Golf notes

DUNDALK GOLF CLUB

David Lawrence, playing off 23, emerged as the clear winner of the weekend Paddy Markey & Veterans Cup stroke play competition sponsored by The Neptune, Blackrock, bringing in a nett 63 to leave him four shots ahead of his nearest challengers.

David set a solid pace on his outward nine with a string of nett fours at the first three holes and maintained his consistency with nett threes at the par four fourth and par three fifth holes and went on to par the eighth hole for a nett three to turn on a score of nett 34.

His back nine was even more impressive with a run of pars at the par five 10^th and 12^th holes and the par four 11^th and par three 13^th holes. He finished in style with a birdie three on the 18^th hole to come home in nett 29.

There was tight competition for the divisional honours. Ken Norton on nett 69 won Division 1, edging out Jim Dwyer, also on 69, with an impressive closing nine of nett 29 that consisted of three birdies and six pars. Division 2 honours went to Conor Rafferty who squeezed past Tommy Renaghan on countback.

The Veteran’s Prize was won by Thomas McDonnell (26) with a net 68, reflecting a solid, consistent round of scoring with net 34’s on both nines.

Mark O’Sullivan (21) won the June Bank Holiday Open Singles Stableford Competition, sponsored by The Neptune, Blackrock, with 45 points. He laid the foundation for his win on the front nine with back-to-back birdies for four points at the par fours second and third holes and a par for another four points at the index one par four fourth hole, before adding another four points when paring the par five seventh hole, to turn on 25 points. His back nine included a birdie four at the 10^th hole for four points and a solid run of two and three pointers to come home on 20 points.

Michael J Gallagher (19) put in a storming back nine performance to claim the overall winners prize in the Open Singles Stableford Competition sponsored by McKenna Man with 41 points. After nine holes he had 18 points but it was on the closing nine holes that he came alive, with five three pointers in a row from the 10^th to the 14^th holes before finishing in style with a par four on the 18^th hole for another three points to come home with 23 points.

It was a good weekend on the interclub front as the Junior team beat Kilcock while the Mixed Foursomes team defeated Mullingar.

Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2 - Paddy Markey & Veterans Cup Stroke sponsored by The Neptune, Blackrock – Overall: David Lawrence (23) 63. Veterans Cup: Thomas McDonnell (26) 68. Gross: Darren Myles 74. Division 1: Ken Norton (9) 69/28.5, Jim Dwyer (12) 69/32. Division 2: Conor Rafferty (17) 69/30.5/16.3. Tommy Renaghan (17) 69/30.5/18.3. Division 3: Michael Begley (21) 67/31.5, Conor McGowan (20) 67/36.

Monday, June 3 - Open Singles Stableford sponsored by The Neptune, Blackrock. Overall: Mark O’Sullivan (21) 45pts, Garrett Duffy (4) 44pts. Division 1: David Murden (18) 41pts. Division 2: Sean McCreesh (18) 41pts. Division 3: Noel Reid (23) 40pts. Gross Recognition: Conall Murdock 32pts.

Wednesday, June 5 - McKenna Man Open Singles Stableford - Overall: Michael J Gallagher (19) 41pts. Division 1: Kevin Redmond (12) 36pts. Division 2: Tony Ryan (18) 37pts. Division 3: Gerard Cluskey (24) 40pts. Gross Recognition: Neal Mackell 35pts.

MANNAN CASTLE GOLF CLUB

President Eamon Trainor’s Prize was played in glorious sunshine and no rain (the simple things in life!). Now President Eamon did it his way, perhaps a little controversial, but he decided that this year the Presidents Prize would be played off the white tees.

The course was set up extremely easy, the hole positions were not tough, still only six golfers managed to score over 40 pts. Twelve men, no women made the playoffs, for some it was their first playoff, for others they have been there many times.

The winner John Hand has caddied for his brother Barry many times and this was his year to have Barry on his bag! John was one of the leading qualifiers scoring 42pts on Sunday morning, he kept his cool, well mostly.

His brother Barry won the Presidents Cup in 2021 and as Barry so eloquently put it now we have two ‘Hands’ on the Presidents Cup! I wonder who John will take with him to Carton House, first prize is an overnight stay and breakfast at the 5 star Carton house, a round of golf on each of their championship golf courses, O'Meara and Montgomery.

Runner Up Val Donohue is no stranger to the Presidents Playoff, with his son Conor on his bag. Val started the playoff just two points of the leaders, kept his head and scored 19 points on the 9 playoff holes, to finish with 59pts and claim second place.

The Gross Prize winner was Conor Farrelly with his dad George on his bag to keep him focused, it was really nice to have Conor at the prize presentation. In third place, Christopher Kearney a man I hardly recognized without his beard, Christopher had a solid 38pts to get him into the playoff and shot 17 pts to claim 3rd place

Congratulations to everyone who qualified for this years Presidents Playoff.

John Rouiller (16) 38pts, Brian Finnegan (23) 38pts , Gerry McMahon (21) 38pts, Conor Farrelly (4) 38pts, Derek Donnelly (27) 39pts, Christopher Kearney (21) 39pts , Philip Hughes (12) 39pts, Gary Capaldi (12) 39pts, Philip McGovern (21) 40pts, Val Donoghue (19) 40pts, John Hand (9) 42pts and Noel Prendergast (18) 42pts.

Congratulations to Barry Kiernan who had a hole in one on the 10th hole.

1st: John Hand (9 ) 61pts; 2nd Val Donoghue (19) 59pts; Gross Prize Conor Farrelly (4 ) 72 gross; 3rd Christopher Kearney (21) 57pts; Best Back 9: Noel Prendergast (18) 25pts; Past President: Philip McGovern (15) 40pts/55pts

Category 2: 1st Philip McEntee (24) 42pts; 2nd Stephen Aherne (15) 40pts.

Everyone at Mannan Castle are all getting used to the new BRS computerized draw, it worked really well mostly, however a few inconsiderate golfers who took their names off the timesheet or asked to have their names moved to another slot, leaving two balls or three balls stuck in the middle of a field of fourballs.

The saga continues should the President's Prize be held on the June Bank Holiday/Carrickmacross Festival weekend!

It’s great to have the tournament on a bank holiday, but perhaps they should consider this next year and not try and compete with the festival.