Fleming wins two Scratch Cups in Cork in two days

PLENTY of action both inside and outside the county bounds this weekend as Tralee played host to a successful staging of their Scratch Cup events on Monday, while Deerpark’s Damien Fleming was winning all before him in Cork on Saturday and Sunday.

In Tralee over 95 players took part in their Men’s and Ladies competitions. The Bob Casey Memorial Senior event went to a first time winner in Eamonn Sheehy. Only a week after finishing second to his Tralee club-mate Jason Cregan in the County Senior Strokeplay, Sheehy reversed the result in shooting a bogey free 16 under par to beat Cregan by four shots, as Barry Morrissey from the Bishopstown club in Cork was third on seven under.

The Intermediate event came down to countback as both Listowel’s Killian O’Gorman and County Junior Strokeplay winner the week before, Paul O’Shea, finished on 10 under par. Killian claimed the prize on a better Back 18 of five under as opposed to three under for Paul as Killian very nearly got a ‘Hole-in-One’ on the last. Third in the grade was the County Intermediate Strokeplay winner himself in Michael Conway on six under par.

In the Junior competition, Brian Moynihan led the way on nine under par, three clear of Listowel’s Ger Guerin in second as David Murray from Bishopstown in Cork claimed third on two over par. The Ladies prizes saw Eleanor Walsh of Fermoy with the 0-10 category on three under par as Lisa O’Connor from the host club won the 11-18 category prize with a score of 121.

Across the county bounds Ireland’s No.1 ranked Men’s player Damien Fleming was making waves as he claimed two Scratch Cups in the space of two days in Cork. He started off on Saturday with a score of 23 under par around Collins (host club to this year’s National Gents Strokeplay Championships) as the National Matchplay holder followed up with a score of 21 under par the following day to win the St Annes Scratch Cup. He was 44 under par for the 72 holes he played at the weekend in both courses as the two wins send out a strong statement ahead of next month’s scheduled national events.

This weekend the U-16s of the county head for Hillview in Clonmel in Tipperary for the National U-16 Matchplay Championship, Pitch & Putt Ireland’s first National Championships since the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The Kerry County Board wishes all the county’s participants the very best of luck.

Elsewhere, the County Board can confirm that the National Matchplay Qualifiers will take place in Castleisland on Friday August 21 at 6.30pm. This year’s event is a 36-hole Strokeplay qualifier as opposed to actual Matchplay games.

Also clubs are reminded that entries for the National Strokeplays must be with National by next Wednesday, August 12.