After missing several weeks of action because of a leg injury sustained at the European Nations Championship, Caolan Rafferty showed at the weekend that he is back in top form as he finished second in the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.
After opening with a level par 72 in the first round, Rafferty shot a 71 in the second round to lie five shots off the lead.  A three under par 69 in the third round on Sunday morning left him six shots off the leader Stuart Grehan but in the afternoon it was the Dundalk man who led the charge after the runaway leader with 10 birdies in a brilliant seven-under-par round of 65 to secure the runner-up sport on 11 under.
​His 65 was matched by Grehan whose round included a hole in one on the par three 17th as he finished on 17 under. Eoin Murphy and Ben Cahill were the other Dundalk representatives in the East but neither made the halfway cut.

On the inter-club front there was a great win for the Fred Daly Boys team of Mario Gaztambide, Daniel Cronin, Roan Norton Quigley and Cameron Kilcoyne who beat Black Bush 4-1.
​However, the Leinster Fourball team lost for the second successive year to Greenore as they went down by 3.5 to 0.5 on Sunday afternoon.
This weekend, fresh from their recent victory over Ardee, the Barton Cup team play County Louth next Saturday at 3.30pm followed by the Senior Cup team’s first round match against Balcarrick at 4pm. 

Emmet McCabe Savage’s excellent run of form continued in the Wednesday Open as he shot 39pts to take the overall prize on countback from Benny O’Shaughnessy (25) who claimed the Division 3 prize. Peter Durnin (2) and Eamon Kelly (20) both shot 38pts to claim Division One and Two respectively.
Wednesday, May 27 -Open Singles Stableford – Overall: Emmet McCabe-Savage (6) 39pts (Last Nine). Division 1: Peter Durnin (2) 38pts. Division 2: Eamon Kelly (20) 38pts. Division 3: Brendan O'Shaughnessy (25) 39pts. Gross Recognition: Peter Durnin 36pts.
ENDS

This weekend’s men’s competition is the inaugural Caolan Rafferty Cup which is sponsored by the Neptune, Blackrock. The Cup was specially commissioned by the Club to mark Caolan’s achievement in becoming the first player to win the four provincial championships. There are still some playing slots available on the BRS system for this Golfer of the Year event.
Caolan hopes to return to action this weekend in the East of Ireland in Baltray after being out for several weeks with a foot injury sustained at the European Nations in Spain. He is one of three Dundalk players entered along with Ben Cahill and Eoin Murphy. Niall Henry is on the waiting list.  
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A four-point birdie on the 15th hole was enough to pull Malcolm Drake away from the field as he claimed victory in the Irwin Lockington Salver over the weekend of May 23 and 24.
Playing off 13, Drake opened with two back-to-back three-point pars before reeling off seven consecutive two-pointers to reach the turn on 20pts.
He began the back nine with two three-point pars at the par five 10th and 12th and had reached 31pts when he walked off the 14th.
His four-point birdie three at the tricky par four 15th moved him to 35pts and he added six more over the final three holes with three consecutive two-pointers to come home in 21pts for an overall score of 41pts.
That was one better than a group of three players who had tied on 40pts with Niall Morgan (27) emerging after countback to take second overall.
John Sharkey (7) has to settle for winning Division 1 with his 40pts one better than Shane Byrne (12) while Michael Begley (19) also had one point to spare over Ollie McDermott (20)
Eoin Murphy took the best gross prize with a level par 36pts that included four birdies, three of which came at par fives.
Saturday, May 23 and Sunday, May 24 - Irwin Lockington Salver Singles Stableford – Overall: Malcolm Drake (13) 41pts, Niall Morgan (27) 40pts (Last Nine). Division 1: John Sharkey (7) 40pts, Shane Byrne (12) 39pts. Division 2: Tiernan O'Brien (16) 39pts (Last Nine), Sean Matthews (13) 39pts (Last Nine). Division 3: Michael Begley (19) 40pts, Oliver McDermott (20) 39pts (Last Nine). Gross Recognition: Eoin Murphy 36pts.

Visitor Joseph Keenan (20) from Greenore was the winner of the Wednesday Open Singes Stableford on countback after shooting 41pts. Fionn Duffy (12) matched that total but had to settle for winning Division 1 by two points from Aidan Thornton (5). Neil Smyth (13) shot 39pts to take Division 2 with Kevin Henry (19) three points further back. David Corrigan (36) won Division 3 after shooting 39pts which was one better than Patrick Gray (23). Conall Murdock shot 35pts to record the best gross score. 
Wednesday, May 20 – Open Singles Stableford - Overall: Joseph Keenan (20, Greenore) 41pts (Countback). Division 1: Fionn Duffy (12) 41pts, Aidan Thornton (5) 39pts. Division 2: Neil Smyth (13) 39pts, Kevin Henry (19) 36pts. Division 3: David Corrigan (36) 39pts, Patrick Gray (23) 38pts (Countback). Gross Recognition: Conall Murdock 35pts.

Paul Mellon was the winner of the Singles Stableford competition played off the white tees over the weekend of May 16 and 17. 
A four-point birdie on the second hole and three-point pars on the fifth, sixth and ninth holes saw him cover the outward journey in 23pts. He came home in 21pts thanks to three-point pars at the 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th and 18pts to finish on 43pts which was one better than Stephen Murphy (14).
Murphy’s 43pts was good enough to win Division 2 by two points from Seamus Bailey (14) while Eamon Kelly took Division 3 from Seamus Fallon (31) who shot 40pts.
Countback was needed in Division 1 to separate Dara Herr (12) and Chris Connolly (13) after both tied on 40pts. Ben Cahill had five birdies on his way to a three under par 39pts which was the best gross score of the weekend.
Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 – Singes Stableford – Overall: Paul Mellon (19) 44pts. Division1: Dara Herr (12) 40pts (Last Six), Chris Connolly (13) 40pts. Division 2: Stephen Murphy (14) 43pts, Seamus Bailey (14) 41pts (Last Nine). Division 3: Eamon Kelly (20) 42pts, Seamus Fallon (31) 40pts.  Gross Recognition: Ben Cahill 39 pts
 
 
 

 

There were wins over the weekend for our Junior Cup and Barton Cup teams. The Junior Cup match against St Margarets went to the wire with Eoghan McKenna winning on the last to give Dundalk a 3-2 win with Ciaran Traynor and Conor Murphy the other winners.  Dundalk now face Westmanstown or Balbriggan in the third round.
The Barton Cup team had a great 3-2 win over Ardee in the second round of the competition on Sunday with wins for Dennis Cunningham & Tony McGuinness, Conall Murdock & Adrian Kenny and Aidan Thornton & Pearse Murphy. They now face the winners of Co Louth and Laytown & Bettystown in the third round.
Unfortunately there was no joy for the Irish Mixed Foursomes team who were beaten 3.5 to 0.5 by Killeen Castle while the Leinster Trophy team lost 5-2 to Laytown & Bettystown.