Cunningham the young master at Portmarnock Links
Luke Cunningham. Picture: Pat Cashman
Irish Under 16 international Luke Cunningham carded a one-under-par 70 to claim the nett in the first SIM Sprint event in the TaylorMade Winter Series at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.
The scratch player from Galway Bay went out in one-over-par as he mixed birdies at the second and fourth with a double-bogey at the third and a bogey at the ninth.
But he came home in an impressive, two-under as he followed a bogey at the 10th with an eagle at the 13th and back to back birdies on the 14th and 15th. He bogeyed the last but still won the nett by one stroke from Portmarnock Links' Eamonn Keane and by two shots from Michael Delahunty from The Heritage.
Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links
Home player Gary Cullen won the gross, carding two birdies in a one-over 72 to win by a shot from Mullingar's Liam Grehan.
Grehan started with a double-bogey and then mixed bogeys at the seventh and ninth with birdies at the sixth and eighth for his 73.
Portmarnock Links professional Brendan Walton was third with a 74, carding a birdie at the 16th against bogeys at the second, ninth, 15th and 17th.
TaylorMade Winter Series, March 3, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71, CSS 75)
Nett
Luke Cunningham (Scr) Galway Bay 70
Eamonn Keane (3) Portmarnock Links 71
Michael Delahunty (7) The Heritage 72
Gross
Gary Cullen (+2) Portmarnock Links 72
Liam Grehan (+2) Mullingar 73
Brendan Walton (Pro) Portmarnock Links 74
