The Metropolitan Golf Association staged a dramatic comeback to break GUI hearts as they claimed the Governor Hugh Carey Cup for the first time since 2013 by a 6.5-5.5 margin.
Needing a monumental effort in Wednesday’s singles, the MGA delivered just that, winning four of the six matches and tying a fifth to reclaim the title at Arcola Country Club in New Jersey.
The GUI were seemingly in control after the opening day’s fourballs and foursomes but they saw a 4-2 lead overturned, with the crucial point coming down to home club hero, Trevor Randolph.
Indeed, the script couldn’t have been written any better with it all coming down to the final putts of the final match where Hermitage’s Rowan Lester found himself as the only thing standing in the way of a MGA victory.
While both Randolph and Lester scrambled on the challenging par-4 18th that played straight into the wind, Randolph poured in his 12-footer for bogey. With a chance to win the hole and tie the final match for an overall tie, Lester’s eight-foot par bid slid by, sparking celebration for the MGA as it won its first Carey Cup since 2013.
“Coming up 18, someone said something to me about it coming down to the short games of Trevor versus his opponent,” said MGA President Tod Pike, who captained the team. “I said I wouldn’t want it in anyone else’s hands. We put Trevor out last for a reason and he really came through in the clutch and showed what he’s made of.”
“These international competitions mean so much to me personally,” said Randolph, who has competed on six international teams for the MGA. “To be involved with getting the Carey Cup to come to Arcola and then to have it end that way is certainly really special to me and is something I won’t forget.”
The GUI team:
Robert Brazill (Naas), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas), Conor Purcell (Portmarnock), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), James Sugrue (Mallow)
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