Mount Juliet Golf Notes

The first team in the Inter Club competitions run under the auspices of the Golfing Union of Ireland was in action last Saturday. The competition was the Leinster Fourball and the opposition was Waterford Golf Club. Due to the present inclement weather, all five matches had to be played at Mount Juliet as the Waterford course was unplayable. Unfortunately for the home side, Waterford prevailed on a score of 3 matches to 2 with the visitors holding the upper hand in all three matches that they won. The winning pairs were Padraic O’Connor/Dermot Divilly and Pat Stakelum/Bryan Higgins and the team was ably managed by Kevin McCartan.

Two stroke competitions were also held over the past week and the most important one was the March Monthly Medal which took place last Sunday. This was the first competition carrying points to decide the Golfer of the Year for 2013. As is usual in all member’s medal competitions, play was off the white tees for the men and with a bitter wind blowing from the east throughout the day, conditions for good scoring proved to be very difficult for all competitors. The target for the day proved to be 35 points which was achieved by Alan Hearne in Category I. The nearest to Alan’s score was Ronan Murphy who had 34 points in Category III. The other men’s category was won by Ger Dowling and nice to see Adrienne Walsh winning the ladies category with 31 points.

On St. Patrick’s Day there was an open singles played and scoring was very good with Richie Guilfoyle proving to be a convincing overall winner. Richie scored 40 points which equated to a one under par gross for the 18 holes. In second place, former Lady Captain Myra Phelan scored 38 points with John O’Dwyer filling third spot with 36 points.

On Sunday next, Easter Sunday, a Member/Guest Fourball Stableford will take place and the following Wednesday the first Ladies Invitation Day for 2013 will also take place and the format for this will be a 3 Person Rumble.

Results St. Patrick’s Day 18 Holes Open Singles

Winner Richie Guilfoyle (3) (Kilkenny) 40 points
Second Myra Phelan (22) 38 points
Third John O’Dwyer (5) (Callan) 36 points

Results, March Monthly Medal Sunday 24th March 18 Holes Singles

Category 1 Alan Hearne (7) 35 points
Category 2 Ger Dowling (16) 33 points
Category 3 Ronan Murphy (25) 34 points
Ladies Adrienne Walsh (23) 31 points

There was no joy for the last two men’s teams standing in the Inter Club activity held at various venues last weekend with the elimination of the Junior Cup team and also the Pierce Purcell team. Both teams acquitted themselves well before succumbing to their opponents. The Junior Cup team failed to qualify for the match play stages at Arklow G. C. on Saturday but the Pierce Purcell team excelled by qualifying for the match play stages for the first time. They finished third in the stroke play qualifying round on Saturday which was held at St. Helens Bay G. C. and unfortunately for Mount Juliet they exited to the eventual winners, Wexford G. C., in the semi-final on Sunday morning but only after a titanic struggle by a score of 3/2 with the last match going the full distance. The team and panel deserve enormous credit for their fine showing and none more so than manager, Pat Doyle, who unflinchingly gave a great deal of time and planning in trying to win that elusive pennant. The team on Saturday consisted of Brian Blanchfield & David Wyer, Pat Garvey & Chris McHugh, Jim Cusack & Terry O’ Reilly, John Kennedy & Shay Quinn and Frank Smyth & Norman Williams with John O’ Connor replacing Shay Quinn on Sunday morning for the match play.
Last Sunday saw a Member/Guest Fourball Stableford competition played at Mount Juliet and this proved to be some compensation for Niall Magee who was an unlucky loser in the medal competition the previous week. Niall and his partner Ronan Kelly returned a winning score of 45 points to edge out the mother and daughter combination of Sandra and Darcey Carr by two points. The winners had nines of 24 and 21 points respectively against the runners-up score of 43 points made up of nines of 23 and 20 points.
This Friday sees the Charity Team Day for the Special Olympics down for decision with a full timesheet and on Sunday the Jack Nicklaus Trophy will be played for with the added bonus of G. O. Y. points on offer. This competition is one of the principal competitions of the Mount Juliet year and honours the great man himself who designed the course.

Results Member/Guest Fourball Stableford Sunday 20th May

Winners
Niall Magee (10)
Ronan Kelly (8) Ashbourne G.C. ………….45 points.

Runners-Up
Sandra Carr (17)
Darcey Carr (6) Milltown G.C………………43 points.

The Member/Guest Fourball Stableford was played last Sunday and this competition was won in decisive manner by Tom Butler and his guest, Ray Kent, with 47 points. They were three shots clear of their nearest rivals who were led by  Pat Stakelum and his guest Johnny Nevin and this pairring just pipped the mother and son combination of Stephen O’ Reilly and Ger O’Reilly on a countback. Feature of the winners round was an eagle on the long 5^th by Ray Kent which he followed up with a trio of birdies on the 14^th, 16^th and 17^th holes. The pairing had nines of 24 and 23 points respectively. The runners-up had nines of 21 and 23 points respectively and Pat Stakelum had a vital birdie on the 16^th hole for four points which was to prove decisive in the overall countback for second place.  The mother and son pairing just got home for third place on a countback as well.

Last Wednesday the penultimate round of the Winter Series was played and this was a 3 person rumble with honours going to the  Wexford team of Louis Flanagan, Larry Cranford and Fran Thomas. There was a small turnout of players for this competition and the winners have now qualified for the Grand Final. The last round of the present Winter Series will take place next Wednesday 28^th March and this competition will be a four person team event with the winners making up the last places for the Grand Final. Reservation for this competition can be made at the golf shop in Mount Juliet.

Next Sunday sees the first of the monthly medals down for decision and this competition heralds the arrival of the first round of the Golfer of the Year  for ladies and men with tee times filling up rapidly.

Results Member/Guest Fourball Stableford Sunday 18^th March.

Winners
Tom Butler (20)

Ray Kent (8) Gowran Park G.C ………… 47 points

Second:
Pat Stakelum (17)

John Nevin (14) Thurles G.C ……………. 44 points

Third:       
Stephen O’ Reilly (8)

Ger O’ Reilly (36) Coolattin G.C ………… 44 points

Winter Series Wednesday 14^th March – 3 Person Rumble.

Winners:     

Louis Flanagan (17) Wexford G.C.

Larry Cranford (14)

Fran Thomas (8)……………………..77 points.