Griffin and O'Neill beat the wind at Portmarnock Links
Waterford Golf Club’s Eanna Griffin. Picture: Pat Cashman
Waterford's Eanna Griffin and Malahide's Shane O'Neill beat a tough east wind to top the 92-strong field in the TaylorMade Winter Series at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.
Playing off five, O'Neill was five-over through the turn having started with a double-bogey six. But he then parred the first six holes on the back nine and while he dropped shots over the last three, his 79 for a nett 74 was the best of the day.
Grange professional Michael McDermott captured the second nett as he went out in two-over and came home in one over for his 74, edging out Portmarnock Links' six-handicap stalwart Brendan Bracken after a countback.
The gross had a clear winner in Munster interprovincial Griffin, who shot a two-over 73 to win by a shot from Laytown and Bettystown's Cian Geraghty as home professional Brendan Walton putted his way to a 76 and third place.
Griffin birdied the sixth and seventh to go two-under, then recovered from a triple-bogey eight at the testing eighth with a birdie at the 11th before dropping shots at the last two holes.
Geraghty is member of Portmarnock Links and with his intimate knowledge of the conditions, he plotted his way out in one-over-par before back to back bogeys at the 17th and 18th forced him to settle for a 74.
Our reporters on the ground inform us that Walton "putted like a God" with his long-handled wand to card a 76.
After a double-bogey at the seventh, he struggled to the turn in five-over but came back in level par with the highlight an impressive birdie at the 10th.
Left with 50 yards to the pin with the wind howling at his back and the pin cut on the front right of the green, he flopped his approach up short of the hole and made the putt.
TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71, SSS 75 CSS 77)
29 October 2019
Nett
Shane O'Neill (5) Malahide 74
Michael McDermott (Pro) Grange 74
Ben Bracken (6) Portmarnock 74
Gross
Eanna Griffin (+2) Waterford 73
Cian Geraghty (+1) Laytown & Bettystown 74
Brendan Walton (Pro) Portmarnock Links 76
