Keogh and Moynihan on song at Portmarnock Links
Gavin Moynihan
Galway's Gavan Keogh and European Tour player Gavin Moynihan took the top prizes on a day of excellent scoring in the TaylorMade Winter Series at a bitterly cold Portmarnock Links.
No fewer than 94 players braved the elements in light winds and it was three-handicapper Keogh who took the best nett, carding a four-under 67 to win by a shot from Gold Coast's Michael White and Alps Tour professional Jonny Yates.
In the gross, Moynihan's three-under 68 gave him first prize on a countback from Mullingar's Liam Grehan and Laytown and Bettystown's Alex Maguire.
Keogh birdied the par-five fourth and sixth and added another birdie on the eighth with a lone bogey at the seventh as he turned in two-under.
He then came home in one-over as he mixed bogeys at the 10th, 12th, 17th and 18th with birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th for his winning 67 and a one-shot win over one-handicapper White.
The Gold Coast man turned in two-under as he followed a bogey four at the third with birdies at the fifth, sixth and ninth, then came home in level par as he erased a bogey at the 13th with a birdie at the 15th.
Naas man Yates was out in four-under thanks to birdies at the second, fourth, sixth and seventh. But he had to settle for one-over back nine as he mixed bogeys on the 11th and 18th with a rare two at the 17th.
In the gross, Moynihan birdied the sixth to turn in one-under, then came home in two-under for his 68 with birdies on the 11th and the 18th cancelling out a bogey at the tough 12th.
His closing birdie helped him edge out Grehan, who birdied the third, fourth and sixth but bogeyed the seventh before making eight pars and birdie at the 13th in a round that featured birdies at all three par fives.
Maguire was out in three-under-par with birdies on the first, fifth and seventh before coming home in level par as he followed bogeys at the 10th and 12th with birdies at the 14th and 18th.
Gary Cullen was five-under-par standing on the 16th tee and heading for another prize until he played the wrong ball from the fairway and had to pencil in a triple-bogey seven - a mistake he compounded by finishing with a double-bogey six.
TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71; SSS 73; CSS 74)
Nett
Gavan Keogh (3) Galway GC 67
Michael White (1) Gold Coast GC 68
Jonathan Yates (Pro) Naas GC 68
Gross
Gavin Moynihan (Pro) Cars Ireland 68
Liam Grehan (+2) Mullingar GC 68
Alex Maguire (+1) Laytown & Bettystown GC 68
Next outing: 24 December, Christmas Eve, 9.30 am shotgun, timesheet full.
