 over each eighteen for 2 up Gross return. This represented good scoring in the conditions but in the end was eclipsed by 1988 National Strokeplay champion Eleanor Walsh and her Fermoy clubmate Joe Flood. One down after nine holes, Eleanor and Joe really focused on their work with a splendid +4 second nine. Having again struggled to the turn second time (-2), Eleanor and Joe assembled a bogey-free last nine of 24 that clinched a 4 up Gross return for the event and a two shot cushion.
Last threat to Ratoath supremacy was the Glenville couple of Pauline Moran and Tony Killoran. Playing the group immediately Dara and Veronica, Pauline and Tony produced an excellent level par gross 8 up return but were left to rue a 16th hole bogey for a loss that ultimately robbed the Dublin duo of second place.
Athgarvan pair Michael Connolly and Kathleen Hewitt signed for the Best 18 of the day, their 11 up second round. However, an opening +1 had left the Co. Kildare players with too much to do.
1. Dara O’Neill & Veronica O’Neill (Ratoath) +16
2. Richard O’Flaherty & Lynda Venner (Templebreedy) +14 (on back eighteen)
Best Gross: Joe Flood & Eleanor Walsh (Fermoy) +4
+14 Tony Killoran & Pauline Moran (Glenville); Alan Weston & Wendy Leech (Seapoint)
+13 Tommy Heaney & Kathleen Collier (Lakeside)
+12 Michael Connolly & Kathleen Hewitt (Athgarvan); Dan Horan & Dolores Horan (Ierne); Gerry Allen & Bernie McCann (Navan)
+11 David Garrigan & Debbie Garrigan (Glenville); Joe Forde & Kay Scanlon (Parteen)
+10 Michael Mahon & Joan Mahon (Glenville); P.J. Doyle & Gemma Coyle (I.G.B.)
2018
For the second time in four years, the Sean Coyne Memorial trophy went to the St. Stephen’s club after Mairead Manning (10) and Dave Towler (9) matched the 15 up total posted by Mary & Alan Daly when they were the victors in Collins back in 2015. Rounds of 8 up and 7 up at Lakeside gave Mairead and Dave their winning total as their lead from the first session lasted through until the competition’s end.
The win earned a third National title for Mairead in the space of three years and a second in a single year as a National Junior Ladies Strokeplay win in 2016 on home turf was now followed by an Intermediate title in Collins in July 2018 along with the latest success. Dave also followed in the footsteps of his sons Ryan (National U-16 Strokeplay) and Glenn (National U-16 Matchplay) in winning a All-Ireland honour. Ryan and Glenn captured those titles in St. Anne’s colours.
Consistency was key to the St. Stephen’s pair’s success as they signed for a 105 Gross aggregate.
Their score was one ahead of Riverdale duo Margaret & Dean Courtney who finished as runners-up for the second time in three years after posting a score of 14 up, which included a strong second round of +9. Playing in the group immediately behind Mairead and Dave, Margaret and Dean were 5 up Gross for the second 18 and scored 107 Gross overall in finishing just a single shot shy.
The other prize-winner from the morning session was the session prize itself as Veronica Anglim & David Cahill from Hillview had rounds of 8 up and 4 up in posting a 12 up aggregate as they finished one ahead of the host club combination Sive Shelley & Conor Keating. In round two, Sive and Conor improved five shots on their +3 opener, but fell just short.
The afternoon session meanwhile saw the Gross prizewinners emerge as 2016 Overall winner Chrissie Byrne once again teamed-up with Ryston clubmate Darren Keogh to win the prize (the first of three Best Gross wins to date for the pair) with a score of 9 up. That was just a single stroke better than Linda Murphy (Collins) and her husband Ray Murphy (St. Anne’s). After a modest opening eighteen Chrissie and Darren skated round in 43 second time to pip their Cork rivals. That was just one ahead of 2008 and 2009 Best Gross victors Linda & Ray Murphy on 8 up
In a predominantly Leinster feel to second wave, the session prize would go to Marie & Richard Brennan of Bellewstown who had two rounds of 5 up in posting a 10 up total as the Murphys just missed out on another prize with a +9 (+5, +4) Nett score.
1. Mairead Manning (10) & Dave Towler (9) (St. Stephen's) +15
2. Margaret Courtney (13) & Dean Courtney (6) (Riverdale) +14
Best Gross: Chrissie Byrne (+1) & Darren Keogh (1) (Ryston) +9
1st Session: Veronica Anglim (21) & David Cahill (4) (Hillview) +12
2nd Session: Marie Brennan (17) & Richard Brennan (12) (Bellewstown) +10
+11 Sive Shelley & Conor Keating (Lakeside)
+10 Kathleen O’Lone & Paddy Kenny (Ferbane); Martha O’Brien & Paddy Murray (Lakeside)
+9 Kathleen Carton & John Carton (Kilbeggan); Bridget Shelley & Patrick Quinn (Lakeside); Linda Murphy (Collins) & Ray Murphy (St. Anne’s)
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