Honours even in Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Cup
The GUI and the Metropolitan Golf Association of New York shared the spoils on day one of the Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Cup at Galway Bay.
The MGA won the morning foursomes 2-1 with the GUI hitting back to win the fourball session by the same margin in the afternoon, leaving the sides tied at 3-3 entering today's final singles session.
The GUI are the current title holders following their 8-4 win at Metedeconk in 2015 and need 3.5 points from six to win today and retain the trophy.
Naas duo Conor O'Rourke and Jonathan Yates formed a winning partnership on Thursday, beating Brian Komline and Trevor Randolph 2 and 1 in the foursomes before seeing off Randolph and Darin Goldstein 5 and 4 in the fourballs.
Sixteen-year-old Mark Power partnered Colm Campbell to a 3 and 2 victory against Steward Hagestad, the leading amateur in the Masters this year, and Ethan Ng in the fourballs.
The Americans took the morning session with Hagestad and Goldstein claiming a two-hole victory against Alex Gleeson and Kevin Le Blanc.
Clubmates O'Rourke and Yates overturned an early deficit in the first match to claim a 2 and 1 success before Campbell and Power fell to Ng and Tyler Cline after a spirited battle.
Gleeson and Le Blanc took Komline and Cline to the last but lost by one hole in the opening fourball
However, O'Rourke and Yates didn't make a bogey in the afternoon as they eased a 5 and 4 win over Randolph and Goldstein as teenager Power and Campbell had a fine 3 and 2 win over Hagestad and Ng.
Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Cup, Sponsored by Corrib Oil, Galway Bay Golf Resort
GUI 3 MGA 3
Results - Wednesday 17th May
Foursomes (GUI names first)
GUI 1, MGA 2
- Conor O'Rourke & Jonathan Yates beat Brian Komline & Trevor Randolph 2&1;
- Alex Gleeson & Kevin Le Blanc lost to Stewart Hagestad & Darin Goldstein 2H;
- Colm Campbell & Mark Power lost to Tyler Cline & Ethan Ng 3&2
Fourballs (GUI names first)
GUI 2, MGA 1
- Alex Gleeson & Kevin le Blanc lost to Brian Komline & Tyler Cline 1H;
- Colm Campbell & Mark Power beat Stewart Hagestad & Ethan Ng 3&2;
- Conor O'Rourke & Jonathan Yates beat Trevor Randolph & Darin Goldstein 5&4
Overall GUI 3, MGA 3
Thursday 18th May
0830 - Singles (GUI names first)
- Alex Gleeson v Darin Goldstein
- Mark Power v Ethan Ng
- Conor O'Rourke v Brian Komline
- Kevin Le Blanc v Trevor Randolph
- Jonathan Yates v Tyler Cline
- Colm Campbell v Stewart Hagestad