Little success for Kerry players in Munster strokeplay finals

LAST weekend at a sun drenched ESB course in Cork city the Munster Strokeplay Finals took place. On Saturday it was the turn of the Junior gents and Ladies grades.

Five players represented their clubs in the Junior grade, it wasn’t a good day for Tralee players Tim Scannell and Tommy Higgins who both missed the cut of four over par. However Chris Fleming from Newmarket and Pa Byrne from Tralee both shot one under par and Tralee player David Hobbert shot three under to lie in second going into the final round five shots behind Fermoy’s Keith Flynn who shot a brilliant eight under.

In the final round the heat played a huge factor with players wilting in the heat and scoring proving very difficult. David Hobbert came home with one under overall but was pipped into third on back eighteen by Mark Jordan from Raffeen Creek who also came home on one under par. Keith Flynn went on to win the Junior grade by eight shots.

In the Ladies Lisa O’Connor from the Tralee club played well in the searing heat of the afternoon but never got into contention.

On Sunday morning it was the turn of the Intermediates, Johnny O’Brien from Deerpark, Tralee’s Jason Cregan and Danny O’Leary missed the cut of seven under by some distance. However Listowel’s Chris Curran shot an impressive seven under to make the final round but it was Tralee’s Alan Hobbert who posted a ten under total only four behind the leader where eyes turned toward in the final round.

In the final round Curran and Hobbert posted one under with Hobbert finishing on eleven under. In the end three players finished on thirteen under and a ply-off ensued where Parteen’s Conor Fahey prevailed.

On Sunday afternoon it was the turn of the Seniors where Tralee’s Tony Blake and the Deerpark duo Damien Fleming and John McGrath teed off. Blake and McGrath both missed the cut of nine under with the latter missing out by one shot.

Fleming led the field with fifteen under going into the final round. In that final round a few drop shots cost Fleming and three players ended on 21 under to set up another nine-hole playoff where Bryan Delaney won out on the fifth sudden death hole.

This weekend all eyes turn to the St. Anne’s club in Cork city where the Munster U-16 MatchPlay Finals take place.

We wish all the Kerry U-16 players the best of luck over the weekend.