As the sun split the skies on yesterday's opening day of the Bulmers sponsored All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals at Monkstown Golf Club, Portmarnock and Limerick both safely negotiated their way into today's final of the Barton Shield.
In winning their semi-finals the respective Leinster and Munster champions remain on course for All-Ireland doubles as Portmarnock will also contest the Senior Cup while Limerick have a team in the Pierce Purcell Shield, which also gets underway today.
Portmarnock took on Ulster champions Belvoir Park in a closely fought encounter before the Dublin side prevailed by four holes. Although neither of the Portmarnock pairings trailed at any point in the matches, which are played as foursomes, they were pushed all the way by a determined Belvoir side.
James Fox and Aengus McAllister eventually got the better of Johnny McWilliams and Barry Cashman in the top game as they won by two holes. Former Irish international Niall Goulding and Michael Brett also won by two holes over Andrew Morris and Harry Diamond.
"We always knew Belvoir were going to be a tough nut to crack and they were," said Cork native Goulding, who is enjoying something of a homecoming this week. "I grew up playing a lot of golf around here, it's second nature for me and that has it's advantages, no doubt about it."
In fact the two-time West of Ireland champion (1990, 1991) won a Munster Barton Shield title with Cork Golf Club back in 1986 before he joined Portmarnock over 20 years ago. To date his only All-Ireland success with his adopted club happens to be 20 years ago when he returned home in 1988 and won the Senior Cup with Portmarnock at Cork Golf Club.
"There's a bit of an emotional heart-string involved for me this week. My old fella still lives in Douglas as does my brother so it's like a homecoming," added Goulding, who put yesterday's win down to a fast start.
"We were three-under after four and out in two-under 33…that fast start was really the winning of the match for us even though it got tight in the end."
Things might have been different but for the treacherous putting conditions which caused the top match to three and four putt the 18th green. McCallister and Cashman both raced putts past the cup to leave their playing partners with much work to do. While Fox missed and was conceded a bogey, Belvoir failed to negotiate the slope and lost to a five when they look assured of winning the hole.
Considering the deluges and flooding in the area recently, full credit must go to the Scottish course superintendent Martin Travers, who not only has the greens - such as the 18th - at a wonderful pace but the overall course in pristine condition. The GUI also took the wise step of introducing preferred lies on the fairways and that looks set to carry through the week.
Portmarnock will meet Limerick in today's final after they defeated Connacht champions Athlone by five holes. Although Limerick's Michael O'Kelly and Martin Poucher were hauled back to one up after 12 holes - having been three up - they never looked like losing and eventually defeated Mark Rowe and Aidan Dooley by four holes.
The experienced Limerick pair of Pat Murray and Ger Vaughan steered the ship home with their one hole win over Ciaran O'Connor and Kelan McDonagh in the second match.
"It was a great win, we're delighted," said Vaughan by the 18th green. "We had no expectations setting out at the start of the year but then got on a bit of a roll especially with the new young blood on the team. I also had a good thoroughbred with me in Pat and that makes it so much easier."
Although no pennants were won on the opening day, semi-final wins by Naas and Ballina means the Leinster or Connacht champions will be crowned All-Ireland Junior Cup champions for the first time when they contest today's final.
Ray Lynch, Gus Fitzpatrick and David Prendergast put wins on the board for Naas while Liam Quinn was Ballycastle's only victor with his 3 and 2 win over Dermot Keane. Conor O'Rourke, with his dad John caddying, halved the final match with Hugh Sayers to secure Naas's 3.5-1.5 win.
In the other semi-final Stephen Lydon was Ballina's the hero of the hour as he won the deciding match against Adare Manor's Brian Hickey at the 18th. With the overall match poised at 2-2 Lydon kept his composure to eventually prevail by one hole. After a "great drive" at 18 he played a soft seven-iron from 145-yards to the right of the green and away from the water hazard on the left. The 37-year-old then secured the all-important win with two putts for par under extreme pressure.
"That was unbelievable, I'm still struggling to breath after that. I kind of went into a zone and worked off that and thankfully I came through in the end," said a shell-shocked Lydon who has it all to do again in today's final.
