News

Leinster Ladies Matchplay preview

Posted on 13 May '12 by Dave Hayden II

Source: Paul O'Gorman

The initial stages of the Ladies Matchplay championships are being hosted by the Lucan Pitch and Putt Club in Co. Dublin (the finals move across the N7 to Glenville). I think it would be hard to find someone who hasn't heard of the wonderful course near the Grand Canal, but for those of you who haven't, Lucan really is magical. The course, the facilities, those maroon jumpers that adorn their members - it is a club that you're drawn to - just like many golf balls will be drawn to the big bunker on the very first hole! If, dear reader, you're one of the ladies playing in the earlier rounds, then my apologies to you if I've made that bunker even more inviting!
Lucan have recently re-launched their website, and it is a fine advertisement for the kind of technological advancement that we are constantly seeing in Pitch & Putt. You can visit the website by going to http://www.lucanpitchandputt.com/
You will find all you need to know on that website, from course details, to bar times for refreshments and the all-important directions for the day!

In the Junior Championship, the field of 12 is small, requiring four preliminary round matches, but that won't diminish the competition, in fact it should make things a bit more exciting, as the players will know that in some cases they are only 2 games away from making the final. Another dimension of the Junior championships is that there are no players from the Lucan club, which will really open up the field.
The first prelim pits Nancy Stanbridge of Fairview's CYMC against Offaly's Eileen McCabe, two ladies very familiar with a short course and awkward pitches, for the right to play Seapoint's Ann Ward in the 1st round proper. Ann narrowly missed out on a medal in last year's National Strokeplay and from this mini-group I can only see her emerging.
The second prelim is a really exciting prospect, and pairs two players who would hope to go far - Annette Rogers (the first of three Ringcommons players) and Valerie Barron, again of Seapoint. The victor faces Seapoint's Mary Coyle with the prospect of an All-Seapoint quarter-final a very real one. Alas, I think it will be cut short in its infancy as I feel Annette Rogers will progress from this section to set up a semi-final with Ann Ward.
The bottom half of the draw is interesting as there are two players who have more reason than others to make the home straight, as the final stages will be on their home turf of Glenville. The first of these ladies enters the fray at the third prelim as Christine Mulvey faces an all-city clash with Ringcommons Laura Murphy. Mulvey should progress to the 1st round proper to face another Ringcommoner in the form of Irene Lynch. The prospect of carrying one home flag (at least) into finals day will be enough for Christine Mulvey to prevail I suspect.
The final prelim match sees Kathleen Bibby, another Fairview player, face my favourite for the title, Glenville's Dora Kavanagh. This is a tricky assignment for Dora, but I imagine she will be exploring the latter stages of the competition, as if she overcomes her fellow Dubliner, the well-known Dina Dillon will be her opponent in Round 1, and I would feel that might be a step too far for Dillon, meaning an all-Glenville semi-final.
The latter stages of the Ladies Junior Championships should be of a very good standard, and that would be fitting with the finals moving to Glenville. Both semi-finals will be tight affairs; in the first, on a subconscious level I'm plumming for Annette Rogers, but it really could go either way, as Ward is no slouch. I don't suspect it will make much difference however, as I expect Dora Kavanagh to emerge as the Leinster Junior Matchplay Champion for 2012.

There is a large field for the Ladies Intermediate Leinster Matchplay and the 23 entries will mean a preliminary round to narrow down the challengers. Even a cursory glance will lead to some very well-known players at this grade, as well as some players rising through the ranks.

This is very much the case for the first match down for decision with Betty Cody taking on Christina Carroll. Both these players have tasted success recently in the lower grade, with Betty capturing the Seniors crown a couple of years ago, while Christina was in splendid form last season winning both the National and Leinster Strokeplay. Carroll might just have enough about her to progress to face Ryston's Esther Martin in what would be a cracker of a tie in Round 1. Esther is a good player at this level and would be well capable of going far; she won't be intimidated by any challenge put before her. This is a tough one to call but for me Esther Martin is too experienced.

In the next grouping Fairview's Eileen Nolan is to play Anne Kelly of Collinstown with the winner facing the prospect of Ringcommons Joan McGlue. The winner of this segment should come from the prelim match, and it's another hard game to call. Given the type of course Collinstown is, Anne Kelly might just have the edge and I'll plump for her to make it to the last 8.

The third group has all the hallmarks of a great game. Glenville's Antoinette Campbell is well-known and a fancied player, whereas Laura Whelan of Old County is less familiar yet has made some huge strides since first breaking onto the scene a few years ago. I've been accused of showing bias to some of those I'd be friendlier with, to no avail, so this time I'll put my money on the Glenville woman. Either I'll be right, or I'll break the Old County hoodoo I have! The winner meets Mary Sherry in the last 16, and it's a challenge that I would expect Antoinette Campbell to overcome to seal a place in the quarter-finals.
The top half of the draw is completed with a group including Theresa King of CPM against Marie Shiels of Ringcommons, and Erry's Geraldine Ryan awaiting the victor. Theresa is a constant qualifier for these events, albeit sometimes at the lower grade, but I think Shiels will progress, however Ger Ryan is a good solid pitch and putt player and a winner in this grade as recently as last year, and she would be the favourite to make it through to the quarter-finals.

The first match in the bottom half of the draw shows what skills are on offer in the Intermediate grade. Collinstown's Moira Nugent is drawn in a prelim against Kildare Inter County player, Bernie Dunne. While it won't be a walk in the park for Dunne, it would be something of a disappointment if she didn't advance to a last 16 tie against Muriel Tobin of Ringcommons. This would be a very good match-up, but again I would be surprised if Bernie Dunne didn't come through.

Her quarter-final opponent will emerge from a group that comprises a prelim between Nuala O'Gorman of Ringcommons and Noreen Myles of Newtown, and Seapoint's Marlo Everitt who awaits the winner. The prelim will be tight, Noreen as an Inter-County player and another lady who is used to these championships will be a tough prospect, but I think Nuala will march on to face the Seapoint lady. Now, I'll admit I didn't know much about Marlo, but on investigation, she has quite a few wins at club level and locally, so she could put up a decent fight, but realistically should she overcome her prelim, Nuala O'Gorman should make the quarters with a bit to spare.

Ringcommons Patsy Quinlan embarks on the road to glory hoping to go one step further than last year when she was the beaten finalist. Here she faces Castletown's Margaret Muldoon, and it is a challenge that she should overcome. Anne [removed] of Glenville waits in the Last16, but Patsy Quinlan is the player to beat and should make the quarter finals.
The only first round proper match sees Ryston's Catherine Smith face up to CYMC player Susan Crinnon, and Smith should make the last 8.

That is a potentially strong quarter-final line up in the Inter grade. I like the draw that both Ger Ryan and Bernie Dunne have and that is who I can see contesting the Intermediate final, however Antoinette Campbell will have to be watched - particularly if she makes the semi's. The prospect of a contest between her and Ryan in the quarter-finals is very appealing; it could well decide the destination of the title.

Lucan & Glenville. 20 players; Byrne, McGrath, Condron & Byrne; Dillon, O'Toole, Furlong & O'Toole. It reads like a list of solicitor firms. This isn't the Bar, this Ladies Senior Pitch and Putt and the big names are out in force.
Many titles; big rivalries; 5 rounds; pride at stake. For once, it is not spurious to say that the Ladies Senior Matchplay overshadows their male counterparts. The quality is that high. On first look, I think there are 9 players that can reasonably have genuine aspirations of winning the Provincial crown. One player stands out though - you don't even have to mention her surname, the Christian name says enough: Chrissie. I undertook a little project when compiling these previews: I'd ?Google? each player and go through the results. It was a failure, as the results were devastating....Chrissie broke the Internet!

Accordingly Chrissie Byrne is the first name out of the draw. She faces Pauline Balfe. Pauline is a courageous player and will have been looking forward to the finals, but she really has got the bums-rush on this occasion, and while the spirit might be willing, I'm afraid I don't think the body will be able. Chrissie I would anticipate will face Phil Condron in the first round proper. That is a tasty match. Philo is a very competent player, a former Inter-County player, and on home turf. I think everyone is hoping she gives Chrissie the game we expect - putting that into practice is a different story. Excuse the pun. Logically Chrissie should make the quarters, but shocks happen in this competition more often than expected, thankfully. The head overrules the heart on this occasion. Chrissie Byrne abú.
The next quarter slot is a straight shoot out between Shandon's Maree O'Toole and another home player, Brenda Purcell. There won't be a lot to separate these players, and I think home advantage could be crucial for Purcell.
That would set up a quarter-final potentially with Chrissie Byrne, but I don't see the Kildare girl being stopped that early, and I think she's on course for a semi-final spot.

Down for decision in the next group is initially Miriam Salmon of Glenville against Helen Greagsby of Fairview. From what I can Miriam is Lady Captain in Glenville this year, so there is bound to be a swell of support for her, and I think she will move on to face Mairead O'Brien of the host club. I remember Mairead from my Juvenile days (boring tangent: Mairead's son was an adversary of mine in the Dublin Juvenile leagues - I can embarrassingly recall Mairead and Christy Broe berating me for unsporting conduct during a league match - I was jealous of her son's fancy Estelle trainers!) and she is a fine pitch and putt player. She should have enough in the locker for her opponent.

In the last eight she would face the winner of Newtown's Yvonne Carney or Ger Edwards, another CYMC player. Ger is a person many of my vintage will remember fondly from our Juvenile days, what we would call ?a decent skin? and when you were dealing with characters like Paddy O'Connor or Bernard Tester, it was important that you had the Pitch & Putt skills to complement the iron fist that was needed in dealing with 70plus kids at a Juvenile Open. Ger Edwards has that in abundance (the skills I mean) even if she always called me ?McGreal?. Still, sentimentality can't get in the way of good analysis, and I think it will be Yvonne Carney who will meet Mairead O'Brien in the last eight. Alas, that probably would be the end of the journey for Yvonne; Mairead on home soil will be a tough prospect and she should be safely through to a semi-final against she-who-needs-no-surname.

Onto the bottom half of the draw; anything could happen here. Kildare team-mates Mairead O'Toole and Tara Dillon square up. Realistically Tara should make safe passage, but derby games in all sport are odd. Many spanners can get thrown into many works. Still, you'd imagine Tara Dillon will make it through to play Anne-Marie Farrell of Ferbane. Tough as that match would be, again Tara should walk on. Not to be shy on the analysis, but it really should be straightforward for the Bridget's woman.
Her Quarter-final opponent isn't up for debate. Kathleen Croke of Lucan faces Tracey McGrath and there is no two ways about it, Tracey should win. It would be a massive shock if she didn't. In theory then we would have a McGrath/Dillon quarter-final. I'm as likely to pick next week's lotto winners but I just have a feeling Tracey McGrath will prosper.
The bottom of the draw is another good grouping. The final prelim is a neat affair between Barbara Furlong of Lucan and Linda Thomson of Glenville. Both very good players in their own right, it could go either way, but I suspect Furlong would be disappointed if she didn't advance on her home patch. She would be encouraged also by the fact that she could administer a double-whammy on the Thomson household, as Margaret lies in wait in the next round. Barbara Furlong will have too much. Onward to the quarters, Barbara! There she will face Marian Byrne. Similar to the first match of the competition, the bottom match is something of a mis-match as Mary Agnew takes on the other Byrne sister. That shouldn't be taken as a slight of Mary Agnew, far from it, but Marian is a shrewd operator, and will fancy her chances as a dark horse. That in itself is saying something about Ladies Senior Pitch and Putt, when Marian Byrne can be considered a dark horse for a title!
I've a feeling Marian might have it in her to make the semi-finals. A game with Furlong will be tough, particularly as she cedes advantage in Lucan, but the prospect of her moving into the second day in Glenville has something going for it.
I believe the final 4 will be Chrissie Byrne vs. Mairead O'Brien & Tracey McGrath vs. Marian Byrne. I think we could see the renewing of an old rivalry, between Chrissie and Tracey, and I can't wait.

One thing we can be sure of - there will be drama, thrills and spills, and possibly a few tears. Possibly! Almost like an episode of Fair City, just with credible performers. You could do worse than take yourself, your kids or your grandkids over to Dublin's Southside. In an age where positive female sportswomen are duly given the credit they deserve, Pitch and Putt has its own female stars on show, and it doesn't cost a penny. See you there.

Philo Condron


Kathleen Croke


Brenda Purcell