Pitch & Putt IrelandPreview - National Gents Strokeplay - Intermediate
National Gents Strokeplay – Intermediate Preview by John Manning
2023 Munster Junior Strokeplay bronze medalist Michael Creagh (Tralee) is in the first group out, playing with leading Tipperary qualifier Robert O’Donnell (Tipperary Hills), who made the final round last year.
Host club St. Anne’s will have a very strong hand in the intermediate championship with a sextet of very polished performers representing the Shanakiel club. All-Ireland Juvenile Matchplay Plate runner-up in 2018, David Murray will be first into action and will be joined by Donal Duggan, who was 2013 National Strokeplay runner-up at senior level, 2022 and 2023 Cork Junior Strokeplay champion Alan Duggan, 2023 Munster Junior Matchplay champion, Colin Hennessy, Martin O’Sullivan, a silver medallist in this championship two years ago and 2022 Munster Matchplay runner-up Alan Keating. O’Sullivan and Keating are in top form, witnessed by their respective second third place finishes in the 2025 Munster Strokeplay championship at Collins.
Former Pitch and Putt Ireland President Mark Keohane (Bandon) has qualified and will be joined by 2023 Munster Strokeplay champion Darren Temple (St. Stephen's) and reigning provincial Junior Matchplay champion Ger Dinan (E.S.B.).
2024 National Juvenile Matchplay champion and holder of the Cork Junior Matchplay championship crown is Aidan Spence-Murphy (Claycastle).
Reigning Munster Strokeplay champion Morty Ahern (Collins) has qualified automatically following his provincial success and knows St. Anne’s very well.
2017 Leinster Matchplay semi-finalist Martin Baird (Bagenalstown), who has represented Carlow with distinction in the Inter-County arena, plays with 2024 Munster Junior B Strokeplay champion Reece Sugrue (Tralee) and Declan Byrne (Cunnigar).
Nicholas Byrne (Collins), a three-time podium finisher in the National Over-55s Junior Grade Strokeplay championship, will seek to build on his recent third place finish at Riverdale.
Last year’s National Junior Strokeplay championship runner-up and 2025 Leinster Intermediate Matchplay semi-finalist Michael Holland (Gowran) will travel with confidence.
2025 Munster Junior Matchplay semi-finalist Ian McCarthy (Bishopstown) was 2024 Munster Mixed and Non-Mixed Foursomes runner-up. McCarthy is joined by 2019 European Over-55 Strokeplay champion, at Dagenham, Anthony Kavanagh (Trim) and Jonathan O’Neill (Tipperary Hills).
Bobby McCarron (Listowel) achieved royally as a Juvenile, helping Kerry to Tommy Murphy Cup success in 2019. McCarron will look to build on his fourth-place finish two years ago.
The ultra-experienced Brendan Crean (Ierne) played for Dublin against the touring Catalans away back in 2000.
Having excelled as a juvenile and played against the Catalans in the international challenge at Seapoint in 2018, Cillian Courtney (Deerpark) will hope to add to his previous haul of two All-Ireland Schools tournament winners’ medals’ together with a brace of National Juvenile Inter-County gold gongs.
Another hugely experienced campaigner is Tony Blake (Tralee), a previous Munster Mixed and Non-Mixed Foursomes champion. Blake will tee-off alongside Stephen Behan (Laytown), the 2023 Leinster Junior Strokeplay champion.
Another player to watch is 2024 Munster Intermediate Matchplay champion Dylan Moroney (Cunnigar).
2025 Leinster Matchplay semi-finalist Dominic Hynes (Royal Meath) plays in the final group of the day in partnership with Dave Connolly (Crosshaven), ten-stroke winner of the recent Munster Junior Strokeplay championship at Collins and Brian Walsh (Portmarnock).
Each of the previous three stagings of the National Intermediates Strokeplay championship at St. Anne’s have been conducted over 36 holes. The winning aggregates have been 94 (in 1976), 95 (1984) and 98 (1988). That’s an average of nearly 96, which may be a reasonable indication of a player’s target for Saturday’s opening rounds, which will reduce the field to the top 20 to contest the title over a further 36 holes on Sunday.
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