2020 Irish Open Preview

P.P.U.I. - 13/08/2020 - John Manning looks at this weekend's field in Lough Owel

Despite the disruption Covid-19 has caused to the event, the Irish Open goes ahead outside Mullingar this weekend. John Manning takes a look at the field in the following preview.

 

Travel restrictions have shorn this weekend’s Irish Open at Lough Owel, Co. Westmeath of any foreign visitors. Some notable Irish players will also miss the event, Holder Damien Fleming (Deerpark) did not enter and former champion Frank Dineen (St Annes) has been forced to withdraw.

 

However, a high quality field of over 120 players will contest this prestigious tournament, which will be staged over 36 holes, 18 on Saturday 15th August and the final 18 on Sunday 16th August.

 

The only past champion in the line-up for the VII Irish Open is Eamon Gibney (Castletown), who captured the title at Glenville in 2014. A former runner-up at the British Open, Gibney is in top form, having won the recent Joe Pyke Masters at Tullamore with an impressive 90. Eamon, who has won European Championship and World Cup titles with Ireland, brims with international experience, having been third at the 2013 Catalan Open and represented Europe in the 2018 Fernando Morgado Trophy in Chile.

 

2013 World Strokeplay champion John Walsh (Collins) has won international Opens in Galicia and the Netherlands. The two-time World Cup winner and double European Team championship victor has been a hugely successful performer on the international scene since he made his debut for Ireland against Australia at Fermoy in 1994. His previous best in an Irish Open was fifth at Deerpark in 2011.

 

Paddy Browne (Collinstown) was manager of the Irish teams that won the 2005 European Team championship at Overbutuwe, Netherlands in 2005 and retained the trophy at Chia, Sardinia two years later. Crowned inaugural European Strokeplay kingpin at Imjelt, Norway in 2011, another 2018 Team Europe player Ian Farrelly (Bellewstown) has chalked-up past international open wins in San Marino, France, Australia, Italy and the Netherlands.

 

Anto Kavanagh (Bellewstown) has been a huge supporter of international events and earned a long-overdue success at the 2019 European Strokeplay in the Over 55 category. 2012 All Ireland Over 55 Intermediate Grade Strokeplay champion Weeshie Murphy (Raffeen Creek) was a third place finisher at the inaugural World Over 55 Strokeplay championship in Verin, Galicia two years ago.

 

Dennis Monaghan (Shandon) played on the Ireland team that beat the touring Catalans at I.G.B. in 2000. Dennis won the Over 55 category at the 2019 Catalan Open having been second in the same category at the 2018 Irish Open in Seapoint. Pat Greene (Seapoint) was a member of the Irish team that embarked on that historic trip Down Under to play Australia in 1996. The 1996 Leinster Strokeplay Champion is a three-time winner of the National Gents’ Over 55 Senior Grade Strokeplay Championship.

 

2018 British Over 55 Open champion Sean Minogue (Riverdale) joined Pat Greene on that Antipodean Odyssey almost a quarter of a century ago. Sean contests most of the international opens these days and was third in the Over 55 category at the 2016 Irish Open in Rocklodge and in the 2019 Dutch Open at Oirschot.

                                                 

2013 European Over 55 Strokeplay champion Pacelli Darcy (Bruff) won the senior category in the 2014 and 2016 Irish Opens, just as he did in Catalonia in 2016. Pacelli was overall winner in Dagenham at the 2018 British Open. Conor Fahey (Parteen) was fifth in that British Open and took third spot in last year’s Catalan international Pairs event at Sant Cebria.

 

Former two-time National Strokeplay champion Anthony Malone (Lucan) was part of the 12 person Ireland team that played Catalonia in 1997, the match that sparked sustained international development. Malone went close in the Irish Senior Open at Rocklodge four years ago, finishing runner-up just as he did in the 2014 renewal at Glenville.

 

Millennium year Dublin and Leinster Intermediate Strokeplay champion Paul McGreal (Old County) was runner-up in the 2016 International Pairs tournament at Sant Cebria. Evan Carry (Castletown) achieved to an unprecedented level as a juvenile and is now making waves in the adult ranks. Evan played for Ireland in the 2018 International Challenge against Catalonia at Seapoint. Barry Morrissey (Bishopstown) is a seasoned campaigner in the top echelons of Pitch and Putt. The 1986 National Strokeplay runner-up was third in the Over 55 category at last year’s European Strokeplay championships in Dagenham.

 

Liz Quinn (Collinstown) has been one of the most successful ladies in international Pitch and Putt history. Liz’s name is on the Roll of Honour at the San Marino, Australian, French, Italian and Dutch Opens. Joining Liz in a small but select ladies field at Lough Owel will be 2019 Leinster and national Junior Strokeplay champion Adeline Revins (Kilbeggan)and RGSC’s Louise Grace, who was recently third in the Dublin Ladies Strokeplay championship at Shandon and who captured last weekend’s Trim Scratch Cup.

 

Current Cork Strokeplay champion and former Irish Girls’ Strokeplay winner Sarah McGrath (Fermoy) will also contend for the Irish Ladies Open title as will 2019 All Ireland Ladies Matchplay Nett Cup winner Sarah O’Neill (Collins) along with former National Strokeplay champions Ailish Sexton (Fermoy) and Mairead Manning (St. Stephens).

 

Local knowledge could well be hugely important at Lough Owel and the home club has no fewer than 25 participants in what is sure to be an intriguing, if different, Irish Open, during which players from the midlands may have a big say in the destination of the trophy. Lough Owel’s own Gerry Coyne, Dean Dinnegan and John Donnelly all recently won Westmeath Strokeplay titles over “The Monster” course!

 

On Saturday morning at 8.30 a.m. chief organiser Lee Stynes (Lough Owel) will strike the first pitch of what is sure to be an exciting weekend of Pitch & Putt.