Mount Juliet stormed by Oliver's army

A distinct GAA flavour ran through the winning team in this year's Irish Times/ Lexus Corporate Challenge, which was played in superb conditions at Mount Julliet over the weekend.

That may help to explain the low scoring and high haul of points, with the winners, Oliver Freaney and Co, setting a target to which future teams may well aspire. A 92-point total, largely off the back tees, gave Noel Fox, Lar Foley, Shay Boland and Paul Wyse their first taste of success in this competition. An Post and Aer Rianta came in second and third respectively with 85 and 84 points.

It was a winning margin which was significantly better than last year's, won by MMI with 85 points.

Dublin hurler Boland, a member of Hermitage and playing off a handicap of 10, combined with Malahide GC's Foley (15), who won All-Ireland medals with Dublin in 1963 and 1958, Portmarnock's Fox (13), who also picked up a medal with the 1963 team, and Dun Laoighaire's Wyse (15) in light and dry conditions to top the 12-team competition and carry off the coveted Irish Times/ Lexus Trophy.

A strong finish helped the side to further distance themselves from An Post and Aer Rianta, when three of the team parred the tricky, par four 18th hole for six points. Wyse, in fact, knocked down his drive before fighting back to save par. It was a solid all-round performance from the team.

"The course was playing quite long and we were playing off the back sticks for most of the time, but it was in such superb nick that we were able to go well," said Wyse.

The easiest hole on the course, the index 18, par five fifth, offered up only two points to the winners, but the par five 10th produced two birdies for a welcome eight points.

Oliver Freaney, which employs about 90 people, made it to the final thorough a qualifying event in Luttrelstown.

The An Post team of Patrick Madden (8), Thomas Browne (11), Paul Doolin (15) and Frank O'Connell (13) had a superb front nine, shooting 47 points. But they couldn't keep the momentum going, dropping to 40 points for the back nine.

Doolin, however, should remember the par four ninth hole for some time to come, as he holed out from 175 yards to claim a birdie. At that stage An Post led the field and were four points clear of the winners.

Aer Rianta, with Declan Kenny (8), Tom McGowan (21), Flan Kiernan (11) and Paul Clarke (13), had a strong back nine (44 points) to just edge out the Department of Social Community and Family Affairs by one point to claim third place. Clarke, of course, is better known for his footballing abilities with Dublin and Whitehall.

The longest drive went to John Morrison, from Frank Keane Holdings, while the nearest to the pin award went to Tara Mines' David Healy.

Over 3,000 golfers took part in the competition, with 48 making it through to the weekend final. The Irish Times, represented by Chief Executive and Group Managing Director Louis O'Neill, and Lexus have secured a deal which will keep the competition running successfully for some time to come.