Conroy wins Cochrane Cup

Conor Conroy won the Cochrane Cup over the May Bank Holiday weekend with an excellent score of 63 nett to beat Tony O’Connell by one shot.
Playing off 16 Conroy shot 79 gross after a round that saw him birdie the par five seventh and par the first, fifth and sixth on the front nine as he turned in 40 gross. He went one shot better down the back nine where he began with pars on the 10th, 11th and 12th before adding three more pars at the 14th, 15th and 17thin a round that was free of double bogeys.
O’Connell, playing off 17, shot 81 gross with a round that matched Conroy with one birdie and eight pars but also included a double bogey at the par four 11th.  The birdie came at the 10th with the front pars coming at the fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth as he went out in 41 gross. He came back in 40 gross helped by pars at the 12th, 13th, 15th and 18th.
O’Connell won Division 2 by two shots from Malcolm Drake (13) while Division 3 was won by David Williams (24) whose 68 nett was one better than Paul Culligan (25).
In Division 1 the evergreen Austin Shaw rolled back the years to shoot 66 nett off a handicap of nine with Dennis Cunningham (11) taking the runners-up spot after a 69 nett.
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 – Cochrane Cup Singles Stroke – Overall: Conor Conroy (16) 63. Division 1: Austin Shaw (9) 68, Dennis Cunningham (11) 69. Division 2: Tony O'Connell (17) 64, Malcolm Drake (13) 66. Division 3: David Williams (24) 68, Paul Culligan (25) 69.