Dundalk Golf Club notes

Colm Coburn was a popular winner of the latest series of the Dundalk Golf Club Autumn Series sponsored by National Tile and Flooring on Sunday, September 27.

Playing off 24, he got off to a great start with a three-point par at the first and then two more at the sixth and eighth to turn on 22pts. Two more three-point pars followed on the back nine at the 14th and 17th as he came home in 21pts.

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His score of 43pts was two more than runner-up Andrew Lynch (23), while teenager Roan Norton Quigley (3) won Division 1 with 40pts and also took the gross recognition accolade with 37pts.

His round featured birdies at the seventh, 11th and 12th and bogeys at the fourth and 13th. Martin Byrne (18) won Division 2 on countback from David Cairns (13) after both had shot 37pts, while Ben O’Connor (20) with 40pts was the winner of Division 3.

Graham Purcell, who kindly sponsors the Autumn Series, found himself on the winner’s podium on Wednesday when he shot 41pts off 19 to win the latest edition of the McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford.

His round included a four-point par at the index one fourth and three-point pars at the fifth, seventh, eighth, 10th, 11th, 12, and 14th as he went out in 20pts and came home in 21pts.

Damien Garland (5) with 38pts won Division 1, while Ciaran Dunne (15) won Division 2 and Gerard Cluskey (25) took Division 3 with 40pts. The gross recognition went to Gerard Brennan with 33pts.

Sunday, September 27 - National Tile and Flooring Autumn Series – Overall: Colm Coburn (24) 43pts, Andrew Lynch (23) 41pts. Division 1: Roan Norton Quigley (3) 40pts. Ciaran Cooney (6) 40pts Division 2: Martin Byrne (18) 37pts, David Cairns (13) 37pts. Division 3: Ben O'Connor (20) 40pts, Noel McGuinness  (24) 39pts. Gross Recognition: Roan Norton Quigley 37pts.

Wednesday, October 2 - McKenna Man Singles Stableford – Overall: Graham Purcell (19) 41pts. Division 1: Damien Garland (5) 38pts. Division 2: Ciaran Dunne (15) 38pts. Division 3: Gerard Cluskey (25) 40pts. Gross Recognition: Gerard Brennan (3.1) 33 gross pts.

Graham Purcell made it two wins in a week when he claimed overall victory in the national Tile and Flooring Autumn Series on October 5, having already won the McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford competition on October 1.

The fact that he sponsors the competition made the win even sweeter as he held off the challenge of Martin Byrne winning on countback after both had shot 39pts.

Purcell, playing off 18, had the better back nine, scoring 20pts on the trip home compared to Byrne’s 18pts.

Purcell got off to a great start with three-point pars at the first and third and two-point bogeys at the second and fourth, leaving him on 10pts after four holes.

Two more three pars at the sixth and eighth were sandwiched between three one-point double bogeys as he turned on 19pts.

His fourth one-point double bogey came the par five 10th, and it proved to be his last as he recorded three three-point pars at the 13th, 15th and 17th and five two-point bogeys.

Byrne, who was also playing off 18, went out in 21pts thanks to three pars and six bogeys, but down the back he could only manage two pars, which were cancelled out by two double bogeys as he shot 18pts to lose by two points on countback.

Connor McCaughey (6) needed countback to edge out John Sharkey (7) in Division 1 after both finished on 37pts as did Fergal McKenna (16), who needed it to pip John McKenna (17) for the Division 2.

In Division 3, Sean Dunne (20) shot 38pts to beat Oisin Cairns (22) while Conall Murdock with 32pts had the day’s best gross score.

Last Wednesday’s McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford was won by Ben Walsh (8), who shot 39pts to take the overall victory on countback from Aidan Thornton (5), Dermont Murphy Jnr (5), and Anthony McGuinness (22).

Walsh went out in 18pts after paring four of the first five holes and birdieing the par five seventh for four points. He had 21pts on the back nine as he birdied the par four 14th and had six other pars.

Thornton took Division 1 from Murphy on countback, while McGuinness claimed Division 2, winning it by three points from Liam O’Mahony (20).

In Division 3, Paul O’Hare (30) had four points to spare over David Corrigan (37) after shooting 36pts. Gross recognition went to Ciaran Johnston with 34pts.  

Caolan Rafferty made his Eisenhower Trophy debut last week in Singapore as Ireland finished 21st of the 36 teams. He shot rounds of 75-70-74-74 to finish on five over for the competition and was tied 58th of the 11 players in the field.

The tournament was won by South Africa, whose top player, Christiaan Maas, won the individual title.

Sunday, October 5 – National Tile and Flooring Autumn Series – Overall: Graham Purcell (18) 39pts, Martin Byrne (18) 39pts (18). Division 1:  Connor McCaughey (6) 37pts, John Sharkey (7) 37pts. Division 2: Fergal McKenna (16) 37pts, John McKenna (17) 37pts. Division 3: Sean Dunne (20) 38pts, Oisin Cairns (22) 37pts. Gross Recognition: Conall Murdock 32pts.

Wednesday, October 9 - McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Ben Walsh (8) 39pts. Division 1 Aidan Thornton (5) 39pts, Dermot Murphy Jnr (5) 39pts, Division 2: Anthony McGuinness (22) 39pts, Liam O'Mahony (20) 36pts. Division 3: Paul O'Hare (30) 36pts, David Corrigan (37) 32pts. Gross Recognition: Ciaran Johnson 34pts.