Colm Moriarty and Charlie Denvir took advantage of a light westerly breeze to shoot three-under 68s and win the top prizes in the TaylorMade Winter Series at Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links.

Playing off plus-two, Elm Park talent Denvir won the gross when he followed eight opening pars with a birdie at the ninth, then came home in two-under par with birdies on the 12th and 14th.

He won the gross by two strokes from Tim Rice and Mourne’s James Maginn as Glasson professional Moriarty shot 68 to win the nett by two shots from St Anne’s David Connellan and Arklow’s Nigel Farrell, who were both playing off four.

Moriarty birdied the second, sixth and seventh to turn in three-under before mixing bogeys at the 13th and 17th with birdies at the 14th and 18th.

Of the nett prize winners, Connellan had birdies at the second and 11th while Farrell did brilliantly to make up for three double bogeys with birdies at the first, sixth and 10th.

Rice edged out plus-one handicapper Maginn for the second gross prize as he mixed four birdies with a bogey and a double bogey, one of which came at the par-three 17th.

A “sucker pin” fooled all the prize winners in the 98-strong field bar Denvir, who was the only one of those in the winner’s enclosure to par the hole.

Maginn was out in three-under par thanks to birdies at the first, fourth and sixth before mixing birdies at the 15th and 18th with bogeys at the 11th and 12th and a double bogey on the 17th.

Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney was in the mix at one-under with two holes to play before he too took five at the 17th and then dropped two more shots at the 18th for a double-double finish and 74.

TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71, SSS 75, CSS 75)

Nett

1. Colm Moriarty (Pro) Glasson Golf Club 68

2. David Connellan (4) St Anne’s Golf Club 70

3. Nigel Farrell (4) Arklow Golf Club 70

Gross 

1. Charlie Denvir (+2) Elm Park Golf Club 68

2. Tim Rice (Pro) Spawell Golf Academy 70

3. James Maginn (+1) Mourne Golf Club 70