Two Munster oennants for Kerry clubs

BALLYBUNION and Killarney picked up two Munster pennants this past week and both now go forward to the Irish semi-finals in search of national titles.

Ballybunion became the inaugural winners of the Munster section of the Irish Boys Interclub Championship after they led the scoring in Tramore Golf Club.

Their best three cards from five totalled 110 stableford points and gave them a two stroke winning margin over neighbours Tralee and the winning team managed by former Munster Interprovincial player Ed Stack comprised of James O‘Callaghan, Edmond Healy, Sean Malone, Mark Galvin andEwanMcHale.

The leading individual score on the day was won by Tralee’s Lochlann Morrison a 16-handicapper who returned 44 points in the very testing conditions.

This was the first staging of the new competition which saw almost 50 teams compete at four provincial venues with the top two teams from each section qualifying for the provincial final and following their victory, Ballybunion return to Tramore on September 29th to represent Munster in the Irish final.

Killarney won the Munster Girls Inter-club title at Blarney, an event with a different format to the boys, which sees a three-girl team play match play off handicap.

Having qualified for the semi-finals, Killarney faced Lahinch, and wins from Corrina Griffin (6) over Niamh O’Dwyer (4) 1up and Alicia Burke (12) over Sophie McInerney (30) got the Kerry girls over the line.

In the final against East Cork, the top match involving Corrina Griffin (6) and Elena Kelleher (20) was called in for a half as Sarah O’Brien (9) beat Niamh Codd (29) 2up and Alicia Burke (12) beat Ava Goldspring (35) 4&2 to clinch the win for Killarney who now head for Knock Golf Club in Belfast for the Irish finals on August 23rd hoping to bag another national title for Kerry.