GOLF | Success for Dundalk at Inter Club Husband and Wife Matchplay

Dundalk Golf Club’s Caolan Rafferty and Eoin Murphy both qualified for the matchplay stages of the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship in Rosses Point over the weekend.

Unfortunately, the third Dundalk golfer in the field, Aaron Grant, narrowly failed to make the group of 64 who advanced from the strokeplay rounds. Both Caolan and Eoin won their two matches on Sunday to reach the last 16.

Congratulations also to everybody involved in the 2016 Inter Club Husband and Wife Matchplay Competition, hosted by Co Meath Golf Club, which Dundalk won 3–0 against a strong Killeen Castle team.

Dundalk qualified for the final last September after winning three rounds but scheduling challenges led to the final being delayed until Sunday, April 9.

The Dundalk Panel consisted of Briege and Tommy Renaghan, Mary Lou and Barry Grennan, Teresa and Nigel Giff, Mags and Mickey Coburn, Anne and Gerry Murray, Mary and Sean Hession and Siobhan and Brendan Keane.

The Dundalk team played wonderful golf in the final and came through to win through The Renaghans on 16, Coburns on 15 and The Murrays on 14, with the Grennans and Giffs still on the course.

Elaine Ward and Paul O’Callaghan managed the team and certainly left no stone unturned in their preparations. The team were well supported on the day by a number of members as well as the Lady Captain Maeve, ex Officio Jean, 2016 Lady President Briege and President Noel who received the trophy on behalf of Dundalk.

Thanks go to Co Meath for organising the event which is in its second year. The format is changing in 2017 when it will be a fourball format with four teams representing each club and the best three cards to count. It is due to get underway in May and Dundalk are looking forward to defending their title.

On the homefront, Liam Mernagh (12) won Sunday’s 18 hole Singles Stableford competition after shooting 38 points in windy conditions. He won on countback from Pat McKeown (16) who took the Category Two prize. The other category winners were Derek Murdock (10) and Noel McGuinness (18) while Peter Rogers, with a score of 33, took the Gross Prize.

Mernagh produced two solid nines of 19 points each on his way to victory and his round included three point pars at third, fifth, 11th and 18th. His only dropped points were at the eighth and 12th as he scored two points on every other hole. Overall, Mernagh had a round of nine pars, eight bogeys and one double-bogey.

The Dundalk Senior Scratch Cup, which was due to take place this Sunday has been rescheduled for September 17th. An 18 Hole Singles Stableford competition over the white course has been scheduled for this Sunday in its place.

Results of the 18 Hole Singles Stableford, held on Sunday, April 16th — 1st: Liam Mernagh (12) 38/19; Category One 0–10 1st: Derek Murdock (10) 37/20; 2nd: Martin Crosby (9) 37; Category Two 11–17 1st: Pat McKeown (16) 38; 2nd: Paddy Duffy (13) 35/18; Category Three 18–28 1st: Noel McGuinness (18) 37; 2nd: Noel Crowe (26) 34/17/15; Gross: Peter Rogers 33.