Pitch & Putt IrelandPreview - 2025 Leinster Gents Strokeplay Finals
By John Manning
Leinster Gents Preview
Stephen Murray (Old County) triumphed in the gathering gloom at Ierne after a marathon 2024 Leinster Strokeplay championship. Stephen has since added the provincial Matchplay crown to his resumé and will be brimming with confidence heading into the 2025 renewal.
Ian Dillon (St. Bridget’s) was second at Ierne and the 2024 winner and runner-up are paired together, along with 2022 champion Sean Goggin (MacBride).
Leinster Strokeplay champion at Bagenalstown in 2018, John Ross Crangle is returning to the fray after injury, and could be a dark horse for a repeat Carlow success. The Loughlinstown man is a two-time former champion in addition to twice being runner-up.
Dean Grannell (St. Patrick’s) chased JR Crangle home seven years ago and the 2017 Leinster Matchplay champ will have an intimate knowledge of Bagenalstown’s foibles. Grannell’s club colleague Dylan Hudson won the 2023 Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay.
Two-time Leinster Matchplay champion Mark Millar (Killineer) has never won the Leinster Strokeplay championship although he was runner-up (to the late, great David Hayden) at Stackallen in millennium year.
2010 champion George McGreal (Old County) has been displaying some tremendous Scratch Cup form.
Three-time Strokeplay runner-up Eamon Gibney (Castletown) reached the recent Leinster Matchplay final as holder, having triumphed at Erry in 2024. Gibney will tune-up for European Team championship duty in a provincial event, also contested by his international team manager, Paddy Kelly (Trim).
2016 winner Keith Redmond (Lucan) is another player returning to top form.
Darren Fagan (Seapoint) was crowned champion two years ago. Fagan will go to the tee, alongside two players that are currently in peak form, multiple Dublin champion Chris Gallagher (Lucan) and prolific Scratch Cup winner Padraic Sarsfield (MacBride).
William Buckley Junior (Erry) was a dominant player in this championship for a decade, winning four times between 2002 and 2011.
Lucan’s Michael Aherne claimed the intermediate crown at Collinstown in 2016. Inter-County players, Ryston’s Daniel Condon and Paul O’Rourke (Dunshaughlin) have both been provincial intermediate Matchplay champions in the past.
Darren McNally (Bagenalstown) was runner-up in the intermediate championship at Bagenalstown in 2018. Three of his club colleagues will be bidding to go one better as the championship returns to the excellent Co. Carlow course.
Joining in the 2025 fray will be Martin Baird, Leo Whelan and Micko Salter. Baird has soldiered successfully with Carlow in the Inter-County arena while Whelan and Salter have produced podium finishes in Bagenalstown Scratch Cups.
Donal McNally now plays out of Gowran but was previously a member of Bagenalstown and also impressed for Carlow in Inter-County championships while he and Baird were National Inter-Club runners-up with Bagenalstown in 2015.
Luke Devlin (Glenville) was a National Juvenile Inter-County silver medallist with Dublin at Glenville in 2019.
2024 National Intermediate Strokeplay runner-up Ruairi Fortune (St. Patrick’s) was provincial Strokeplay champion at St. Bridget’s in 2017. In Ruairi’s group will be Dave Hayden II (Lucan) who claimed the Leinster Strokeplay title at Glenville in 2010.
Athgarvan’s Peadar O’Toole attempts a provincial double after his impressive Matchplay success at Navan in May.
2023 Eamonn Birchall Trophy winner with Wexford, Dan Power (St. Patrick’s), is in the field as is Dominic Hynes (Royal Meath), 2025 Leinster Matchplay semi-finalist. Hynes’ group also contains reigning Dublin matchplay champion Michael Byrne (Lucan).
2022 National Junior Strokeplay champion Glen Martin (Killineer) will strive to make his presence felt here as will his dad Gel Martin, 1988 Leinster Strokeplay champion and 2024 provincial Matchplay semi-finalist.
Stephen Behan (Killineer) will bid to add the intermediate title to his 2023 Junior victory while Stephen Knight (Royal Meath) was Nett winner at the 2020 National Strokeplay championship.
Three of Kildare’s 2024 National Inter-County winning side will be on view, Athgarvan trio Kevin Lambe, Ollie Lambe and Eoin Comiskey.
Host club Gowran will have a very strong hand in the junior championship with Michael McNally, Matthew Holland, Michael Holland and John McDonald all competing.
Matthew Holland was runner-up in the recent Leinster Matchplay at Navan while Michael Holland starred as a juvenile, racking-up provincial podium finishes in Strokeplay and Matchplay at Under-16 level.
Bagenalstown will have an even stronger hand with no fewer than eight representatives, who will hope to capitalize on plenty of experience of playing Gowran.
Paul Core reached the recent National Matchplay semi-finals while Ken Hickey was a 2024 Leinster Inter-County runner-up with Carlow. Myles Dowling, John Kelly, Jack McNally, Eric Williams, Patrick O’Neill and Paul Coakley complete the Bagenalstown line-up.
Others to watch in Junior include 2023 Dublin Matchplay champion Alan Doyle (Lucan), Lorenzo Rinaudo (Royal Meath) who reached this year’s Meath Junior Matchplay final and 2024 Dublin Strokeplay champion, Lucan’s Alan Gilmartin.
The vastly experienced Michael Cunningham was a member of Kilbeggan 1991 Carrolls Club Tournament runner-up and 2007 National Mixed Team Event runner-up quartets.
2024 Kildare Matchplay runner-up Michael Foley (Athgarvan) plays with 2024 Offaly Strokeplay champion Declan Kelly (Erry) and Jack O’Donoghue (Rochfortbridge), a consistent Scratch Cup contender.
Latest National News
Latest Regional News
| Brock Inn Pitch & Putt Club @ Glenville - 21st June 2025 |
| PPI Affiliation |
| Galway Masters June 1st |
| Galway Masters at Mellows |
| Kilbeggan - Bob Gorman Memorial Open Scotch Foursomes. |