Foley builds Mid West Alliance lead over Lyons

The Mid West Golf Alliance is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year

Dromoland professional Dave Foley has a three-point lead over Galway's Joe Lyons ahead of the final Mid West Golf Alliance outing of the season on April 13.

In Sunday's penultmate event at Dromoland Castle, it looked as though former West of Ireland champion Lyons would build a big lead for the final event when he covered the ninth, 10th and 11th in birdie, eagle, birdie figures.

But Foley would not go away on a day when he hit 16 greens in regulation and the momentum switched on the short, downhill, par-four 15th. Playing into a cold wind, a driver was needed from the tee but Lyons sprayed his tee shot into the overgrown mound of rough grass and thorny bushes short right of the green before Foley drove through the back.

Lyons than stubbed his second shot trying to play left-handed and could only hack his third a few yards. A decent chip left him with a 15 foot putt for bogey which he missed as Foley chipped and putted for a birdie and a one-point lead.

Both players parred the 16th and 17th before Foley hit a slack tee shot at the 18th that ended only two yards from the lake. But Lyons blasted another loose drive out of bounds and he failed to score as Foley made a safe par to take a three-point lead into the final round on April 13. 

According to our correspondent, the big story of this years Mid West Alliance is the emergence of former Clare All-Ireland senior hurling winner, Alan Neville from Clarecastle.

The Shannon Airport police officer has a massive 15-point lead over David Casey heading into the final round.

Mid West Alliance after four rounds (best 3 scores to count) 

Category 0-3 handicap — gross stableford
1 Dave Foley (Dromoland, PGA pro) 111 pts
2 Joe Lyons (Galway) 108
3 Tony Cleary (Dromoland) 107
4 Ronan Mullarney (Galway) 106; Nicky Duggan (Dromoland) 106.
5 Jason O'Leary (Dromoland) 104. 

Category 4-9 handicap — stableford nett
1 Alan Neville (Dromoland) 132 pts
2 David Casey (Dromoland) 117
3 Pat Lucey (Ennis) 113
4 Declan O'Leary (Dromoland) 112; Dermot Gallagher (Limerick) 112
5 Liam Pyne (Ennis) 111