Munster glory for Tralee

TRALEE took the Munster Junior Cup title on Sunday last at Cork Golf Club with a fabulous display of golf that saw them defeat Fermoy in the morning’s semi-final and County Tipperary (Dundrum) in the afternoon final to bring the cup back to the club for the for the first time since 1949 when Jack Lawlor, Jack Courtney, Dermot O’Mahony, Dr Gerry Owens and Mike O’Sullivan were stalwarts of the side, playing out of the old nine-hole course at Mounthawk.

The course at Cork Golf Club was playing hard and fast over the weekend and provided a great venue for some very exciting matches.

Wins on Saturday for the hosts Cork and Monkstown in the Barton Shield and Senior Cup, saw high hopes for a third local win when Fermoy took on Tralee in Sunday morning’s semi-final but the “Boys in Green” had other ideas and saw off their opponents with relative ease to comfortably book their place in the afternoon final.

Gareth O’Donnell put the first point on the board for Tralee with a 5&4 win over Stephen Wolfe and he was quickly joined in the clubhouse by Kevin Lucey who beat Ronal Bagnell 4&3 to make it 2-0 to Tralee.

Tim Leahy clinched the match for the Kerry side shortly after, beating Trevor Moloney 5&4 as Verners Tess and Donie O’Keeffe’s matches were called in as halves for an overall four-one win.

Team manager Billy Naughton made one change for the afternoon final against County Tipperary (who had earlier beaten Nenagh), bringing in Danny Leane for Tim Leahy but it was the Tipperary side who drew first blood in the final as Thomas Hewitt beat Gareth O’Donnell in the top match by a 4&3 margin.

Verners Tess levelled for Tralee beating Alan Horgan (6&4) in the third match as Danny Leen edged Tralee ahead with a 5&4 win over Brian Webster in the fourth.

It was then only a matter of time for Tralee as both remaining matches saw them ahead and it was Kevin Lucey who clinched the title, claiming the second match by 2&1 against Oliver Carr just ahead of Donie O’Keeffe who was three up on Brian Slattery playing the sixteenth when called ashore.

Tralee now head for the national semi-finals at Carton House next month chasing that elusive Irish title.

Peter Malone of Malone Hegarty Solicitors Killarney (seated third from left) presenting first prize in the Malone Hegarty Solrs competition to winner Rory O’Sullivan with (left) Arthur Hanley President, Liam Hartnett Captain (back from left) prizewinners Danny O’Sullivan 2nd, Finbarr O’Mahony Cat 1, Eoin O’Donovan Cat 2, Sean Casey Cat 3 and John Cahill Secretary Men’s Club at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club on Friday. Photo by Michelle Cooper Galvin