Wild, Easter weather around Rosses Point became invaluable experience in the wind and rain of the Guinness-sponsored Links Society Outing at Baltray yesterday. As it happened, West of Ireland champions, past and present, claimed the top three prizes after a shotgun start had ensured that everyone suffered equally.
The major net award went to the reigning West champion, Michael McDermott of Stackstown with a one-under-par 72 off scratch. Des Smyth, the 1973 winner, took the gross award with the same score, while his brother-in-law, Barry Reddan, the 1978 champion at Rosses Point, was second net with a 73 off two.
"It was dreadfully difficult out there," said Smyth with some emphasis, after sinking a 12-footer for a par at the long 18th, which was playing into the teeth of the wind. Naturally, his success came as no surprise to locals at the end of a year in which he mined a particularly rich vein of form.
Indeed a measure of the 48-year-old's impeccable short game was that after birdies at the long second (wedge to 12 feet) and short fifth (20-foot putt), he proceeded to par each of the remaining 13 holes. His only slip of the round was at the first, where a poor second led to a bogey five.
McDermott, who beat no less a figure than Michael Hoey in the final at Rosses Point last Easter, was especially pleased with his form, given that he is currently re-shaping his swing with the help of South African professional Wayne Westner. And the 21-year-old has also prospered from a recent chipping lesson from Stackstown colleague, Padraig Harrington.
Make sure you accelerate the club out of heavy rough, instead of chopping down on the ball, was Harrington's advice. And it worked for McDermott who, like Smyth, used his short irons most effectively when carding five birdies and nine pars.
"I've been practising hard and this is a nice reward," he said after this, only his second Links outing. "The work I'm doing with Wayne is aimed mainly at getting my body working properly." In the event, he used a four-wood very effectively off the tee at several driving holes, though two drivers were necessary to get him within 20 feet of the long 11th.
Reddan, an irrepressible veteran of countless battles, overcame a scrappy start with a run of 3,3,4,3 - birdie, par, birdie, par - from the fourth to the short seventh. From there, careful negotiation of familiar terrain, brought him a creditable gross 75.
Leading scores: 72 - M McDermott (scr) Stackstown; 73 - D Smyth (plus 1) Westpoint; B Reddan (2) Co Louth; 74 - P McGahan (6) Ardee; 75 - G Murphy (scr) Kilkenny; B McGovern (scr) Headfort; P Smyth (6) Killiney; P Lawrie (scr) Liberty Asset Management; 76 - N Manchip (scr) Royal Dublin; J Carvill (scr) Bar One Racing; 77 - L Walker (scr) Dundalk; S O'Donoghue (5) Clonmel; J Hayes (scr) The K Club; G Massey (1) Hermitage; R McCarthy (1) The Island; 78 - P O'Hagan (scr) Highfield; G Massey (7) Hermitage; J Clynch (4) Laytown and Bettystown; C Keegan (6) Newlands; A Walton (4) The Island; 79 - C Mangan (5) Castle; P Rogers (1) Dundalk; D McKenna (5) Blainroe; A Heverin (6) Hermitage.
Prize winners: Net - McDermott, Reddan, McGahan, P Smyth, Manchip, O'Donoghue. Gross - D Smyth, Lawrie, McGovern, Murphy, Carvill, Walker. Team - D Smyth with M Delaney (6) Laytown and Bettystown, N Goulding (scr) Portmarnock. Celebrity prize - P Cole.
