The Dublin Ladies Strokeplay championships sponsored once again by Eamonn Birchall took place in Portmarnock at the weekend. It was the 40th year that Eamonn & the Birchall family have sponsored these championships, an incredible contribution to the sport. The entry was slightly up on last years entry and thankfully the fearsome Portmarnock course did not show its teeth and the players were treated to fairly binane conditions.
Saturday saw the junior championship take centre stage and after 18 holes there was a three way tie at the top with home players Nora Bennett and Maura O’Sullivan leading with Old County’s Kathleen Condron. Eileen Quinn and Christine Mulvey were in the mix just one and two shots behind respectively. In the 2nd eighteen, Nora and Maura challenge faded somewhat and it became a tussle between Kathleen and Glenville’s Christine Mulvey for the top spot. Kathleen built up a sizeable lead coming down the last and although she finished with a five it was enough to see her win the title by two shots. It was Kathleen’s 2nd Dublin title after she won the Junior matchplay title in 2011. Kathleen thanked Kevin Bermingham for his recent help & advise that had given her the courage and confidence to compete for the title.
The Inter title was up for grabs on Sunday morning as the players competed for the Peg Smith Cup. After the 1st round there was a clear leader with RGSC’s Glenda Hoey leading by six shots from Old County’s Madeline Nugent after an impressive level par. Glenda continued to play steadily throughout the 2nd round and maintained her sizeable lead. She finished with a 58 and it gave here a 7 shot winning margin. It was Lucan captain Sandra Keogh who came through strongly to finish runner up. Sandra posted the best 2nd 18 in that section with a 57 as she finished ahead of Loughlinstown’s Betty Cody.
Like Kathleen it was Glenda’s 2nd title she had triumphed in Shandon at the Dublin Matchplay last June and is steadily heading towards the top of the game competing with the top players. She was overjoyed to win the title and expecially the cup in honour of her clubmate and good friend Peg Smith.
The Senior section was always going to be about one lady and so it proved although after 18 holes the result was very much in the balance. Ger ward going for a 5th successive Dublin Strokeplay led the way with a 49 just one shot clear of the reigning Dublin Matchplay champion Maree O’Toole on 50. Siobhan Keely another former matchplay champion was well in contention as well after a 51. In the 2nd round, the dual between Maree & Ger was enthralling, Maree was playing four groups ahead of Ger and knew she needed to post a good score to put some pressure on and it looked like she would break the 100 mark when she sat on -8 but three bogeys over the closing holes meant she finished on 103. Ger though knows how to handle pressure and on home soil she relished the opportunity to shoot a good score. With the watching galleries, she chipped in on the 18th to rapturous applause as she added a 48 to her earlier 49 and a six shot winning margin. Ger was extremely complimentary to the Portmarnock’s ground staff on the condition of the course and said they were lucky enough to play on this standard of course twelve months of the year. It was a fitting end to a wonderful weekend of pitch &putt. The Portmarnock club were wonderful hosts and the sun shone on the players too. The next stop on the Dublin circuit will take the players to Ierne for the Dublin County Board Scratch Cup on June 07th where Gavin Carty will be the defending title.
Photos of champions can be viewed at http://www.iol.ie/~oldcounty/week.htm