McGrath and O’Connor reach semi-finals of National Matchplay Championships

A STRONG showing by the Kerry contingent at the National Matchplay Championships in Tullamore, Co Offaly last weekend saw two Kerry players make it through to the Finals Day on Monday for the first time since 2009, even if there were no gold medals in the end.

All six of the Kerry players taking part won their first round matches on Saturday to make it through to Sunday. John McGrath of Deerpark (Mens) and Lisa O’Connor of Tralee (Ladies Nett) would go further however in making it to the semi-finals of their events on Monday.

McGrath defeated Ian Dillon of Kildare on Saturday before he had three wins over Eoin Walsh of Cork, Junior Smith of Dublin and Fermoy’s Declan Freeman on Sunday in making it to Monday where he lost out to the eventual runner-up Ray Murphy of St Annes by 5&3 in the last four.

O’Connor, meanwhile, defeated former National Junior Ladies Strokeplay champion Sarah O’Neill of Cork in her first match before defeating Riverdale of Nenagh’s Catherine Dunne in her quarter-final match at the last hole 2up. She went to the last hole with Annie Galvin of Tullamore in the semi-finals as well in her last game but unfortunately was defeated 1up on this occasion in what was otherwise a strong showing by the young Tralee player.

Jason O’Brien was very unlucky not to join John McGrath in an all Deerpark semi-final on Monday as he lost out to Ray Murphy at the first play-off hole in Sunday evening’s quarter-final. 2011 winner Damien Fleming was defeated by eventual winner Bryan Delaney of Cork in the second round on Sunday as Jamie Blake was defeated by Aongus Coughlan from Offaly and Listowel’s Declan McCarron lost out to Irish International James Cleary of Clonmel at the same stage.

This weekend sees the County Strokeplay Championships take place in Listowel with full details to be confirmed before Sunday’s play.

The Bob Casey Memorial Inter-Club Strokeplay will conclude next Tuesday, June 12 in Castleisland as round three in Deerpark had to be re-arranged for last Tuesday night in Killarney due to a heavy thunderstorm halting play.

Joe Buckley (seated second from left) presenting his father Jack Buckley’s President’s Prize to Men’s winner Matthew Leacy with Noreen C and Jack Buckley. Second row, l-r: Derry McCarthy Captain, Peter McEnery 2nd, Simon Gallivan (BG), Conor Healy 4th,...

John McGrath (Deerpark, Mens) and Lisa O’Connor (Tralee, Ladies Nett) with their prizes for reaching the semi-finals of their events at the National Pitch & Putt Matchplay Championships in Tullamore, Co Offaly on Monday.