While the Munster Matchplay Finals in Cork this weekend will pre-occupy most of the Kerry players minds there were some very encouraging performances for the county in Leinster events over thee Bank Holiday Weekend.
Deerpark’s Damien Fleming won the Navan Masters event in Meath on Sunday with a 36-hole score of 18 under par, 15 years after his first ever Scratch Cup win in Leinster which came in St Bridgets Kildare back in 2011. Tralee’s Jason Cregan finished third in the Senior grade with a score of 15 under par as over in Seapoint in Termonfeckin, Co Louth both Tralee’s Jason O’Regan and Deerpark’s John McGrath won the 36 Hole Gross prize in the club’s Open Scotch Foursomes event with a score of 14 under par.
This weekend’s Munster Matchplays take players to both Fermoy and St Stephens on Saturday with Fermoy the venue for all of Sunday’s play. In the Senior Mens grade all the Kerry players are in the bottom half of the draw as Jason Cregan begins his bid for a third title in four years against Tipperary’s Brian Cahill. Jason O’Regan and himself could face each other in the Last 16 if O’Regan comes through his encounter with Limerick’s Liam O’Donovan as Damien Fleming’s bid for the only major Singles honour he is yet to win in the game begins against another Tipperary player in Paul Sweeney. Listowel’s Chris Gibney plays a third Tipperary player in Stephen O’Reilly as Darren Goodall of Tralee faces Phillip Sweeney from the host club.
The Intermediate Men are also in Fermoy both days as Tralee’s Tony Blake is in the top half of the draw against Lakeside’s Sean McCormack while the bottom half for the Kerry players sees Tralee’s Michael Creagh take on ESB’s John Morrissey while Deerpark’s Nathan Cronin faces Collins’ Trevor Ahern with Michael Cronin of the Killarney club taking on Michael Farrell from Bruff. The Junior Men are in St Stephens (Glanmire) on Saturday as Deerpark’s Niall O’Loughlin faces Collins’ Paul Walsh in the top half of the draw sees Castleisland’s Adam Ricken face Gerrit Van Veen from Raffeen Creek in Cork with Deerpark’s David Harnett facing Rocklodge’s Patrick Kelliher and his club-mate James Foley facing Nicholas Lynch of Douglas. The other Kerry match in the grade sees Tralee’s Alan O’Connor and Tipperary Hills’ Michael Kennedy.
The Kerry Ladies start in St Stephens as well on Saturday as the Intermediate grade sees Tralee’s Lisa O’Connor and Deerpark’s Eileen McCarthy in the quarter-finals respectively against Gillian Morrissey (St Annes) and Gemma Martin (Larkspur Park) respectively. The Junior Ladies sees one all-Kerry Round 1 tie between Tralee club-mates Charlotte Blake and Bernadette O’Regan as another Tralee player in Catriona O’Connor takes on Eileen Hanley from Ranges in Cork.
The County Board wishes all 20 Kerry players taking part in the various grades the very best of luck this weekend.
