Seldom has there been more excitement and drama than at the Bulmers Barton Shield Leinster final at Royal Dublin golf club on Saturday morning last, when Elm Park and Kilkenny battled it out to decide Leinster's representatives in the All Ireland finals in Portrush at the end of September. Three up with three holes to play, Kilkenny looked well on their way to the Bulmers All Ireland finals. But golf is a funny game, and four holes later Elm Park were the champions of Leinster.

Kilkenny's opening pair of Padraig O'Rourke and Richard Duggan stood two up on the 18th tee against David Dunne and Eddie McCormack, and Eddie Power and Ger Hogan were one up on Declan Quilligan and Mick Turley playing 17. However, Duggan's teeshot took a wicked kick into the out of bounds drain at the 18th to let Elm Park in for a win. Power and Hogan halved the 17th with Quilligan and Turley, but after Power missed the green, short and left on 18, Turley played a majestic shot to 15 feet and two putts were enough to send the match into tie holes after Power and Hogan failed to get up and down.

Turley hit and enormous drive down the first, but had to putt first after Qulligan's chip pulled up 30 feet shot of the hole. Turley left the first putt 18 inches to the right, but Power sent his putt five feet past and when Hogan missed Qulligan holed to give Elm Park a victory that looked unlikely a half a hour earlier.

Elm Park opened their finals weekend with a 7-hole win over Delgany, and then beat the Grange by 4 holes in the semi-final. Kilkenny had victories over Woodbrook and Mullingar.