Rosapenna Golf Club, Winners of the 2012 Irish Mixed Foursomes, sponsored by the Spanish Tourist Board, at Clontarf
L-R: Front: Ena Gilroy (Lady Captain, Clontarf Golf Club), Peter Smyth (Team Captain, Rosapenna Golf Club), Marjorie McCorduck (President, Irish Ladies Golf Union), Eddie McGroddy (Captain, Rosapenna Golf Club), Ivor McCandless (President-Elect, Golfing Union of Ireland), Gonzalo Ceballos (Director - Spanish Tourist Board) Seamus Smith (Captain, Clontarf Golf Club).
Back: Marty McDermott, Con Boyce, Martyn Carlin, Bernadette North, Terri McBride, Dympna Kelly, Orla Lenny, Des Killen (President, Clontarf Golf Club), Kit Boyce, Suzanne Gallagher, Frank Casey Jr, Pat Boyce, Enda Kennedy.
7 September 2012
Rosapenna clinch Irish Mixed Foursomes title
Rosapenna Golf Club are the new Spanish Tourist Board All-Ireland Mixed Foursomes champions after they beat Dromoland in a dramatic final at a sun-drenched Clontarf.
The foundation of their victory was laid in the final two matches, where Enda Kennedy and Dympna Kelly beat Nicholas Duggan and Angela White by 3/2, and then Marty McDermott and Orla Lemmy beat Mark Hogan and Yvonne Shanahan 4/3.
Dromoland scored a win of their own when Tony Cleary and Dorothea Madden beat Pat and Kit Boyce by 2/1.
The other two matches, however, saw nothing between the sides and both finished all square after 18 holes.
Con Boyce and Suzanne Gallagher for Rosapenna were battling it with Mark Reynolds and Maria Nolan, while in the other game the Ulster champions were represented by Frank Casey and Terri McBride against Declan O'Leary and Mary Arthur.
In the end, the decisive blow came at the third extra playoff hole in the first match, where Boyce and Gallagher scored a winning par four to the bogey five made by Reynolds and Nolan. The other match was called in on the first extra hole.
Team Captain Peter Smyth was understandably delighted with his team’s performance, and a sign of his modest ambitions in the event, had no arrangements made for his team after they accounted for Rathfarnham by four matches to one in Thursday’s semi-final.
“We came up in hope more than anything else. We had a problem getting accommodation on Thursday night because we didn’t expect to be in the final and to come out and win is absolutely unbelievable.”
The Irish Mixed is Rosapenna’s first title, either at provincial or national level, a staggering fact considering the club was founded is almost as old as the GUI itself, founded in 1893.
“It’s history because it’s our first time to win an Ulster title and our first time to win an All Ireland title. I’m just so happy for the players, the team, the club, Frank Casey and everybody associated with Rosapenna. It’s absolutely amazing.
Smyth continued, “They are a great group to work with. From the day we qualified we dropped four of our men and took the four low men in and it seemed to work. Our strategy was low men, and high women and it worked. The men helped to keep the women’s feet on the ground and the only advice I gave the men was don’t be getting your women into trouble.
“I skirted around everybody. I kept everybody advised of what the scores were in each match and if their heads were dropping at any stage I just said get your head up and it worked for the most part.
Rosapenna won the Ulster title two weeks ago by beating Mannan Castle Golf Club at Omagh.
For results of the semi-final and final, click here.