Kerry U-16 team claim All-Ireland pitch and putt title

FOR the first time in six years and for the fifth time ever, Kerry are National U-16 Pitch & Putt Inter-County champions after a three stroke victory over defending champions and hosts Cork in Fermoy last Sunday. Kerry had won the Munster event with the quartet of Cillian Courtney, Robbie Harnett, Jack McCarthy and Eoin O’Riordan Looney the previous week before they were joined by their Deerpark club-mates Erin Moloney and Fintan Martin in making up the six person team for last Sunday.

The Kingdom were second at the halfway stage after the Scotch Foursomes session shooting 10 under par which included a seven under par round from the duo of Cillian Courtney and Robbie Harnett. Westmeath were one shot ahead of them but Kerry powered on in the Singles with rounds of eight under par from Cillian Courtney alongside a six under score from Jack McCarthy moving them towards the lead. Two under from Erin Moloney along with one over par Fintan Martin and four over from Eoin O’Riordan Looney were their counting singles scores in a tournament total of 21 under par.

Kerry still had to wait for Westmeath and Cork to finish before they could claim victory but Westmeath could only finish third on 17 under par with Cork a shot better in second on 18 under par and victory was Kerry’s after success with another all Deerpark team in St Bridgets, Kildare back in 2012. Cillian Courtney and Jack McCarthy eldest brothers Creagh and Conor were on that winning team six years ago as it was the third time in Kerry’s five Tommy Murphy Cup wins that all the members of the side came from one club like the 1990 winning team all being from Tralee.

1986 and 2003 were the other winning years for Kerry as the County Board salutes them on their success and we also thank Sewell’s Pharmacy, Killarney for their continued support of the team. The previous day at the National Boys Singles Robbie Harnett had won the Boys 10-13 prize with a score of five under par defeating Cillian Courtney on countback for the prize.

Last Tuesday week meanwhile saw the Danny Nolan Memorial Two Ball Scramble take place in Newmarket with the combination of Deerpark’s Hugh O’Sullivan and Newmarket’s Willie John Buckley victorious on a score of 37 Nett. That was a half a stroke better than the all Newmarket pairing of Con Buckley and Ben Newman in second with the Gross prize won by Listowel’s Killian O’Gorman and Castleisland’s Aidan O’Connor with 45, nine under par.

This weekend we would like to wish all the Kerry competitors travelling to Seapoint in Co. Louth for the Irish International Open the very best of luck as we also remind clubs to have their entries for the County Matchplay Championships in Tralee to Competition Secretary Tim Scannell by this Sunday, August 26th.

Finally, best wishes to Cillian Courtney as he becomes the fourth Kerry player to represent Ireland in an U-16 International Challenge with Catalonia in Seapoint next Tuesday. He follows in the footsteps of his club-mates Derry and Conor McCarthy along with Tralee’s Jonathon Goodall in the past two decades.

PPUI President Mervyn Cooney and National Youth Officer Helen McMorrow pictured with the winning Kerry U-16 team after their National Inter-County success in Fermoy last Sunday. Pictured, from left: Robbie Harnett, Jack McCarthy, Cillian Courtney (team captain), Fintan Martin, Eoin O’Riordan Looney and Erin Moloney.