Douglas banished the memories of their 2022 AIG Women’s Senior Cup Final defeat on a famous day for Munster golf.
With 292 teams beginning their journey in the AIG Women’s and Men’s Senior Cups earlier this year, it all boiled down to Carlow Golf Club on a glorious summer’s day, and another Munster winner in the AIG Men’s Senior Cup, where Castletroy ended a 31-year wait.
The AIG Women’s Senior Cup would go down for decision first with Douglas and defending champions Royal Portrush teeing off at midday.
Hannah Lee McNamara (Royal Portrush) and Clodagh Coughlan (Douglas) were the first to tee off for their teams and having come in with a point to prove after suffering defeat the previous day, it was Coughlan who landed the early win, 3&2.
Shannon Burke had been in fantastic form both days, taking three points from three matches. Once again, Burke took her win comfortably, defeating Judith Allen 6&5 to see Douglas two in front early in the tie.
Royal Portrush would not go down without a fight however, Laura Webb picking up a vital point in match five before Lucy Simpson and Aoife Ní Thuama were set to play their first play-off hole after finishing all square through 18.
In the end the extra holes were not required, with match four deciding the destination of the famous pennant. Like Coughlan, Karen O’Neill came into the final having lost her semi-final match but she took the 1up result and the title for Douglas.
“This is just such an honour to be accepting these things for such a great team, we have been through a bit of heartache in the last couple of years, we had a few close calls, a few non-starts but to be here now it feels brilliant and to be going back to Douglas with the trophy it’s an awesome, awesome feeling” said team captain David Barry.
“We sat down yesterday after a really tough match that we somehow managed to get through and we sat in the corner of the room and the girls were confident and the message went into the WhatsApp group, with a picture of the girls accepting their runners’ medals and every single one of them didn’t want to feel like that again.
“They went out and they played superb golf. Portrush as well, their golf was superb, it was one of those finals where it was just birdies, birdies, nobody was making mistakes, and we definitely went and won that final, so it’s a great way to do it.”
It would be the battle of the Castles in the AIG Men’s Senior Cup Final as Castleknock battled passed Galgorm Castle (3-2) and Castletroy defeated Rosslare (3-2) to book their places in the final.
Castletroy had come into the week as underdogs, team captain Ollie Hodges admitting that “no one really fancied us,” but the Limerick men put up an incredible fight to claim their first Men’s Senior Cup since 1993.
“It’s fantastic, it’s been a culmination of a lot of hard work and dedication since January and probably last year as well, so this group of guys has been together for a while and they have worked really hard and this is the culmination of all that hard work,” said Hodges.
“It is a really tight group, a lot of the lads have been playing there for a hell of a long time, and it’s fantastic. I’m delighted for them because they have been soldiering away without reward for 10, 15 years some of those guys, and you saw the joy on their faces at the end, that’s what it meant to them, so I’m delighted.”
The momentum swung back and forth between the two teams in the early going, Daragh O’Siochru taking the first point for Castletroy before Paul Coughlan answered back for Castleknock. It was in the third match though where Castletroy took the lead and didn’t let go. Andrew McCormack securing a 5&4 victory before Gordan Sillet battled back against Quentin Carew to seal the win on the 18th green.
“We’re delighted to have won, it’s a real achievement for the club, there’s a huge focus on team golf in Castletroy now,” said Hodges.
“We have a lot of teams in All-Ireland finals in the coming weeks, we’ve got the junior men next week, the mixed foursomes and the junior women. The club is very proud of those teams and hopefully this is only the start of success for this year.”
Tomorrow sees the start of the AIG Senior Foursomes and AIG Barton Shield quarter-finals with play getting underway in the Foursomes at 8am.
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