As the temperatures picked up around the county at the weekend, the first two Scratch Cups of the year in the county saw some interesting action on both Saturday and Sunday in Tralee and Deerpark.
Saturday in Tralee saw their senior event go to a three-hole playoff after 54 holes could not separate both Castleisland’s James Dignan and Tralee’s Gavin Carroll on 18 under par. James won over the extra three holes for his second success in the event after winning back in 2019 with Jason O’Regan finishing third on his own course at 16 under par. Bryan Delaney of ESB, Cork won win the Last 18 prize with six under par.
The Intermediate and Junior events meanwhile saw a double success for Listowel as Ajay Barrett (Intermediate) and Trevin Chute (Junior) won both grades on Saturday and very nearly followed up with doubles for the weekend itself in Deerpark the following day. Ajay had a three-shot win over Bishopstown’s Ciaran White on Saturday with White’s Bishopstown club-mate Colm O’Donnell won the Last 18 prize. Trevin was victorious over Tralee’s John Lynch on Sunday by five shots as another Bishopstown player –Paul Boreham- won the Last 18 in the Junior competition. The Ladies prizes in Tralee were won by Tullamore’s Amy Galvin (Gross) and Bernadette O’Regan (Nett) respectively.
Onto Deerpark on Sunday and in the case of Ajay Barrett’s bid for a double he forced a three-hole playoff with Munster Intermediate Matchplay winner Michael Cronin from the host club after the pair finished level at five under par after 54 holes. Michael won the playoff however as Final 18 honours went to Ciaran White on a day when Paul Boreham and himself won more prizes in Kerry. Gearóid Cronin won the 36-hole Gross prize in the event as in the Junior event Trevin Chute’s attempt at the weekend double saw him just finish two strokes behind the winner Alan O’Sullivan (Deerpark) after a big charge from the Listowel player in the Final Round. Final 18 honours went to David Harnett of Deerpark as Paul Boreham picked up his second prize of the weekend by winning the Junior 36-hole Gross.
The Senior Mens event in Deerpark was notable for not having a prizewinner from a Kerry club in the final standings. Killarney native Dermot Tuohy of Cill Na Mona in Clare did finish second in the grade however with a total of 14 under par, three shots behind winner Bryan Delaney. Tuohy’s final 18 holes of seven under par gave him second on countback from another Cork player in John Walsh who still won the Final 18 prize for the grade with six under. Fermoy’s Paudie O’Sullivan was the 36-Hole Gross winner with a score of 14 under par.
Other prizewinners in Killarney saw two Cork players Sarah O’Neill (Gross) and Gillian Morrissey (Nett) win the Ladies prizes as Deerpark’s Jason O’Connor won the Junior B Mens prize. Well done to both clubs on their efforts over the weekend as the focus now switches to National Matchplay Weekend in Cork over the June Bank Holiday.
Kerry will have competitors in five of the six grades over the weekend as Monday’s Finals day in Rocklodge will see many hope for another Kerry win to match Damien Fleming’s second National Matchplay title win at the same venue back in 2019. Damien enters the Senior Mens event like he did that year- reigning National Mens Senior Strokeplay holder- as Rocklodge itself is his adopted course in Cork.
The Kerry County Board wishes all 18 Kerry players taking part this weekend the very best of luck at the three Cork venues (Bishopstown and Ranges in Ballincollig the others) where the action will be taking place this weekend.
