Intermediate Cup Round 2: Sutton V Malahide,11th June 2023

Home: Joan Kelly & Elisabeth Guinan

Away: Jean Farrell, Karen Keogh, & Ann Lyons

It was a glorious sunny day in both locations. And while the Home matches started 20 minutes before the Away matches, a busier Sutton course meant that the last match in each location was on their respective cliffhanger 18th hole around the same time. Jean was off first (and fast!) in Malahide, getting 2 shots from her opponent. Her opponent who dropped to 12 handicap this year almost parred her way around the trickier Yellow first nine. Jean was 6 Down going to the 10th on the Blue nine despite playing very well, but then rallied to win 2 holes and halve one before the match finished on the 14th.

Karen managed to stay Up or All Square all the way around - getting herself nicely out of several of the bunkers that protected so many of the greens - to decisively close it out 3 Up on the 16th. At this stage it was looking promising with the 2 matches Up at Home. Elisabeth soon won her match 7 Up on the 13th, and now all hope was on Joan and Ann, each playing their 18th hole almost simultaneously.

Joan at Home, after a close fought 16 holes, and giving her opponent a shot on the 17th, went down the 18th All Square. Unfortunately, Joan's opponent capitalised on the difficult 2nd shot that Joan was left with and it was all over. Meanwhile, Ann was All Square going down the 18th and it looked like we were going to win until Malahide got a lucky bounce off a tree and our hopes were destroyed. Ann had fought back from 3 Down under growing pressure (seeing the gathering gallery, knew hers was the win or lose match!).

We came so close to progressing to Round 3, but it was not to be. However, Team Sutton can be very proud of their campaign.

Sutton V Beaverstown

May 14th

Thankfully the weather held up in both locations, even if not exactly May-like temperatures, avoiding the need to don any of the waterproof gear we packed. 3 Away matches plus all 5 players having to give shots to their opponent didn’t stop Sutton winning 4 of the 5 matches.

Home: Alison Newman, Elisabeth Guinan

Away: Jeanne Mahony, Joan Kelly, Karen Keogh

The Home matches teed off about an hour before the Away matches. Alison got off to a good start and remained Up until she closed the match out on the 16th ahead of having to give her opponent a 4th shot on the 17th . Elisabeth had a very close match arriving at the 17th 1 up, but again having to give a 4th shot, it was All Square going down the 18th , which Elisabeth played very well and triumphed to win the match.

Meanwhile in Beaverstown, neither side got ahead more than 2 or 3 shots on the front nine. The matches remained close up to 12th hole. The index 1, 13th hole proved challenging - our players having to give a shot to their opponent who had probably played it a couple of hundred times - although Karen brilliantly halved it. News of a win in both Home matches around 18:20 was very welcome, even though no Away match was certain at that point. Jeanne was unfortunate that her opponent was a ‘deadly’ putter and despite Jeanne’s fantastic tee and fairway distance and earlier fighting back to All Square, eventually finished on the 16th . Joan was just finishing winning 2 Up on the 17th around the same time that Karen won her match on the 16th .

A fantastic win and a total reversal of fortune from last year. Looking forward to playing either Malahide or Balbriggan in Round 2.