The old dog for the hard road and all that. On Saturday, Alan Thomas demonstrated that experience can play like a 15th club in the bag as he brought Tramore over the line - winning with a birdie at the first hole of sudden death - to defeat defending champions Co Sligo in a drama-filled final of the Irish Senior Cup over the O'Meara Course at Carton House.
Thomas, a 37-year-old who once aspired to a life among the elite on the professional circuit before being reinstated as an amateur some five years ago, was on the receiving end of heart break in these AIG-sponsored national finals three years ago but found redemption on this occasion with a winning birdie at the 19th to finally see off an equally strong-willed Steffan O’Hara.
In securing what Thomas described as the "holy grail," Tramore reclaimed the most prized trophy in Irish team golf for the first time since 1992 with teenager Robin Dawson - "probably the next big thing coming out of this country," is how Thomas describes the NUI Maynooth student - and Chris Butler, a tower of strength in both the semi-finals and final, winning the other points in a 3-2 success.
Three years ago at Castlerock, Butler and Thomas had cried unashamedly after losing out to Warrenpoint in the Barton Shield. “Will we ever get it? Will we ever get it?”, the two asked reached other of that quest for a green pennant. This time, the tears were of joy, as Thomas rolled in a 10-footer for birdie at the first tie hole having brilliantly executed a long sand shot from almost 70 yards with his third to the Par 5.
“I started roaring crying when I holed the putt .... it was for my family, it is for the (other) players and their families . . . . we work hard. You don’t play good by just turning up to play golf. We put kids in the car, drive to the practice ground and get an hour in while they are asleep. We have rows with our wives to go out practising and it is commitment but it is great when you get something out of it,” said Thomas.
The whole experience was a contrast to that loss in Castlerock, where Thomas had missed a 10-footer on the 18th to force extra time. On this occasion, Thomas made sure there would be no heartache on the 18th green as, faced with a five-footer and his opponent O’Hara also the same distance from the hole, the two agreed to call it a half and move on. “It is not nice when you’re missing putts and people roar,” said Thomas, who revealed he said to O’Hara, “Let’s go, I don’t want it to happen to me and I don’t want it to happen to you.” That act of combined sportsmanship led to the dramatic winning of the Senior Cup on the 19th, where Thomas proved to be his team’s hero.
There was a double success for the south-east on Saturday, with Waterford’s win in the Jimmy Bruen Shield - a 3 ½ to 1 ½ win over Lisselan from Cork - hailed as “a marvellous victory,” by the club’s captain Michael Dollard. The records will decree it was the only one of the five trophies at these finals not to be won by a club affiliated to the Munster Branch, although Dollard explained: “It’s the county border that causes the problems. We are actually in Leinster, even though the course is Waterford . . . . but that doesn’t take from the victory, it is still a Waterford club!”
Senior Cup Final – Tramore 3, Co Sligo 2 (Tramore names first): R Dawson bt S Flanagan 2/1; P Flynn lost to D Reidy 2/1; C Butler bt D Brady 5/4; A Thomas bt S O’Hara 19th; D Kiely lost to M Morrissey 2 holes.
Jimmy Bruen Shield Final – Waterford 3½, Lisslean 1½ (Waterford names first): G Dunphy & P Murphy bt L Hassett v A Whelton 2/1; P Mackey & J Hale halved with P Corcoran & R Fitton; J Phelan & M Wall lost to E Ryan & C Kirby 5/3; R Gaule & V Carey bt R Hayes & P Hayes 2/1; B Griffin & C Hoban bt D Crowley & R Fleming 4/2.
