Tour pay day for Guiney
BALLYBUNION’S JD Guiney picked up his second cheque on the Hooter’s tour in Florida on Thursday last when he finished tied for 30th spot at Southern Dunes to earn just over $1,000.
The two-week break at home for the Christmas holidays saw the rejuvenated Guiney open up with a pair of 69s but he fell away to a one over par 73 in the final round blaming his misfortunes on the putter.
Paired with Danny Ellis who lost in the final of the 2011 US Amateur and Jeff Core who is the all-time leading money winner on the Hooter’s Tour, Guiney’s second round of 69 could easily have been a 67, as rain prevented the group from finishing their round after seventeen holes. The trio had to come back the following morning at 7.30 am to play the par four eighteenth where Guiney missed the green. His pitch to five feet gave him a chance of par for a round of 67 but he threeputted for a double-bogey six and a round of 69. It was an unusual round in that he had seven birdies and two double- bogeys but no bogey.
His third round of 73 contained seventeen pars and one bogey and he simply could not get the putter working. A Speaking to him after the completion of his third round he told me that the greens were running at 12 on the Stimp Meter, the fastest he had ever putted on. The winner Brian Richey was an amazing twenty under par for the three rounds which is the lowest winning score of the year while Guiney’s total of five under would certainly be good enough for a top six finish most weeks.