Mid West Alliance: O'Keeffe blasts his way into Titleist Shootout
Peter O'Keeffe with Cathal Butler at last year's Interpros at Fota Island. Picture: Pat Cashman
Douglas bomber Peter O'Keeffe had 37 effortless points to win the final Mid-West Alliance outing of the season and finish joint top of the qualifiers for next weekend's Titleist Shootout at Dromoland.
The former Challenge Tour player had six birdies and a blank on the eighth to lead the qualifiers alongside Castletroy's Andrew McCormack and Darragh Walshe with 37 points.
Galway's Joe Lyons, Castletroy's Cian Daly, Dromoland's Jason O'Leary and Spanish Point's Seamus McEnery are next with 36.
McCormack was advised not to play by his physiotherapist, the former Munster rugby player Ian Dowling, due to a neck injury that left him immobile for several days midweek.
But he decided to play through the pain and had 37 points despite making a careless double bogey at the 18th.
McCormack birdied the fourth, seventh, ninth, 10th and 15th and eagled the par-five 11th to be three-under par playing the 18th.
With the tee pushed up to the ladies tee to create more excitement, he had just 225-yard over the water after a great drive, then failed to make the carry and took seven.
Putting on an impressive display of big hitting, O'Keeffe birdied the fourth, seventh, ninth, 10th, 11th and 18th.
Top 12 for Titleist Shootout, Sunday, April 9
- Joe Lyons (Galway)
- Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas)
- Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay)
- Andrew McCormack (Castletroy)
- Dave Foley (Dromoland)
- Jason O'Leary (Dromoland)
- Tony Cleary (Woodstock)
- Seamus McEnery (Spanish Point)
- Dave Hunt (Nenagh)
- Declan O'Leary (Dromoland)
- Jack Ryan (Castletroy)
- Daragh Walsh (Castletroy)
Each of the players in the Titleist Shootout will be starting from scratch.
The lowest 18 holes score wins the MWA Cup, and in the event of a tie, there will be a sudden death playoff using the first and ninth holes at Dromoland.
Tee times
- 11.00 Daragh Walsh (Castletroy), Jack Ryan (Castletroy), Declan O'Leary (Dromoland), Dave Hunt (Nenagh).
- 11.10 Dave Foley (Dromoland), Tony Cleary (Woodstock), Jason O'Leary (Dromoland), Seamus McEnery (Spanish Point)
- 11.20 Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas), Joe Lyons (Galway), Andrew McCormack (Castletroy), Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay).