Rice shines with 66 on hot scoring day at Portmarnock Links

Limerick’s Tim Rice and Newlands amateur Alex Nicoara took the pick of the prizes on a stunning January day at the latest TaylorMade Winter Series outing at Portmarnock Links.

Ever-present pro Rice pipped Dundalk’s Leslie Walker, who was also on fire on Tuesday, to the Gross prize on countback after both players signed for superb five-under par rounds of 66.

The pair shone under a blue bird sky in Dublin, with Rice making the turn at two-under thanks to back-to-back birdies on the 7th and 8th before recovering from a bogey at the unlucky 13th to produce a barnstorming finish.

The EuroPro regular raced home with birdies on the 14th, 15th, 16th and 17th to capture the Gross as the cream rose to the top with K Club pro Conor O’Rourke (67) and Portmarnock’s Conor Purcell (68) all showing encouraging form ahead of the new season.

Meanwhile, in the Nett competition, playing off 8.5 and given 11 shots on the day, Alex Nicoara delivered a brilliant five-over par round for a nett 65. Alex went out in three-over par with just the three bogeys on the 1st, 3rd and 6th.

He came home in two-over par, making birdie on the 11th and then would drop three shots in a row on the 13th, 14th and 15th. Alex would drop another shot on the 17th but came back with a lovely birdie on the last to finish.

Results – Par 71 – Nett:

• 1^st:          Alex Nicoara (8.5)                           Newlands GC                   65
• 2^nd:         Leslie Walker (Pro)                         Dundalk GC                      66
• 3^rd:         Niall Carbery (3.1)                           Portmarnock Links           69

Gross:

• 1^st:          Tim Rice (Pro)                                Limerick GC                     66
• 2^nd:         Conor O’Rourke (Pro)                   K Club                               67
• 3^rd:         Conor Purcell (Pro)                        Portmarnock GC               68