Spratt and Franklin on song in TaylorMade Winter Series
Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links
West Waterford’s Austin Spratt took full advantage of his handicap allowance and carded a four-under 67 to win the nett prize in the penultimate TaylorMade Winter Series outing of the season at Portmarnock Links as Portumna’s Shane Franklin shot 67 to claim the gross.
Playing off 7.4 but given ten shots on the day, Spratt went out in three-over-par and returned in three over, making six bogeys for a 77 gross and a two-shot win in the nett from Brian Casey, who shot 69.
Casey birdied the fourth and sixth to turn in two-under, then followed a bogey at the 15th with a rare two at the 17th for his two-under score.
Beech Park professional Mark Murphy won the third nett when he birdied the 13th, 14th and 16th for a level par 71.
In the gross, Franklin carded a superb, four-under 67 to top the 98-strong field in perfect links weather.
He birdied the first and second, gave a shot back with a bogey on the third, but then eagled the sixth and birdied the eighth before dropping another shot at the ninth to turn in three-under-par.
He got to four-under with a birdie on the 12th but bogeyed the long par-five 13th before getting back to four-under with a birdie at the 16th.
Portmarnock Links professional Brendan Walton was second in the gross with a 70 as he birdied the first, sixth, 11th, 14th and 17th and bogeyed the fifth, eighth, 10th and 18th
Tullamore’s Stuart Grehan shot 71 to take the third gross as he mixed bogeys at the fifth, eighth, ninth and 15th with brides at the sixth,13th, 14th and 17th.
There are124 players booked in for the season-ending TaylorMade Finale next week with four remaining tee times at 12.10, 12.20, 12.30 and 13.10.
TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71) 22 March
Nett
Austin Spratt (7.4) West Waterford GC 67
Brian Casey (Pro) Unattached 69
Mark Murphy (Pro) Beech Park GC 71
Gross
Shane Franklin (Pro) Portumna GC 67
Brendan Walton (Pro) Portmarnock Links 70
Stuart Grehan (Pro) Tullamore GC 71
