Golf

Shay’s Short Game: Eddie McCormack dominates at Galway Bay

Meanwhile, Robin Dawson holds a healthy lead in Bridgestone Order of Merit

Galway Bay’s Eddie McCormack cruised to victory at his home course to win the Irish Mid-Amateur Championship.

Shay Keenan
Mon Jun 18 2018 - 10:04

Galway Bay’s Eddie McCormack cruised to victory at his home course to win the Irish Mid-Amateur Championship.

Fresh from his win in the Connacht Stroke Play, McCormack captured his second trophy in eight days. After building a five-stroke lead on day one, McCormack only needed to shoot 75 in the third and final round to complete his latest success.

Portmarnock’s Geoff Lenehan finished second, having also carded 75 in the final round while Gerard Dunne from Co Louth was two shots further back in third after posting 73, the low round of the day.

Kids Golf Tour under way

KPMG are to sponsor of the Irish Kids Golf Tour for the 2018 season. Irish Kids Golf Tour offer professionally conducted competitions for both boys and girls aged 13 years and under, that help develop players both on and off the golf course. The aim of the tour is to prepare kids for competitive golf.

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Established in 2017 by Slieve Russel Hotel, Golf & Country Club Head PGA Professional, Gordon Smyth, and Co-Founder, Ciaran Cahill, Irish Kids Golf Tour provides an event setting for junior golfers to compete in a safe and enjoyable environment on some of Ireland’s best golf courses. As part of the sponsorship, KPMG will provide goodie bags and branded caps to all the 600 participants at this year’s events..

2018 venues are: Ulster: Slieve Russell Resort - June 17th; Leinster: Mount Juliet Resort - July 2nd; Connaught: Co Sligo GC - July 19th; Munster: Fota Island Resort - August .

All Ireland: The K Club - August 22nd.

Morrow adds Ulster title to list of successes

Portmarnock’s Adrian Morrow won the Ulster Seniors by one shot from Barry O’Leary from Greystones. Morrow carded rounds of 75 and 77 for a 36 holes total of 152 while O’Leary signed for 776 and 76 to finish just one behind on 153. Richard McDowell from Royal Belfast was a shot further back in third place on 154 after rounds of 78 and 76. Tony Hayes was next on 154 after shhoting 77 and 78 while Frank Flynn from Laytown and Bettystown finished on 156 (81, 75).

The Ulster Veterans Trophy for the best player over 65 years of age was won by Mourne’s Hugh Smyth with scores of 81 and 76 for 157.

O’Reilly braves elements to take Assistants title

Glenlo Abbey’s Brian O’Reilly battled strong winds and heavy rain to win the 72-hole Irish PGA Assistants’ Championship at the Nuremore Hotel and Country Club. The 25-year-old started the final round with a two-shot lead and as conditions deteriorated, he ground out a 76 to collect the trophy.

O’Reilly’s four-round total of five-over 289 (71, 72, 70, 76) gave him a three-shot margin of victory over Royal Tara’s Stephen Barry (74, 68, 73, 77), who led after 36 holes, Royal Dublin’s Brian McCormack Jnr (75, 74, 71, 72) and Shannon’s Paul O’Neill who fired a brilliant final round 69 to go with earlier rounds of 71, 78 and 74.

O’Reilly produced some steady golf over the opening nine holes of his final round and reached the turn in one over par 36 but he stumbled on the way in, dropping shots at the 10th and 16th before losing a ball on the 17th which cost him a double-bogey.

Connacht Seniors at semi-final stage

Strokestown will play Gort and Ballinasloe will take on Castlebar in next month’s Revive Active Connacht Senior Over 55s Inter Club Semi-finals. Strokestown made light of their disadvantage of having just two of the five matches at home and were resounding 4-1 match winners against Ballina and are the sole nine holes course survivors.

It was a similar story for Ballinasloe who secured a 3-2 win over East Galway rivals Loughrea. Castlebar continue the club’s rich vein of inter club form and squeezed past Belmullet by 3-2.

Gort with three matches at home proved too strong for a gallant Cregmore Park by 3.5 - 1.5.

The provincial semi-finals will be very quickly followed by the provincial final first leg seven days later on July 11th with a two week break then to the second leg on July 25th.

Dawson a clear leader

With just three tournaments left in the Bridgestone Order of Merit race, Tramore’s Robin Dawson continues to set the pace on 503 points. Alex Gleeson from Castle is in second place on 410 with Robert Brazill from Naas next on 345.

The next event is the North of Ireland at Royal Portrush from July 9th to 13th. The other remaining tournaments in the series are: South of Ireland (JUly 25th to 29th) and AIG Irish Close (August 4th to 8th).

Bridgestone Order of Merit

1 Robin Dawson (Tramore) 503

2 Alex Gleeson (Castle) 410

3 Robert Brazill (Naas) 345

4 Mark Power (Kilkenny) 278

5 James Sugrue (Mallow) 233

6 James Fox (Portmarnock) 205

7 Eanna Griffin (Waterford) 198

8 Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay) 180

9 Devin Morley (Oughterard) 170

10 Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo) 158.

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