Munster and Ulster start strongly at The Island

View fullsize

Leinster's Conor Purcell in action on his way to a 5&4 victory in his singles match against Ulster's Owen Crooks on day one of the Boys Interprovincial Championship (Leinster 6.5 / Ulster 3.5)

Munster and Ulster made winning starts in the Interprovincial Championship at The Island, writes the GUI.

Both teams built on vital one-point advantages gained in the morning foursomes before pulling away in the afternoon singles.

Chris Selfridge turned a two-hole deficit at the turn into a 2&1 victory over Gary McDermott to pave the way for his Ulster team-mates, with Cormac Sharvin beating Sean Flanagan and John-Ross Galbraith seeing off Stephen Healy to leave Ulster within touching distance of victory. 

The win was complete when Colin Fairweather edged out Declan Loftus on the 18th.

Munster, meanwhile, surged through in a strong singles performance after taking the advantage in the foursomes earlier.

Gavin Moynihan won the top match for Leinster against Pat Murray on the final green, and Robbie Cannon defeated Niall Gorey 2/1 in the back match. 

View fullsize

But the middle five matches all went to the 2012 champions thanks to victories by Gary Hurley, Robin Dawson, Gary O'Flaherty, Geoff Lenehan and Ian O'Rourke.

In the Boys Interprovincial Championship Leinster began their three-in-a-row tilt with a hard-fought but ultimately impressive victory over Ulster.

Leading by two points after the morning foursomes, they were hit by an Ulster fightback with early victories coming from Peter Kerr and James McVicker.

However, the defending champions gathered themselves - with home player Kevin Le Blanc clinching victory on the 18th green against Jamie Fletcher.

Conor Purcell beat Owen Crooks having led from the start, but the crucial point was delivered by Alan Fahy, who came back from one down after nine to beat Ryan Long by 4/2.

View fullsize

Munster edged Connacht, meanwhile, in a nail-biting finale that only ended when Cathal Butler rolled in a 15-footer on the final green against Colm Hughes.

The sides had earlier shared the foursomes, and lay neck and neck due to victories from Munster's James Sugrue, Gary Ward and Rory Hill, and Connacht's Tommy O'Driscoll, Devin Morley and Sean Doyle.

Interprovincial Championship 2014

At The Island Golf Club

Ulster 7 Connacht 4 (Ulster names first)

Foursomes

1. Chris Selfridge & Colin Fairweather halved with Barry Anderson & Gary McDermott  
2. Dermot McElroy & Cormac Sharvin beat Stephen Healy & Declan Loftus 2/1
3. Colm Campbell & Stephen Coulter lost to Sean Flanagan & Steffan O’Hara 3/2
4. John-Ross Galbraith & Matt McClean beat Alex Gleeson & Joe Lyons 3/1

Singles

1. Chris Selfridge beat Gary McDermott 2/1
2. Dermot McElroy halved with Barry Anderson 
3. Cormac Sharvin beat Sean Flanagan 3/2
4. John-Ross Galbraith beat Stephen Healy 4/3
5. Colm Campbell lost to Steffan O’Hara 2/1
6. Colin Fairweather beat Declan Loftus 1 hole
7. Stephen Coulter lost to Joe Lyons 2/1

Leinster 3½  Munster 7½ (Leinster names first)

Foursomes

1. Gavin Moynihan & Gary Collins lost to Gary Hurley & Ian O’Rourke 3/1
2. Paul McBride & Daniel Holland lost to Pat Murray & Geoff Lenehan 4/3
3. Stuart Grehan & Richard Bridges halved with Robin Dawson & John Hickey 
4. Robbie Cannon & Conor O’Rourke beat Gary O’Flaherty & Niall Gorey 2 holes

Singles

1. Gavin Moynihan beat Pat Murray  2 holes
2. Paul McBride lost to Gary Hurley 3/1
3. Stuart Grehan lost to Robin Dawson 3/2
4. Gary Collins lost to Gary O’Flaherty 4/3
5. Daniel Holland lost to Geoff Lenehan 5/4
6. Richard Bridges lost to Ian O’Rourke 3/1
7. Robbie Cannon beat Niall Gorey 2/1

Day Two (Wednesday 22nd July)

Ulster v Leinster (Ulster names first)

Foursomes (0800 at 10 minutes)

1. Dermot McElroy & Cormac Sharvin v Gavin Moynihan & Gary Collins
2. Chris Selfridge & Colin Fairweather v Robbie Cannon & Conor O’Rourke
3. Colm Campbell & Stephen Coulter  v Paul McBride & Stuart Grehan
4. John Ross Galbraith & Matt McClean v Richard Bridges & Daniel Holland

Singles (1300 at eight-minute intervals)

1. Chris Selfridge v Gavin Moynihan
2. Dermot McElroy v Robbie Cannon
3. Cormac Sharvin v Conor O’Rourke
4. John Ross Galbraith v Paul McBride
5. Colm Campbell v Stuart Grehan
6. Colin Fairweather v Gary Collins
7. Matt McClean v Richard Bridges

Munster v Connacht (Munster names first)

Foursomes (0840 at 10-minute intervals)

1. Gary Hurley & Ian O’Rourke v Gary McDermott & Barry Anderson
2. Robin Dawson & John Hickey v Stephen Healy & Declan Loftus
3. Geoff Lenehan & Pat Murray v Steffan O’Hara & Sean Flanagan
4. Niall Gorey & Gary O’Flaherty v Joe Lyons & Alex Gleeson

Singles (1356 at eight-minute intervals)

1. Robin Dawson v Gary McDermott
2. Gary Hurley v Barry Anderson
3. Pat Murray v Stephen Healy
4. Gary O’Flaherty v Steffan O’Hara
5. Geoff Lenehan v Sean Flanagan
6. John Hickey v Joe Lyons
7. Ian O’Rourke v Alex Gleeson

Boys Interprovincial Championship, The Island Golf Club

Leinster 6½  Ulster 3½ (Leinster names first)

Foursomes

1. Kevin Le Blanc & Rowan Lester halved with Jamie Fletcher & Owen Crooks 
2. Conor Purcell & Alan Fahy beat Marc McKinstry & Ryan Long 2/1
3. Thomas Mulligan & Eoin Leonard beat Peter Kerr & Rory Williamson 3/2

Singles

1. Kevin Le Blanc beat Jamie Fletcher 1 hole
2. David Carey lost to James McVicker 5/4
3. Eoin Leonard lost to Peter Kerr 7/6
4. Alan Fahy beat Ryan Long 4/2
5. Thomas Mulligan lost to Marc McKinstry 3/1
6. Conor Purcell beat Owen Crooks 5/4
7. Rowan Lester beat Rory Williamson 1 hole

Connacht 4½ Munster 5½ (Connacht names first)

Foursomes

1. David Brady & Sean Doyle lost to James Sugrue & Gary Ward 5/4
2. Tommy O’Driscoll & Jonathan Doherty beat Mark MacGrath & Rory Hill 1 hole
3. Devin Morley &  Jack Healy halved with Paul Tobin & Cathal Butler 

Singles

1. David Brady lost to James Sugrue 3/2
2. Tommy O’Driscoll beat Mark MacGrath 3/2
3. Devin Morley beat Paul Tobin 4/3
4. Sean Doyle beat Bill Muray 1 hole
5. Colm Hughes lost to Cathal Butler 1 hole
6. Jonathan Doherty lost to Rory Hill 2/1
7. Jack Healy lost to Gary Ward 5/3

 

Day Two (Wednesday 23rd July)

Leinster v Connacht (Leinster names first)

Foursomes (0800 at 10 minutes)

1. Kevin Le Blanc & Rowan Lester v Tommy O’Driscoll & Jonathan Doherty
2. Conor Purcell & Alan Fahy v Devin Morley & Colm Hughes
3. Thomas Mulligan & Eoin Leonard v Sean Doyle & David Brady

Singles (1300 at eight minutes)

1. Kevin Le Blanc v Tommy O’Driscoll
2. David Carey  v David Brady
3. Alan Fahy v Devin Morley
4. Eoin Leonard v Jack Healy
5. Thomas Mulligan v Colm Hughes
6. Conor Purcell v Sean Doyle
7. Rowan Lester v Jonathan Doherty

Munster v Ulster (Munster names first)

Foursomes (0830 at 10 minutes)

1. Paul Tobin & Cathal Butler v Jamie Fletcher & James McVicker
2. Mark MacGrath & Rory Hill v Owen Crooks & Marc McKinstry
3. Gary Ward & Bill Murray v Peter Kerr & Rory Williamson

Singles (1356 at eight minutes)

1. Mark MacGrath v James McVicker
2. Paul Tobin v Jamie Fletcher
3. James Sugrue v Peter Kerr
4. Cathal Butler v Marc McKinstry
5. Bill Murray v Owen Crooks
6. Rory Hill v Ryan Long
7. Gary Ward v Rory Williamson