Galway to face Carton House for AIG Senior Cup
Paul O'Hanlon (Carton House) bunkered at the 9th green during the Senior Cup Semi Finals at the 2019 AIG Cups and Shields Finals at Westport Golf Club. Picture by Pat Cashman
Galway will face Carton House in the final of the AIG Senior Cup on Sunday after they dashed Limerick’s hopes of a famous double at Westport.
After winning the AIG Barton Shield on Friday, the Munster champions had high hopes of springing another surprise but Galway had too much strength in depth and ran out winners by 3.5 points to 1.5.
“All of the lads really played well,” said Galway captain Gerry Cox. “We started off a bit slow but the boys got back into it. That’s a quality Limerick side. You see what they did in the Barton Shield. The lads knew they had to play their best to get over Limerick.”
While Owen O’Brien beat Luke O’Neill by one hole in the top match, Galway wrapped up their spot in the final with wins by Irish Close champion Ronan Mullarney over Sean Enwright (3&2), Eddie McCormack over Ciaran Vaughan (3&2) and Joe Lyons over Patrick Naughton (5&3).
“They played steady golf and that’s what won it in the end,” Cox said. “There’s some serious experience among those three lads: Ronan, Eddie and Joe.
“The squad are good enough. Carton House are a really, really strong panel. Carton House have been knocking on the door for the last number of years. We just need to go play our game tomorrow and see how that goes.”
Carton House edged out Ulster champions Massereene 3-2 but it took a late comeback from the experienced Paul O’Hanlon to get them over the line.
International Keith Egan and Irish Students champion Darragh Flynn won points for Carton House but Massereene also had two wins as Tiarnan McLarnon eventually beat Des Morgan, who came in as a late replacement for the injured Gary McDermott, by two holes and Ewan McArthur defeated Eoin O’Sullivan 3&2.
The Co Antrim men looked set for the final when Ryan McCullagh went two up with four to play against O’Hanlon.
But former Irish Close and East of Ireland champion O’Hanlon drew on his vast experience to win the last four holes.
The Kildare man birdied the 15th to claw his way back to one down, then parred the 16th to square the match.
He went one up when he found the edge of the 17th green and McCullagh’s hit and hope from a buried lie in heavy rough on the left hopped through the green, out of bounds.
Joe Lyons (Galway). Picture by Pat Cashman
McCullagh tried to put pressure on O’Hanlon at the par-five 18th but he his second drifted right and kicked into the hazard, and O’Hanlon was able to make a safe bogey six to seal a comfortable victory.
“It wasn’t looking good,” admitted Carton House captain Brian Cunningham. “We were packing our bags. I was considering going home this evening. It wasn’t looking good.
“We were well up in two and well down in three so something needed to happen for us. Dessie Morgan lost to Tiarnan McLarnon but he brought him to 18 and I think that made a huge difference to the team. He just kept it going.
“Tiarnan is a class golfer. To bring him down 18 was phenomenal and that was huge for the rest of the team.
“It wasn’t happening for Paul (O’Hanlon). He was up and he was down but he wasn’t getting any closer to his opponent. Then he holed a putt on 15, it dribbled into the hole (15ft) for birdie and that brought him back to one.
“It was a bit scrappy down the last but we got it done. Paul has done this before for us. We were in the Leinster finals against Woodbrook and he was one down going down 18 and made a magnificent birdie then wins it up 19. He’s the man for the job absolutely.
“We’ve never got beyond this point. Everybody’s good here. It’s going to come down to a putt. It literally did down the last.”
McDermott was forced to pull out after waking up with a back injury.
“I think it was about eight o’clock this morning Gary said to me: ‘I’m not sure’,” Cunningham said.
“Dessie was standing in the car park so I legged it from the practice ground to the car park: ‘Dessie! Get your clubs. You’re playing.’ No better man than Des Morgan to take on a current Irish international with three swishes of the golf club and off he went.”
AIG Senior Cup Semi-Finals, Westport
Massereene 2, Carton House 3
Tiarnán McLarnon bt Des Morgan 2 holes;
Dale Jackson lost to Darragh Flynn 3&2;
Derek Turkington lost to Keith Egan 4&3;
Ewan McArthur bt Eoin Sullivan 3&2;
Ryan McCullagh lost to Paul O’Hanlon 2 holes.
Galway 3.5, Limerick 1.5
Luke O’Neill lost to Owen O’Brien;
Ronan Mullarney bt Sean Enright 3&2;
Eddie McCormack bt Ciaran Vaughan 3&2;
Joe Lyons bt Patrick Naughton 5&3;
Liam Nolan halved with Sean Poucher.
Final
1030 Carton House v Galway
Keith Egan v Eddie McCormack;
Darragh Flynn v Luke O’Neill;
Gary McDermott v Ronan Mullarney;
Des Morgan v Joe Lyons;
Paul O’Hanlon v Liam Nolan
