Tipperary and Galway Bay become the first Irish Mail Trophy winners
Men's Champions Tipperary Golf Club
| Daily Mail
09 Sep 2009
THE men of Tipperary and the women of Galway Bay were crowned the first Irish Mail All-Ireland Fourball Champions after a day of dramatic fightbacks in the finals at the spectacular Macreddin Village course.
Tipperary’s Michael Keaty and Liam Rafferty were never ahead in their match against Mannan Castle’s John Clarke and John Lane until the 17th hole, but they held on for a famous victory on the 18th green.
While Galway Bay’s Margaret Harkin and Fiona O’Driscoll, who were two down after nine holes, fought back to win 3&1 against Madeleine Brennan and Kay Dowling of Carlow.
But on a day of heroic performances on the course, if there was one story of personal triumph against adversity which stood out it was Michael Keaty’s.
Construction worker Keaty, 44, rolled in the putt on the final green to clinch victory for Tipperary, something that would have seemed inconceivable nine months ago when a work accident left him blind in his right eye with retina damage.
He said: ‘You can imagine how low I felt. There is no cure for this. It was doing my head in. Only my golf has kept me from going crazy, and to win this championship is just the most fantastic thing. It’s my greatest thrill in golf and it has come at just the right time for me.’
Keaty’s long game remains unaffected, but he needs partner Liam Rafferty to help him line up putts as the loss of one eye affects his visual perspective.
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Galway Bay with Sebastian Hamilton (left) Editor of The Irish Mail on Sunday
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Rafferty, 36, who played in goal for Tipperary in the Intermediate Munster final in 1996, said: ‘He’s a great man and to be able to do this is unbelievable. Doing so well in the Irish Mail Trophy has been great therapy for him. He needed something to focus on, and it has been this competition. Even on the day we started out, we felt we could win it and it’s just wonderful to think we have.’
At the 10th hole Keaty and Rafferty could have been forgiven for having doubts that they would win when they went three down to Mannan Castle, but a stunning birdie putt on the 15th by Rafferty completed a remarkable fightback to level the match, then Keaty rolled in putts on the 17th and 18th - with a little lining-up assistance from Rafferty - to take the Irish Mail Trophy back to Tipperary.
Galway Bay’s Margaret Harkin and Fiona O’Driscoll give much of the credit for their victory to Harkin’s sister Bernadette Costello who put much needed fight into their game when it looked as if the match was slipping away from them.
Maths teacher Harkin said: ‘It was an unbelievable day. We were two down at the 9th hole and we were tired. It had been a long semi-final in the morning against Seapoint, and it was getting to us, but Bernadette gave us some instant sporting psychology, got us going again and we were able to turn things round.’
A remarkable burst of match-winning golf from the 10th to the 14th saw a two hole deficit turned into a two hole lead to make Galway Bay the first women’s champions of the Irish Mail Trophy.
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Runners up, Carlow Golf Club
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Harkin added: ‘We have a small but competitive women’s section at Galway Bay. The club also won the Connact Intermediate Cup over the weekend, so it’s been a pretty successful few days. We can’t wait to get the trophy back to the club.’
Tipperary and Galway Bay received their trophies from Mr Sebastian Hamilton, Editor of The Irish Mail on Sunday and Associate Editor of the Irish Daily Mail.
The first Irish Mail Trophy finals held on the brilliant Paul McGinley-designed course at Macreddin were a big success. Clubs from all over the island of Ireland had fought their way through to the finals after a spring and summer of exciting matchplay golf.
RESULTS
MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Final
Tipperary (Michael Keaty 13 & Liam Rafferty 7) bt Mannan Castle (John Clarke 10 & John Lane 18) 1up
Third/Fourth Place Final
Greenisland (Jim Warke 8 & Peter Warke 11) bt Bundoran (Ian McDaid 9 & Pauric Murphy 17) at 20th
Semi-finals
Mannan Castle bt Bundoran 2&1
Tipperary bt Greenisland 6&5
WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Final
Galway Bay (Margaret Harkin 14 & Fiona O’Driscoll 16) bt Carlow (Madeleine Brennan 8 & Kay Dowling 20) 3&1
Third/Fourth Place Final
Seapoint (Una Brennan 22 & Fionnuala Jordan 11) bt Kilrea (Sandra Millar 18 & Catherine O’Donnell 18) 4&3
Semi-finals
Carlow bt Kilrea 3&1
Galway Bay bt Seapoint 5&4 |
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