Under 15 team get the better of Bray
A great win for our Under 15 Boys this afternoon when they overcame Bray to set up another challenging encounter with Elm Park in the last 8 of the Leinster Under 15 competition.
Greystones had three matches away in Bray and two at home. Toby Murphy , our first match away got off to the worst possible start and was 5 down after 5. Toby was unfortunate to come up against the best 28 handicapper in the country, who got up and down from everywhere. These things happen and Toby has delivered for the team on more than one occasion already this year. Toby fought on bravely and eventually lost out by a margin of 4&3. By contrast William O’Riordan was 5 up through seven holes and never relented, closing his match out 6&5 after some spectacular golf. When his match finished William was 1 under par. Our third match away, Jamie Anderson started very well and was 3 up through 5 but was giving a lot of shots and found himself 1 down after the 11th.
At home Jack McGovern and Dylan Holmes took on Bray’s top two players. Jack was giving 8 shots and Dylan, playing a 0.7 handicapper was getting one shot.
Despite loosing the first hole, Jack strung together impressive wins on 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 & 10 to go five up. Meanwhile, Dylan Holmes picked up where he left off on Tuesday when he won the Wicklow boys and picked his way around the front nine to turn 4 up and an excellent up and down on the 10th extended his lead. Dylan was playing a quality opponent and it was nip and tuck from there on in with Dylan loosing 11 but winning 12. Another two fantastic up and downs from Dylan on 13 & 14 brought the match to dormie in the Greystones man’s favour.
Back in Bray, Jamie was fighting hard, winning both the 12th and 13th to take a slender, 1 shot lead. Jamie lost 14 and managed a half on 15 to get the match all square with four to play but was going to have to give three shots on those holes. This was a huge ask but he got to the eighteenth after a win on 16 and a loss on 17. The eighteenth in Bray is a tricky hole even without the extra pressure of giving your opponent a shot and Jamie had to hold his nerve to slot home a five footer to take the match to the 19th. Jamie’s experience came to bear on this hole and he closed out his match to win and take our points tally to two.
Back with Jack’s match, an unlikely birdie for his opposition ( a chip in from 30 yards ) on 11 had halted his charge briefly but halves on 12, 13 & 14 followed by a win on 15, for a round of 3 over to that point, closed the match for Jack and sealed the tie for the Greystones team.
Dylan was on the fairway behind Jack dormie 4 up when called in.
A great win for all the team.