Impressive Moriarty claims Moran Cup
COLM Moriarty captured the historic Moran Cup when he fired an impressive two-under-par 70 in testing conditions at The Royal Dublin on Monday.
The former Walker Cup player and Challenge Tour winner finished two strokes ahead of Kilkenny’s Jimmy Bolger to claim a trophy that remembers one of Irish golf’s greatest professionals.
Moran, whose record of five successive Irish Professional Championships from 1909 has never been equalled, was born in a cottage that would eventually finish up in the middle of the new Royal Dublin links where he would serve as professional during the early years of the last century.
The first Irishman to win prize money in the British Open at Royal Liverpool in 1913, he earned £12. 10s for finishing third alongside Harry Vardon behind JH Taylor that year.
His performance caught the attention of many English clubs, and in early in 1914, he took up an appointment at the newlyestablished Seaham Harbour in northeast England.
He would play in The Open again at Prestwick in 1914, finishing tied for 25th behind Vardon.
Tragically, it would prove to be his final appearance.
Having answered the call to arms on the outbreak of the Great War, he joined the South Irish Horse Regiment and was killed in 1918, succumbing to an enemy shell at the age of 32, cutting short an impressive career in its prime.
Moriarty was well aware of the historical importance of the event and was thrilled to win on his first appearance.
He made five birdies in his winning 70, playing the downwind front nine in one-under 34
before battling home against a stiff breeze in one-under 36 with birdies at the 15th, 16th and 17th enough to edge out the redoubtable Bolger, who carded a 72. Moran Cup, Royal Dublin (Par 72)
70 Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance);
72 Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny);
73 Brian McCormack (Edenderry);
74 Neil O’Briain (Old Conna), Mark Murphy (Mount Wolseley Golf & County Club);
75 Jim McBride (Lucan), Tim Rice (Limerick), Paddy Devine (Royal Dublin);
76 Joe Dillon (Headfort), Glen Robinson (Craddockstown)