Top field for Midlands Scratch Cup
Alan Thomas is bidding to become the first man to successfully defend the Midlands Scratch Cup since Padraig Harrington did it 19 years ago. Dungarvan’s Alan Thomas is highly fancied to become the first man since Pádraig Harrington to mount a successful defence of the prestigious Midlands Scratch Cup which tees off at Carlow tomorrow.
The Waterford man pipped Muskerry’s Niall Gorey by a shot last year when he finished on 11 over par 291 at one of Ireland’s classic parkland tracks.
Gorey is not taking part this year but the likes of Portmarnock’s Goeff Lenehan, 2011 winner Jack Pierse or Q-School bound Stephen Healy from Claremorris are likely to threaten.
Past winners include JB Carr (1950, ‘51, ‘53, ‘54, ‘62, ‘63), Cecil Ewing (1956), Tom Craddock (1959, ‘65, ‘69), Ronnie Shade (1966), Declan Branigan (1975), Mark Gannon (1971, ‘78, ‘84, ‘86, ‘92), Peter McEvoy (1981, ‘82, ‘83, ‘88), Harrington (1993, ‘94) and Dessie Morgan (2003, ‘08).
The event has been reduced from 72 holes to just 36 holes this year.
2013 Midlands Scratch Cup (Sponsored by Guinness)
Saturday 7th September 2013 (Shotgun starts at 8.00 a.m. & 2.00 p.m.)
Player Registration from 7.00 a.m. – 7.30 a.m. Round 2 holes will be allocated according to 1st round scores.
Round 1 (8am Shotgun)
- Jeff Hopkins (Royal Dublin) James Fox (Portmarnock) Stephen Healy (Claremorris)
- Seán McDermott (Carlow) Aaron Grant (Dundalk) Mark Richards (Roganstown)
- Seán Alley (Tipperary) Seamus Cullen (Slieve Russell) Mark Clifford (Lucan)
- Paul Dowling (Carlow) Edward O’Keeffe (Corrstown) Niall McGlynn (Carton House)
- Colin Woodroofe (Blainroe) Andrew Fitzgerald (Ring of Kerry) John Buggy (Mountrath)
- Christopher O’Connor (Corrstown) Seán Maloney (Dunmurry Springs) Ian Lynch (Rosslare)
- Lee McMillen (Carton House) Daniel O’Connor (Athlone) Peter Mullaney (Dungarvan)
- David McMahon (Tralee) Cian Hurley (Heritage) Brian Healy (Carlow)
- Tommy Lennon (Carlow) Paul O’Hara (Kilkenny) Jack Pierse (Grange)
- Jim McVeigh (Carlow) Darragh Coughlan (Portmarnock) Eoghan O’Donovan (Craddockstown)
- Alan Thomas (Dungarvan) Pat Bevins (Carlow) Paul Flynn (Tramore)
- Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) Shane McGlynn (Carton House) John Greene (Portmarnock)
- Colm Crowley (Woodbrook) David Fitzgerald (Carlow) Richard Walsh (Kilkenny)
- Eric Bates (Carlow) Adam Doran (Ardee) Richard Knightly (Royal Dublin)
- Danny Sweeney (Westmanstown) P.J. Owens (Blarney) Gerard McNamara (Woodbrook)
- Eamonn Long (Carlow) Michael Gielty (Grange) Jason O’Reilly (Tramore)
- Andrew Harte (Carlow) James Monaghan (Royal Dublin) John Conroy (Bray)
- Eanna Griffin (Waterford) Paul Bulfin (Carlow) John Joyce (Borris)