Provincial U-16 And World Strokeplay Saturday Reports

Reports from Gowran, Deerpark & Imjelt

2017 Leinster Under 16 Matchplay

2017 Munster Under 16 Strokeplay

Communications & Press Officer Jason O’Connor reports on a busy day at U-16 level as well as at the World Strokeplay Championships in Norway.

Leinster

Yet more provincial titles for St Patricks as Dylan Hudson won a third provincial crown for the Enniscorthy club today in Gowran at the U-16 Matchplay to go with their two recent wins at the Leinster Gents Strokeplay in St Bridgets. A 16 person tournament saw players divided up into four groups of four to play 36 holes Strokeplay with the top four in each group advancing to the Championship Finals and the second placed players in each group advancing to the Plate.

Amazingly Evan Carry’s seven under par total was only good enough for second in his group as the Leinster Strokeplay winner went into the Plate section. Poulaphouca’s Jason Brady was a stroke better than him on eight under par to top that Group. Old County’s Lennon Blake and Poulaphouca’s Andrew Curran along with Hudson topped the other three Groups to make up the Championship Semi-Finals. In the first Semi-Final Brady got the better of Blake at the first playoff hole while Hudson was a 1up winner over Curran. In the Final Hudson dominated the match eventually winning out by 7&6 in a big win for the Enniscorthy club.

Carry was a convincing winner of the Plate section meanwhile as he was a 5&4 winner over Glenville’s David Horan in the first semi-final before going on to beat Bagenalstown’s Luke Kelly in the decider 11&9. Kelly had defeated Collinstown’s Jack Buckley to make the Final in the other Semi-Final 1up.

Munster

Double delight for Deerpark on home turf today as for the second time in seven years they won both the Boys 8-13 and 14-15 titles in Killarney today. There was also the novel factor of the U-13 winner shooting a better score than the older age group competitors as Cillian Courtney had a six shot victory with a 36 hole total of 11 under par. Courtney had a fine second round of eight under par to claim the title from his playing partner Shea Fennell of Parteen as the Munster U-16 Matchplay Semi-Finalist finished on five under par in second.

The current and former U-16 Matchplay Champions Cian Murphy and Glenn Towler of St Annes both ties on four under par in third and fourth with Murphy getting the bronze medal by virtue of a better second 18 of three under par. A good second round was also key for Adam Kelly to win the Boys 14-15 section, the fourth time in 11 years the grade had been won by a player from the Killarney club. After opening with three under he added a second round of five under to finish on eight under par in winning the title. That was one better than club-mate Darragh O’Callaghan who finished well on six under par for his second round but was left to rue an opening one under for a tournament score of seven.

In third was Munster Matchplay Runner-Up Dylan Seymour of Fermoy who beat St St Stephens Aaron Roche on countback for the prize after both had 36 holes of two under par. Dylan’s second 18 of four under par was the deciding factor.

World Strokeplay Update

DEFENDING Champion John Walsh took a major step towards retaining the World Pitch & Putt Strokeplay title in Imjelt, Norway yesterday. Rounds of seven and five under par were added to an opening seven under on Friday to post a 54 score of 19 under par, five clear of his Irish World Cup winning team-mate of last year, Dubliner John Ross Crangle in second.

The Cork player was the 2013 winner of the event as European Strokeplay Champion Liam O’Donovan and Louth’s Mark Millar are both on 12 under par in a share of fourth. Limerick’s Pacelli Darcy and Meath’s Eamon Gibney are both on 10 under par meanwhile as play concludes today in Norway with a final 18 holes.

In the Ladies event Cork’s Eleanor Walsh leads on four over par two shots ahead of another Irish player in Tipperary Hills’ Breda White on six over par.

Click on the above scoreboards for scores from all three events today.

Leinster U-16 Matchplay Championships

(Gowran, Kilkenny)

Championship

Semi-Finals

J Brady (Poulaphouca) bt L Blake (Old County) 37^th

D Hudson (St Patricks) bt A Curran (Poulaphouca) 1up

Final

D Hudson bt J Brady 7&6

Plate

Semi-Finals

E Carry (Castletown) bt D Horan (Glenville) 5&4