Grehan and Mullarney beat the chill at Portmarnock Links
Stuart Grehan. Picture: PGA Europro Tour
Stuart Grehan and Ronan Mullarney took advantage of calm conditions to claim the top prizes in the TaylorMade Winter Series at a chilly Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links.
Early morning frost delayed the start until 10 am, but Grehan and Mullarney soon warmed up to top the 74-strong field.
Tullamore based professional Grehan carded a four-under 67, winning the nett by three strokes from Dun Laoghaire's Robert Abernethy and by four from Declan O’Neill.
Galway star Mullarney, who was one of 16 Maynooth University players in action, posted a two-under 69 to win the gross by one stroke from fellow Galway man Joe Lyons with professional Graham Callaghan third with a 71.
Grehan, who finished 22nd in the PGA Europro Tour's Order of Merit this year, went out in three under par with birdies at the third and par-five fourth and sixth.
While he bogeyed the 10th and 18th, he still came home in one-under 34 thanks to birdies at the 11th, 12th and 16th.
Abernethy was out in two-under 34 and back in 36 as bogeys at the 10th and 17th cancelled out a birdie at the 12th as he shot 70.
Ronan Mullarney. Picture: Pat Cashman
As for O’Neill, he was the model of consistency, mixing 16 pars with a birdie at the sixth and a bogey at the ninth for his 71.
Plus four handicapper Mullarney turned in two-under par before mixing birdie two's at the 11th and 17th and another birdie at the 15th with a bogey at the index one 12th as he took the gross with an excellent 69.
Lyons was a frequent prize winner last season, and the former West of Ireland champion made his first outing of the new campaign count as he birdied the seventh to turn in one-under.
A winning score looked on the cards when he eagled the par-five 13th hole to get to three-under par. But he would go onto double-bogey the 15th and sign for a 70.
Callaghan also turned in one-under par but then came home in one-over as he followed a birdie at the 11th with bogeys at the 12th and 16th.
He wasn't the only man left to rue late mistakes.
Maynooth's South of Ireland champion Caolan Rafferty was two-under par standing on the 17th tee, but his bogey-bogey finish for a 71 meant he missed out on a prize after a countback and had to settle for the sleeve of TaylorMade TP5x balls presented to each player on the day.
TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71)
Nett
1, Stuart Grehan (Pro) Unattached 67
2, Robert Abernethy (0) Dun Laoghaire GC 70
3, Declan O’Neill (0) The Links Portmarnock 71
Gross
1, Ronan Mullarney (+4) Galway GC 69
2, Joe Lyons (+2) Galway GC 70
3, Graham Callaghan (Pro) Unattached 71
