Positive start in Barton final
Baltinglass earn a 3-2 lead
BALTINGLASS GOLF CLUB hosted the first leg of the Barton Cup final last Saturday afternoon and will take a hard fought 3-2 lead into the second leg in Tullamore on September 2 as they look to secure the coveted title for a third time in the club’s successful history.
Conditions were absolutely perfect for golf last Saturday when the strong Tullamore team arrived in Baltinglass for the first leg battle on a pristine course.
The atmosphere at the west Wicklow club was abundantly positive and the close to 200 supporters of both teams (mostly Baltinglass!) were well rewarded for their time and their loyalty as they watched the Baltinglass team put in a very good shift to send Tullamore home with plenty of thinking to do ahead of the second leg in less than two weeks.
The Tullamore team were most certainly in an older age bracket aside for the young 20-year-old player. Baltinglass, on the other hand, is made up a very young squad with Derek Byrne being the youngest at 15 years of age.
But there was no real evidence of nerves to be found once the action got underway with all games relatively close meaning that the second leg is going to be a real thriller if this standard persists.
Eric Doran and John Kavanagh were beaten on the 17th hole. Fergal Doogue and Michael O’Neill won 3&2 while Derek Byrne and Tommy Keogh were victorious by 5&4.
Nathan Garaghty and Wicklow Minor football star Johnny Keogh clinched their game 5&4 while Jason Bowes and Kevin Lord came up on the wrong end of a 4&3 score line.
Baltinglass Golf Club enjoyed two magical victories in this Leinster competition with wins in 1974 and 1993 while they suffered defeat on two occasions, 1961 and 2002 so the current day squad will be under no illusions as to the task that lies ahead of them in the second leg in Tullamore or of the joy or pain that awaits them at the other end should victory or defeat be their comrade.
A total of 131 golf clubs started out on the Barton Cup journey in 2018 and only two remain.
Tullamore can boast over 800 members and will fancy their chances against a small volunteer-led Baltinglass club with loyal 250 members who would dearly love to see another Barton Cup crown coming back to the club.