Joe Byrne wins 73rd Midland Scratch Cup
L-R Paddy Carroll (Vice-Captain, Carlow Golf Club), Joe Byrne (Winner), Jim McVeigh (organiser).
Baltinglass’ Joe Byrne etched his name alongside the greats when he claimed a two-shot in the 73rd Midland Scratch Cup at Carlow Golf Club.
One of the classic events on the Irish calendar, Carlow is hoping to one day return to the days when the event was a 72-hole affair that produced such stellar winners as Peter McEvoy, Mark Gannon, Tom Craddock, Martin O’Brien and Pádraig Harrington.
A former Boys international, Byrne carded rounds of 72 and 69 to win by two shots from Fermoy’s Dean O’Riordan on one-over 141.
Portmarnock L inks’ AJ McCabe opened with a 69 to take a two-shot lead over Malahide’s Keith Dalton and The Island’s John Rawluk, with Byrne a further shot back.
However, as McCabe shot 75 in the afternoon, Byrne dropped only one shot in superb 69 as O’Riordan came closest to him with a 70 and was left to rue bogeys at the 12th, 13th and 14th.
Midland Scratch Cup, Carlow GC (Par 70)
Joe Byrne (Baltinglass) 141 (72 69)
Dean O’Riordan (Fermoy) 143 (73 70)
AJ McCabe (The Links Portmarnock) 144 (69 75)
Cian Adams (Powerscourt) 145 (73 72)
Anton O’Callaghan (Tralee) 146 (73 73)
Barry Murphy (Carlow) 146 73 73.
Rd 1, John Rawluk (The Island) 71; Rd 2, Ian Smith (The Island) 71.
