Moynihan looking to bounce back in Southern Cross Invitational
Gavin Moynihan, John-Ross Galbraith, Gary Hurley, Jack Hune and selector Niall MacSweeney at the opening ceremony for the Southern Cross Invitational in Argentina on Wednesday.
Tigre, Argentina — The Island's Gavin Moynihan will be hoping that last week's missed cut in the Argentinian Amateur Strokeplay was a one-off when he tees it up in the Southern Cross Invitational at Nordelta Golf Club in Tigre on Thursday.
The Jack Nicklas design just 30 minutes from Buenos Aires should suit the Irish quartet more than the tricky layout they played last week where Jack Hume tied for sixth, Gary Hurley finished joint eighth and John-Ross Galbraith shared 19th.
"It's a good course this week! American style," Moynihan said from Argentina. "Last week I was just out of sorts and my iron play and my short game was terrible."
Moynihan dropped 15 places to 37th in the latest World Amateur Golf Ranking but so to did the other three Irish players, despite finishing in the Top 20.
Hume is now Ireland's top ranked player at 36th (down 6 places) with Moynihan 37th, Hurley 38th (down two) and Galbraith 587th (down 70) behind the likes of Paul Dunne (51st), Cormac Sharvin (83rd), Chris Selfridge (up 39 to 135th), Robin Dawson (178th), Dermot McElroy (205th), Richard Bridges (314th), Stuart Grehan (327th), Colm Campbell (339th), Geoff Lenehan (516th) and Paul McBride (536th).
Ireland is just one of eight, four-strong international teams taking part in the event alongside hosts Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Portugal and South Africa.
"The course is good," Hurley said. "A lot of water. A typical American style course. All we can do is play our own game and hopefully be in the hunt Sunday."
Hume added: "It's a big course with a lot of water and slopey greens. I'm looking forward to it."
The format is strokeplay with an individual prize as well as a team trophy with the best three cards to count each day.
Ireland's quartet will lead off the 32-strong field in the first four groups of the day and will be favourites to win the title on their world ranking as the team features the three highest ranked players in the field in Hume, Moynihan and Hurley.
Australian Brett Colleta, 19, was second in the Toyota World Junior Team Championship in Japan last year while Canada will be looking to 17 year old Tony Gil to shine.
As for the course, Nordelta Golf Club was designed by the Nicklaus organisation and opened in 2007.
A par 72 measuring 7,278 yardas, it features large lakes, multiple bunkers and tricky but generous greens.
The course hosted the Argentinian Open on 2009, 2012 and 2013 as well as the Argentinian National Amateur Championship.
2015 Southern Cross Invitational, Nordelta GC
Teams (World ranking) — Tee times
Argentina
- Matías Simaski (265)
- Matías Lezcano (474)
- Andrés Schonbaum (629)
- Andrés Gallegos (647)
Australia
- Brett Coletta (144)
- Cory Crawford (77)
- Cameron Davis (56)
- Jarryd Felton (57)
Canada
- Taekkun (Tony) Gil (480)
- Trevor Ranton (1053)
- AJ Armstrong (17 year old)
- Etienne Papineau (1341)
Chile
- Joaquín Niemann Zenteno (171)
- Gabriel Morgan Birke (1185)
- Carlos Bustos Grez (1136)
- Diego Salinas Rodríguez (1610)
France
- Ugo Coussaud (134)
- Romain Langasque (149)
- Jérémy Gandon (466)
- Edgar Catherine (824)
Ireland
- John Ross Galbraith (587)
- Jack Hume (36)
- Gary Hurley (38)
- Gavin Moynihan (37)
South Africa
- Tristen Strydom (215)
- Gerlou Roux (297)
- Jason Smith (423)
- Hendrikus Stoop (403)
Portugal
- João Ramos (N/A)
- Vítor Lopes (435)
- Afonso Girao (1690)
- Pedro Silva (N/A)
