Murray best in Hilary at Royal Dublin
The Island’s Brendan Murray won the Hilary Golf Society outing at Royal Dublin. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieThe Island’s Brendan Murray cruised to a two-shot victory in the RaboDirect Hilary outing at Royal Dublin.
Making his seasonal debut with the society, he could afford to three-putt the final green and still win by two strokes from the Currragh’s Dominic Cribbin with a 71 as Irish Amateur Open champion Gavin Moynihan took the gross prize on his return to the scene of his biggest win.
Five handicapper Murray had an outward half of level par 35 and followed a potential card wrecking double bogey six at the tough eighth by holing his bunkered tee shot at the par-three ninth for an outstanding birdie.
The Island man struggled somewhat on the tough inward half before driving the par-four 16th to set up a lone back nine birdie.
Royal Dublin’s Kevin Knightly watches Gavin Moynihan tee off on the 11th. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieCribbin was left to rue a double bogey, bogey finish on the windswept Dollymount links while Gold Medal leader Gus Fitzpatrick continued his fine form to finish third with 74.
The Naas man has a three-shot lead with just two events remaining - Portmarnock and Sutton.
Leaving Certificate student Moynihan made a successful return to the scene of his win in last May’s Irish Amateur Open to take the gross prize with a respectable 75.
Out in 38 with a bogey at the first and a double bogey six at the eighth, he came home in level par 37 with bogeys at the 12th, 13th, 15th erased by birdies at the 10th, 11th and 18th, where he drilled a four- iron to 10 feet.
That was enough to edge out former West of Ireland runner up Alan Dowling on countback from the gross prize after the Hermitage man hit his approach to the 18th out of bounds to close with a double bogey six.
Overall winner Murray combined well to also win the team prize with Sutton’s Derek Downie and Shane Kerrigan from St Annes with 10 under par 62.
Two events remain this season with the final event at Sutton Golf Club on Friday week, some 60 years after Joe Carr founded the society there.
Hilary Golf Society, Royal Dublin, April 7
1st: B Murray (5) The Island) 71
2nd: D Cribbin (5) Curragh 73
3rd: G Fitzpatrick (4) Naas 74
Gross: G Moynihan (The Island) 75
Team: B Murray (The Island), D Downie (Sutton), S Kerrigan (St Annes)
Next: Friday April 12 Portmarnock G.C, Friday April 19 Sutton