Kerry contingent struggle in Irish U-15 Boys Open Championship
John and Liz O'Hanlon presenting the first prize in the O'Hanlon competition to winner Bernie Nolan with (left) Pat Courtney President, Breda Duggan Lady Captain (back from left) prizewinners Ailish Mulcahy best gross, Derry O'Connor and Helen... Credit: PICTURE: MICHELLE COOPER GALVIN
BALLYBUNION'S Jason Lynch finished best of the Kerry entrants in the Irish Boys Under-15 Open Championship at Naas last week.
Lynch and his clubmate Senan Carroll were fourth and fifth reserves respectively and only learned that they had got into the field 24 hours before the event began on Tuesday. Both boys were in Naas anyway as members of the Ballybunion team beaten in the All-Ireland semifinal of the Junior Foursomes on Monday.
Fifteen-year old Lynch, an eight handicapper, fired an opening round of one over par 73 and was the joint leader of the tournament after round one but faded to an 83 on day two and finished up in 17th place seven shots behind the winner but best of the six Kerry entrants.
Tralee's John Moran with rounds of 83 and 82 to finish well down the field was next best followed by Ring of Kerry's Dylan O'Driscoll (83 and 84), Ballybunion's Senan Carroll (85 and 85), Ring of Kerry's Thomas O'Driscoll (87 and 85) and Tralee's Raymond Kelly (92 and 87).
John Moran had a busy week at Naas as a member of the Munster team for the Inaugural Boys Under15 Interprovincial championships, which were held at the county Kildare venue after the Boys Championship finished.
The format was five singles matches and in his debut match the Tralee youngster halved with Niall Foley as Munster crashed to a four and a half to a half, defeat to Leinster.
In the afternoon Moran was beaten 4/3 by Neil McKinstry as again Munster went down by four and a half to a half, against Ulster and in the final match against Connaught on Friday morning Moran suffered another defeat to Jonathan Doherty by 3/2 as Munster lost yet again, this time by three matches to two against the Western province.
