GOLF: Seldom, if ever, has youth had such a fling at the Bulmers All-Ireland Cups and Shields Finals as they had at this year's competitions which concluded at Galway Golf Club on Saturday. For Cian McNamara, at 16, a summer's harvest which yielded the world Junior Open and the Irish boys' title extended into autumn as he played a key role in Limerick's victory over double-chasing Clandeboye in the Irish Senior Cup.
And, as if that were not enough, two other players from the opposite side of the country proved that there is a fearlessness attached to teenage years. Neal Tobin and Andrew Pitcher, as only those with no knowledge of fear can do, contrived to produce a remarkable fightback in the top singles match of the Jimmy Bruen Shield with Claremorris to give The Island their first green pennant at these national finals since 1983.
McNamara, as he has been so often this year, was yet again the toast of Limerick. From a position of being two down after six holes - "ah sure, I'm an extremely slow starter . . . I never worry about being behind," he remarked - McNamara produced a one-hole win over Andy McCormick, a plus-three handicapper who will turn professional after this week's Home Internationals in Wales, in the top singles match.
Despite carrying the underdogs tag into the final, Limerick - whose four other members had all suffered defeat in previous Senior Cup finals - played some spectacular golf and all five players finished the day unbeaten.
McNamara, Ger Vaughan and Michael Kemmy all won, while Tim Rice, who will also attempt to win his European Tour card for next year, and Mike O'Kelly, were ahead when called in. Limerick will now represent Ireland in the European Club Championships in Italy in November.
Limerick's display was impressive. Vaughan, who just happens to be godfather to McNamara, and Kemmy were both sub-par when winning their matches out the country: Vaughan - "the golf was as good as I've ever played in my long career," he commented - was a 7 and 5 winner over Irish boys international Johnny Caldwell, while Kemmy was a 4 and 3 winner over Ulster youths' champion Trevor Spence.
McNamara, though, had to work considerably harder to earn his victory. As a 10-year-old, he started to caddie for Vaughan in the South of Ireland and, this season, he has shown that he has the hardened approach of more experienced players in his ability to close out matches.
Nowhere was this more evident than in his match with McCormick when, after pulling his tee-shot into a spinney on the 14th, he was forced to put his right foot on a tree-stump and play a recovery shot, a la Sergio Garcia at the US PGA in 1999, to short of the green. He pitched and putted for a winning par. And, again on the 17th, he was forced to play a recovery shot from trees, punching a seven-iron to the front of the green. This time, par was enough to halve the hole; and he went on to win the last with a par, after McCormick pushed his tee-shot into rough on the right.
"He's an extraordinary young guy," admitted Limerick club captain Michael Galvin. "He just doesn't know when to lie down."
The same remark could have been attributed to The Island's young duo of Tobin and Pitcher in the Jimmy Bruen Shield. Three down after seven, and still two down with four holes to play against Seamus Gallagher and Joey McDonell, the pair won the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to forge a one-hole win, while the pairings of Paul Cullen/Denis Gaffney and Tom Boland/Joe Cuffe also came up trumps to give the Donabate club victory in this event for the first time.
THE DETAILS
IRISH SENIOR CUP
Limerick 4, Clandeboye 1: C McNamara bt A McCormick 1 hole; T Rice halved with C Moriarty; M O'Kelly halved with C Murphy; M Kemmy bt T Spence 4 and 3; G Vaughan bt J Caldwell 7 and 5.
JIMMY BRUEN SHIELD
The Island 4, Claremorris 1: N Tobin/A Pitcher bt S Gallagher/J McDonnell 1 hole; P Cullen/D Gaffney bt K Brett/B McDonald 3 and 2; T Boland/J Cuffe bt S Finnegan/J Prendergast 2 and 1; G Dowdall/E Meaney halved with TJ Farragher/S Connolly; B Walton/N Rogers halved with M Higgins/N McDonnell.
