Wins for Monkstown & Cork but no joy for Fermoy; AIG Cups & Shields round-up

Cork Golf Club was a hive of activity over the weekend.  With three pennants up for grabs, Monkstown, Cork and Fermoy went in search of glory.  With the course in Little Island in great shape, there was some great golf on display.  The Island was playing hard and fast, and the recent dry weather led a links like feel to the course.  There were wins for Cork and Monkstown but it was a step too far for Fermoy as they lost out in their semi-final with Tralee.

Munster Golf AIG Barton Shield 2016

Monkstown receive the Pennant for winning the Munster Golf AIG Senior Cup at Cork Golf Club.  Picture: Thos Caffrey / http://www.golffile.ie 

Monkstown won Munster AIG Senior Cup title for the first time on over half a century, beating Castletroy in an exciting Munster final.  12 months ago Sean Desmond won a dramatic match on the 20th green in Dungarvan to take Monkstown to a Senior Cup Munster Final.  Limerick beat them that day in the final, but Sean Desmond was again the hero, this time claiming the winning point on the 18th.  Desmond needed a point after Martin Poucher and Eoghan Long won their matches.  Andrew McCormack and Mark Campbell won for Castletroy so that left it all resting on Desmond’s match.  The 18 year old needed a half on the 18th to win the match and it looked doubtful when his second found the trees on the 18th.  Desmond played a great recovery shot that saw his ball pitch short of the green and run on to 15 feet.  Desmond calmly rolled the ball to less than a foot and that was enough to win the match and the crucial winning point for Monkstown.

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Doneraile win First Irish Mixed Foursomes Munster Title

Mixed Foursomes Munster Final

Jim Long Hon Sec Munster Branch GUI presents Sean Collins Doneraile Golf Club team captain winners of the Mixed Foursomes Munster Final, Gold Coast Golf Club. Picture: Golffile 

There was great excitement in Gold Coast GC on Saturday as Doneraile won their first Irish Mixed Foursomes Munster title.  Despite the positive weather forecast, golfers had to contend with heavy rain for much of the day.  In the morning semi-finals, Tramore overcame Mahon and Doneraile had and impressive win over Dromoland Castle.  Both sides stuck with the same pairings for the final and it was a closely matched affair.  Tim O’Mahony and Anne Heffernan put an early point on the board for Doneraile when they won on the 15th.  That was the only match to finish early as the remaining four went the distance – and beyond.  Sean Barrett and Karena Hunter claimed Doneraile’s second point but Keith Ridgard and Maeve Enright won a point for Tramore, both matches finishing on the 18th.  The final two matches needed two additional holes to force a decision.  John O’Brien and Ann Mitchell balanced the score at 2-2 when they beat Doneraile’s Peter Duane and Anna Cotter on the 20th hole.  It all came down to final match between Doneraile’s Eddie Roche and Eileen Coleman and Tramore’s Martin Walsh and Amanda O’Connor.  After finishing the 18 holes level, they went on to half the 19th.  The match was finally settled on the 20th hole with Roche and Coleman won, securing a first ever Irish Mixed Foursomes pennant for the North Cork club.  Team Captain Sean Collins proudly accepted the pennant from Munster Golf’s Jim Long.  Doneraile now advance to the All-Ireland semi-finals with hopes of following 2015 winner Dooks in adding a green pennant to their blue pennant from Munster.

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No Joy for Mallow in Fred Daly Munster Semi-Final

Fred Daly Trophy Munster Finals, Newcastle West Golf Club, Saturday 6th August 2016Mallow suffered a loss at the hands of a strong Limerick side in Newcastle West yesterday in the Munster semi-final of the Fred Daly Trophy.  The previous evening Mallow had lost a nail biting final in the Irish Junior Foursomes, but they pitched up in Newcastle West on Saturday morning with a strong side ready for battle.  Adam Boland, Liam Dowling, Greg Barrett and Edward Walsh all started for Mallow, with Daniel O’Sullivan taking the anchor spot having played in the Junior Foursomes.

Gallery: Fred Daly Trophy Munster semi-finals at Newcastle West

It was a tight match all the way through, Limerick had a narrow lead at the halfway point and similar to Friday’s play Mallow staged a comeback on the back nine.  Limerick however weren’t to be caught and the 16th and 17th proved crucial as Limerick picked up the three points on these holes.  Ed Walsh won Continue reading