From an original entry of 36,000 players, the Bulmers Millennium Challenge eventually came down to one. And the leading team from Thurles GC waited anxiously at Newlands on Saturday to see if Shannon's last player could score the necessary 36 points to deprive them of the title.

As it happened, he compiled 29. So, as representatives of Co Tipperary, the Thurles quartet of Michael Bulfin, Tony Cogan, Francis Butler and Evan Long became the proud possessors of unique, gold medals, specially struck for the event. Muskerry, representing Cork, got runners-up silver and Shannon took the bronze on a countback.

After ominous, overnight rain, the weather cleared sufficiently for a fine day's golf, though Newlands off the back tees was playing a very long 6,487 yards. In these circumstances, the top individual score of 40 points from Alan Daly of Muskerry was an admirable effort.

Because of work commitments, the 26-year-old playing off 10, had to forgo a practice round, which meant playing the course blind. But a measure of his consistency was that he carded 10 gross pars and a birdie two at the 170-yard 16th, where he sank a 40-foot putt.

Inevitably, the day also had its sadness, especially for Ciaran Molloy who shot 38 points for Louth club, Ardee. The format of the competition involved the three best cumulative scores out of four, which meant that Ardee were at a decided disadvantage when their fourth man withdrew at the 11th hour so as to play in a society outing.

But with only three players, they actually matched the 106 points by Thurles, though the Tipperary club edged ahead of them on a countback. It later transpired, however, that since Molloy was a 16-year-old schoolboy, they were in breach of the tournament rules which stipulated a minimum age-limit of 18 last January. So, Ardee were reduced to only two, scoring cards.

Thurles, meanwhile, combined very effectively. Bulfin, their top scorer with 38 points off 18, had the boost of an opening par and went on to card 21 points for the front nine and crucially, he continued to score at every hole from then on. Next came Cogan, a Co Sligo-born garda inspector who had 37 points off 21.

A former winner of two All-Ireland colleges handball titles, his gross pars at the 14th and 15th became crucial contributions, especially in view of more moderate scoring from his other two colleagues. The competing teams comprised players from each handicapping category from one to four.