Indomitable Lyons wins Mid West Alliance outing by three
Joe Lyons, pictured after a hole in one in last year's Irish Over-30s Amateur Open Championship at Limerick. Picture by Pat Cashman
Galway Golf Club's Joe Lyons showed all his battling qualities when overcame two major errors, then eagled the last to win the second round of the Titleist Mid West Golf Alliance series at Dromoland Golf Club with 40 points.
It was a remarkable gross score given that Banagher man hit a shot out of bounds and lost a ball.
The 2007 West of Ireland champion hit his second shot out of bounds at the second but managed to salvage a point by holing a long putt from off the green with his second ball.
He was at it again at the driveable, par-four 15th, where he overshot the green with a five-wood and lost another ball, yet still managed to make "birdie" with his provisional to rescue another valuable point.
At the long, par-four 16th, he faced a 235-yard approach into a cold, stiff breeze but rifled a three-wood to the heart of the green before converting a 35 footer for birdie.
He missed the par-three 17th pin high on the right-hand side with a six-iron but pitched stone dead to save a simple par.
The par-three seventh at Dromoland Golf Club
Then, at the par-five 18th, he hit his best drive of the day followed by a towering six-iron to the back of the green.
Faced with a 15 footer for eagle, he rolled in the putt to notch 40 points, leaving him three ahead of the runner-up, Shannon's Jason O'Donnell.
The third and final qualifying round for the Titleist Mid West Golf Alliance Shootout will be on April 2. The top 12 will qualify for the Shootout scheduled for Sunday, April 9.
Call 061-368444 to reserve your tee time. Entry fee, to be paid on the day, is €30.
Titleist Mid West Golf Alliance, Dromoland Golf Club
Round two
- Joe Lyons (Galway) 40 pts
- Jason O'Donnell (Shannon) 37 pts
- Jack Ryan (Castletroy), David Foley (Dromoland, pro) 35 pts
- Eddie McCormack (Galway Bay), Peter O'Keeffe (Douglas) 34 pts
