Shane Franklin and Austin Spratt snatched top honours at the penultimate TaylorMade Winter Series outing at a sun-soaked Portmarnock Links on Tuesday.
With the grand stretch in the evening well and truly in play, and hardly a breath of breeze, Portumna’s Franklin was the pick of the pros, taking advantage of conditions with a four-under par 67 to claim the Gross Prize by three strokes from Brendan Walton.
Starting with back-to-back birdies on the 1st and 2nd, Franklin made the turn in three-under, helped greatly by a golden eagle on the 6th.
After getting to four-under par with a birdie on the 12th, Shane gave that shot back with a bogey on the long par-5 13th. Pars on the 14th and 15th followed before another birdie on the 16th got Franklin back to four-under and that’s where he finished, a fine confidence boosting performance ahead of the new season proper.
Meanwhile, in a hopeful good omen for another West Waterford man, Austin Spratt, a 7.4-handicap raider playing off 10 on the day proved his worth with a brilliant 67 to take the Nett prize. Six bogeys split either side of the turn and 12 pars added up to a six-over gross, nett 67. Let’s hope he’s not the only West Waterford man in the prizes this week with Seamus Power’s Match Play bid beginning later today.
22nd March – Results – Nett:
- 1st: Austin Spratt (7.4) West Waterford GC 67
- 2nd: Brian Casey (Pro) Unattached 69
- 3rd: Mark Murphy (Pro) Beech Park GC 71
Gross:
- 1st: Shane Franklin (Pro) Portumna GC 67
- 2nd: Brendan Walton (Pro) Portmarnock Links 70
- 3rd: Stuart Grehan (Pro) Tullamore GC 71
Portmarnock Links have 124 players booked in for next week with four remaining tee times: 12.10, 12.20 & 12.30 & 13.10. The season finale promises more prizes and is sure to finish on a high after a brilliant effort over winter.
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