Paul McGinley made a surprise appearance in the Smurfit Links Society Outing at Baltray yesterday and took the gross prize with a sparkling six-under-par 67. It reflected impressive form by the Dubliner, especially in view of his six weeks off tour to be with his wife and their newly-born daughter.
"I knew nothing about the outing until my father rang me early this morning," he said afterwards. "Obviously my game was very steady but it was a pet day." His younger brother Michael made it a family affair by taking the third gross with a 71.
They were both outscored, however, for the major, nett prize by Eamonn McCartan of Greenore, who shot a 67 off three. McCartan was five under par gross for the first 11 holes after birdies at the third, fifth, sixth, 10th and 11th. But he bogeyed the next two before covering the remainder in par.
McGinley, who carded seven birdies and hit 17 greens, was sixunder after 11, despite threeputting the long second for a par and the short seventh for a bogey.
A particularly impressive birdie came at the long third, where he reached the green with a five-iron second shot.
67 - E McCartan (3) Greenore.
68 - P McGinley (plus 1) The K Club.
69 - K Commins (3) Ardee.
70 - S Duffy (7) Newlands, L Walker (scr) Foxrock.
71 - F Gannon (scr) Skerries, J Noer (8) Co Louth, P Smyth (6) Killiney, J Carvill (scr) BarOne-Racing, S Paul (1) Malahide, P Whelan (8) The K Club, K Stevenson (scr) Warrenpoint, J Heggarty (scr) Spawell, C O'Connor Jnr (scr) Galway Bay.
72 - N Crimmins (4) Ardee, M Delaney (7) Laytown and Bettystown, C Moriarty (scr) Athlone, P Lawrie (scr) O'Callaghan Hotels, G Fogarty (5) Royal Dublin, A Weir (8) Co Louth, H Mackeown (2) Portmarnock, M McGinley (plus 1) Grange.
73 - F O'Brien (7) Royal Dublin, B O'Farrell (5) The Island, T Butler (8) Foxrock, J Mahony (6) Portmarnock.
74 - G Cullen (plus 2) Beaverstown, M Gallagher (6) Headfort, R Hughes (1) Royal Portrush, F Sharkey (6) Co Louth, D Carroll (scr) Seapoint, H Jackson (scr) Donabate, B Gibbons (5) Woodbrook, L Owens (scr) Royal Dublin, P Coughlan (2) St Anne's, E Darcy (plus 1) Druids Glen, P Webster (8) Portmarnock.
Prize winners: Nett - McCartan, Commins, Duffy, Whelan, Noer, Gannon. Gross - P McGinley, Walker, M McGinley, O'Connor Jnr, Stevenson, Carvill. Team - Carvill, Moriarty, Butler - 60.
Overall awards for the season - Amateur 54 holes nett - McCartan -2; Amateur 36 holes nett - P Rogers (Dundalk) -1; Amateur gross 36 holes - N Fox (Portmarnock) +2; Professional 54 holes gross - Darcy -2; Pro- fessional 36 holes gross - D Smyth (Westpoint) -2; Overall team - P Whelan -29.
