Moynihan in the money as Ireland win Sixes

CONSIDERING he had not won a single euro on tour all season, no wonder Gavin Moynihan was so delighted yesterday as he earned 100,000 of them, joining team-mate Paul Dunne to clinch Ireland’s victory at the GolfSixes. The pair might have been cast as party-poopers after beating the England women’s team before lunch but Moynihan had a romantic story of his own after previously playing in 10 tournaments this season only to miss all 10 halfway cuts. The 23-year-old from Drogheda turned professional after helping Britain and Ireland win the 2015 Walker Cup and this victory might be the kickstart he needs to start making progress in the pro ranks. ‘This is certainly the most fun I’ve had since I joined the paid ranks,’ said Moynihan (below). He certainly will not forget the shot he played to get Ireland into the final, a marvellous holed chip in sudden death to eliminate the South Koreans. The Irish pair then beat France in the final to set the seal on a fascinating weekend at the Centurion club in St Albans, where this innovative two-day event, featuring matches played over six holes, attracted double the audience of last year’s inaugural tournament. That was partly down to the four women welcomed to the show this year who made it through from the group stages on Saturday. While the Europe team of Carlota Ciganda from Spain and Mel Reid from Derby suffered the same fate as Charley Hull and Georgia Hall in losing at the quarter-final stage, the quartet made an enormous overall impression. ‘I didn’t realise there were so many young girls playing golf,’ said a beaming Hall, who is just 21, after signing her umpteenth autograph. ‘We’ve shown we can play and should not be underestimated,’ said Reid. ‘I hope we’ve established a platform here, and it will help us get some of the support that we really need.’ The England men’s team of Eddie Pepperell and Matt Wallace also fell at the quarter-final stage to French pair, Michael Lorenzo-Vera and Romain Wattel. But they in turn were no match for some inspired play from the Irish pair, who managed a birdie or better on 12 of the 17 holes they played yesterday. For Dunne, who won the British Masters in sensational style last year, he will be looking to kick on now and force his way into Europe’s Ryder Cup team.