Malahide’s Mark Liston and Palmerstown Stud’s Ross McCormack defied a howling west wind to top a 98-strong field and win the top prizes in the TaylorMade Winter Series at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.

In the gross, plus two handicapper McCormack shot a one-over 72 to win on a count back from Portumna’s Sam Murphy (+2) with Portmarnock Links’ Gary Cullen (+3) third with a 73

McCormack went out in one under as followed a bogey at the fifth with birdies at the sixth and ninth, then came home in two-over par as he mixed bogeys at the 11th, 16th and 17th with a birdie at the 14th.

Murphy followed birdies at the third and sixth with a bogey at the ninth but came home in two-over par.

After following a bogey on the 12th with a birdie at the 13th, he made a double bogey at the testing 16th to finish one-over for the day.

Cullen birdied the first and bogeyed the third as he turned in level par before coming home in two-over as birdies at the 10th and 15th were cancelled out by dropped shots at the 11th, 12th, 14th and the 18th.

Liston shot a 71 off five to win the nett, carding gross birdies at the sixth and 14th to win by two strokes from Nenagh’s Ronan Maher, who was off four, and Portumna two-handicapper, Michael Flanagan, who has four bogeys and 14 pars on his card.

TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Links (Par 71, CSS 76)

Nett

1. Mark Liston (5) Malahide 71

2. Ronan Maher (4) Nenagh 73

3. Michael Flanagan (2) Portumna 73

Gross

1. Ross McCormack (+2) Palmerstown Stud 72

2. Sam Murphy (+2) Portumna 72

3. Gary Cullen (+3) Portmarnock Links 73