West of Ireland 1946
County Sligo, April 20-23
Entry 64 (record) John Burke scratched
Joe Carr
The Irish Press described Joe Carr's first West of Ireland triumph as a total collapse by Woodbrook's Brennie Scannell, who was three down after nine, six down after 18 and 11 down after 27 holes:
"THERE have been many notable collapses in big golf when the nerves of one of the players, screwed up to breaking point, gave way under the strain, but the manner in which that excellent golfer, Brennie Scannell, folded up against Joe Carr in the final of the West of Ireland Golf Championship at Rosses Point was really remarkable.
"He was beaten in the heel of a rather unexciting hunt by 11 and 9, but the margin could have rivalled John Burke's 13 and 12 record win over J. O'Connor in the test in 1935 if Carr had not been affected by either the strain or the conditions in the early stages. Scannell was beaten, he was more than well beaten, and the _writing was on the wall from the very early stages of a match which was an unfortunate anti-climax to what had been an excellent championship.
"It is difficult lo say with any degree of certainty what was the cause or causes of his breakdown. Breakdown it was without a doubt, because probably never before in his golfing life did' he play as badly as at some of the stages of yesterday's game. At times, and especially near the end, he plumbed the very depths and played almost every bad shot on the golfer's " black list."
"The conditions, of course, were not helpful to a man who plays the most of his golf on the comparatively peaceful Woodbrook links. A howling gale which swept in from the Atlantic, carrying squalls of icy rain, benumbed spectators and players alike and was not conducive to good golf, but I think it only explains in part the poor play we saw yesterday.
"Scannell, to my mind, struck one of those cruel patches which assail a golfer at least once in a lifetime. He lost touch with his swing, he fell out with his putter, and the net result was golf which a rabbit might perhaps be proud of. He certainly could have made it a closer finish and might even have won, because Carr in the, early stages was far from being his usual brilliant self. With an abundance of putting lapses he gave Scannell numerous openings which if availed of might have made the final a close affair and possibly a shocking one for a man who is now champion of both East and West of Ireland."
Final - April 23 (36 holes)
J. Carr (Sutton) beat B.J. Scannell (Woodbrook) 11 and 9
Semi-finals - April 22
Carr beat Brown, 4 and 3
Scannell beat Purcell, 1 up.
Quarter-finals - April 22
J. Carr (Sutton) bt M. P. Fitzpatrick (Sutton), 3 and 2
J.C. Brown (Waterford) bt G.H. Owens (Skerries), 2 and 1
B.J. Scannell (Woodbrook) bt J.F. McLaughlin (Royal Dublin), 4 and 3
T.D. Purcell bt B. F. Smyth (Coll. of Surgeons), 3 and 2.
Third Round - April 21
Fitzpatrick beat J. Owens, 2 and 1.
Carr beat Lyons, 3 and 2.
G. Owens beat Malone, 4 and 2.
Brown beat Fitzgerald, 5 and 4.
McLaughlin beat F. Smyth, 1 up.
Scannell beat Healy, 1 up.
B. Smyth beat Ewing. 2 and 1.
T.D. Purcell beat Gill, 4 and 3.
Second Round - April 21
Fitzpatrick beat Maloney 5 and 4
J.F . Owens beat J. Bresnihan 3 and 2
Lyons beat Anderson 6 and 4
Carr beat "Driver" 4 and 3
G.H. Owens beat O'Loughlin 4 and 3
Malone beat O'Connor 3 and 2
Fitzgerald beat Trodden 3 and 2
Brown beat Foster 5 and 4
McLoughlin beat Cunningham 6 and 5
F. Smyth beat Graham at 19th
Scannell beat Farrell 4 and 3
Healy beat Tierney 1 up
Ewing beat Birthistle 4 and 3
B.F. Smyth beat McHugh 6 and 5.
T.D. Purcell beat P.F. Purcell 3 and 2
Gill w.o. Hamilton scr.
First Round - April 20
M.P. Fitzpatrick (Sutton) beat T. Conroy (Boyle) 2 up
T.F. Maloney (Lahinch) beat Dr. H Keane (Longford) 1 up
J. Bresnihan (Castlerea) beat B. Moylett (Ballina) at 19th
J.F. Owens (Skerries) beat J. Dunne (Hermitage) 2 and 1
J. Lyons (Kilkenny) beat E. Power (Strandhill) 5 and 4
C.E. Anderson (Sligo), w.o. J Claffey (Castlerea), scr
L. "Driver" (Portmarnock) beat P. Kearns (Royal Dublin) 3 and 2
J.B. Carr (Sutton) beat W.J. McCormack (Killiney) 4 and 3
G.H. Owens (Skerries) beat S. MacRoberts (Bundoran) 3 and 2
D.F. O'Loughlin (Lahinch) beat W.H. Strong (Ballina) 1 up
W. O'Connor (Sligo) beat J.P. Foy (Athlone) 4 and 3
J. Malone (Dun Laoghaire) beat J. "Final" (Sligo) 2 up
G. Trodden (Milltown) beat F. Coen (Athlone) 2 and 1
W. Fitzgerald (Bundoran) beat J.W. Tunney (Milltown 3 and 1
M. Foster (Strandhill) beat J.F. Stapleton (Milltown) 3 and 2.
J.C. Brown (Waterford) beat J. O'Sullivan (Athlone) 5 and 4
J.F. McLaughlin (Royal Dublin) beat R.G. Woods (Malone) 3 and 2
P. Cunningham (Strandhill) beat J. Dolan (Mullingar) at 20th
F. Smyth (Co. Sligo) beat J. Igoe (Ballina) 6 and 5
J.F. Graham (Fortwilliam) beat A.F. Slattery (Lahinch) 2 and 1
S. Tierney (Royal Dublin) w.o. Dr. P. Brady (Enniskillen), scr.
T.A. Healy (Royal Dublin) beat F. Lemass (Milltown) 3 and 2
F.J. Farrell (Longford) beat J.S.P. Brien (Malone) 4 and 3
B.J. Scannell (Woodbrook) beat J. Caldwell (Sligo) 5 and 4
R.C. Ewing (Sligo) beat W. Smyth (Royal Co. Down) 2 and 1.
P. Birthistle (Athlone) beat E. Hanrahan (Sutton) 3 and 2
J.J. McHugh (Bundoran) beat A.C. Brindley (Milltown) 4 and 3
V. Hamilton (Woodbrook) w.o. D. McCarthy (Milltown), scr.
W.J. Gill (Portmarnock) beat F.X. Kelly (Portmarnock) 3 and 2
B.F. Smyth (College of Surgeons) beat G. Titterington (Malone) at 19th.
T.D. Purcell (Portmarnock) beat J.F. Kearns (Royal Dublin) 3 and 2
P.F. Purcell (Portmarnock) beat N. Martin (Royal Dublin) 4 and 3.