SOME 27 years after making his Pierse Purcell debut, Charleville's Kevin Owens went back to his golfing roots when he made a successful return to the competition at Nenagh.

What's more, Owens - who played in the Purcell in its inaugural year in 1970, but has played at a higher level in the interim until returning to the required handicap level last year - had a dual reason to celebrate: it was his birthday and, perhaps more importantly, Charleville won the section final with a 19th hole win over Castletroy to qualify for the area final on May 22nd.