The Portumna GC ladies intermediate team proved too strong for their counterparts from Wicklow GC last Friday to capture the All-Ireland AIG Intermediate Cup.
Portumna had defeated Tipperary’s Ballykisteen 4-1 on Thursday in their semi-final at Dundalk Golf Club to book their place in the decider at the same course the following day, and they once again romped to a 4-1 win to claim the national pennant, without losing a single game over the two days.
Sinead Lohan, playing off 15, got them off to a perfect start in the semi-final with a 2&1 win over Kaelin O’Keeffe (15), and Kathleen Lynch (16) was a 3&2 winner over Jane Cowhey (16) in the second game to put Portumna in the driving seat.
The issue was put beyond doubt when Mary McElroy (21) recorded an impressive 5&4 win over 10-years-old Caitlin Shippam (21) in the final game, and as a result, the games involving Mary Kelly (17) and Carmel Cunningham (18) were called-in and declared as draws for the 4-1 win.
Portumna repeated the dose in the final on Friday, with Lohan and Lynch again leading from the front to record 2-up and 6&4 victories respectively over Niamh Murphy (14) and Doreen McGettigan (16).
This time Cunningham did get to complete her game, and her 6&4 win over Una Doyle (17) meant Portumna were champions, and as a result, the games involving Kelly and McElroy were called in and declares as draws to give Portumna a 4-1 win.
There was disappointment, however, for Portumna’s Senior Foursomes side, as they were beaten 3-0 in their semi-final by East Cork.
The Munster side had got their noses ahead in all three games by the 6th hole, and they retained that front-running position to the finish despite Portumna’s senior international, Suzanne Corcoran, and her partner, Mary Madden, mounting an impressive comeback which saw their game tied going down the 18th, only for the Cork pair of Lillian Hartigan and Deirdre Ryan to win the game on the final green.
For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.
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