Munster Masters Open 2015

A big thank you to Eamonn O’Keeffe and co. for running another very successful Munster Masters open tournament at the weekend. Not only did he organise it but he played in o60’s for the first time and won his first open title without dropping a game. Now he didn’t produce his birth cert but the consensus was that he has been around a long time so he probably is the age – even tho’ he doesn’t look it!!. So he got his prize, and as the night wore on he proclaimed he could have won the o55’s anyway – but that could have been ‘Sauvignon Blanc’ talking!!!. In the final he got a good run from Jim O’Callaghan – who had beaten the no.1. seed Martin Maher in the semi-final.

Back to the main competition. The numbers were not very high with only one B section in o50’s.

But the high standard of play made up for any lack of numbers. It started on Fri night when Dave Borton took one hour 50mins to get the better of an ever improving John Dineen 9-7 in the fifth after a titanic battle. This set the tone for the weekend where the standard can be judged by the quality of players in the 3/4 position play offs – most of whom were previous winners.

You had Jonathan Simson v’s Brian Lalor in 045’s – two excellent players by any standard. Dave Borton and Damien O’Reilly in o50’s and in one of the best matches of the weekend Ml Mulhall just got the better of Ml Conlon in the 5th.

The O60s saw Martin Maher beat Pat Hanley and Ciaran Roche finished just ahead of the evergreen Noël Murphy in the o65’s.

Claire Jones won the ladies and in a terrific battle for 2nd place Mandy Collins got off to great start but Carol O’Sullivan held her nerve and came back to win – helped in no small way by the promptings and encouragement of her husband Brian.

After some excellent finals we had three first time winners in o55’s 60’s and 65’s which should be great encouragement to all players taking part in the future. Even Kevin O’Rourke is totally disproving the old theory ‘(that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks)’as he seems to be still learning a few from his daughter Sophie – who by the way made it a family double again at the weekend.

So thanks again to all concerned – esp Kevin Quinlan for running a seamless show in Highfield again ably assisted by Mandy Collins and Brendan Lawton, and hopefully along with Eamonn they will take on the task again next yr – le cunamh De.

Results:

Ladies
Winner Clare Jones
Runner-up Carol O’Sullivan

Mens Over 45
Winner Michael Cowhie
Runner-up Martin O’Neill

Mens Over 50
Winner Kevin O’Rourke
Runner-up Karam Singh

Mens Over 50B
Winner James Dunne
Runner-up Brendan Murphy

Mens Over 55
Winner Dave Lalor
Runner-up James McSweeney

Mens Over 60
Winner Eamonn O’Keeffe
Runner-up Jim O’Callaghan

Mens Over 65
Winner Robert Peel
Runner-up Tom Cantwell

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