The National U16 Matchplay championships will be played at Lakeside for the first time this weekend. John Manning looks back at the previous two staging of the National U16 Strokeplay Championships

Just two years ago, Mark Cadden (Oldcastle) scored 51, 51 to clinch the Boys championship at Lakeside on 102, two clear of Deerpark’s Robbie Harnett, who fired 53, 51. Joe Franklin (Hillview) and Ralph Fitzgerald (Ardnacrusha) both scored 105 with the Tipperary player claiming third on the Second 18, 50 to 54. 109 clinched the Best 10-13 category (Helen McMorrow Cup) for Brian McCarthy (Deerpark).

The Girls Championship was dominated by Sarah Cooney (Seapoint) who was round in 61, 61 for a 122 aggregate and a nine stroke winning margin. A second 18 of 62 secured runners-up spot for Ella Moynihan (Tralee), on the tiebreaker from the 66 of Beth O'Donoghue (Athgarvan). The pair had ended level on 131 following regulation play.

The National Juvenile Strokeplay Championships were also played at Lakeside on Sunday 18th August 2008. Two Pfizer club-mates contested a nine-hole play-off for the Boys championship after Chris O'Sullivan (49, 47) and Frank Bruen (45, 51) finished level on 12 under par for 36 holes.  Chris O'Sullivan won the play-off, 22 to 24. Michael Darcy (Bruff) scored 50, 47 for 97 and third place. A great day for Pfizer was complete when Michael Howard took the 10-13 award on 101.
Lakeside had their own champion to toast when Martha O'Brien toured her beloved Lakeside track in 56, 56 for 112 and a four stroke Girls championship victory from Kilbeggan’s Aoife Carton (60, 56). 121 secured the bronze medal for Gemma McCarthy (Hillview).

In an extraordinarily close finish to the 2008 National Juvenile Inter-County Championship, at Lakeside, Cork (Colin Sheehan 102, Chris O'Sullivan 102, Declan Sheehan 103, Frank Bruen 104, Josh Whelan 106), emerged victorious on the fifth card from Kerry (Danny Roche 99, Craig Hickey 102, Darragh O'Keeffe 103, Kieran O'Keeffe 107, Kieran Looney 111) after the Munster rivals had both scored 411 for the traditional best four out of five 36 hole cards. Louth (Robert Brodigan 99, John O'Rourke 105, Glen Martin 107, Ciaran Byrne 108, Keith Boyle 111), took third place, also on the fifth card, after they had  tied with Westmeath on 419.

The Munster Juvenile Matchplay Championships have been played twice at Lakeside. In 1990, Barry Moynihan (Tralee) defeated Stephen Cody (Dunlops) by 4&3 in the final. The Girls’ Championship was not played that year. Eight years later, Michael O’Brien (Tralee) claimed the 1998 Munster Boys’ Matchplay championship title at Lakeside with a 6&5 final win over Thomas O’Donovan (Bruff).

Eileen McCarthy (Deerpark) beat Edel Murphy (Lakewood) by 9&8 in the Girls’ final, reversing the outcome of the previous year’s final (at Tralee).

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