Damien keeps on adding to his trophy collection

Pictured following the presentation of prizes at the Kerry County Board PPUI Strokeplay Championships in Castleisland were, front, Conor Leahy Listowel, junior gents’ winner, Lisa O’Connor Tralee, ladies’ winner and Damien Fleming Deerpark, senior winner with, at back, James Dignan Castleisland, senior runner-up, Ger Guerin Listowel, junior runner-up and Adam Kelly, Deerpark, intermediate runner-up

Report: Jason O’Connor

AFTER the euphoria of Damien Fleming’s success in the National Matchplay Championships the previous weekend, it was fitting that he followed that with another win closer to home as he claimed his first County Senior Strokeplay title in seven years.

He shot a super 17 under par total in Castleisland last Sunday and rounds of 10 and seven under par ensured the Deerpark wa stwo strokes clear of Castleisland’s James Dignan and Deerpark’s John McGrath.

Dignan beat McGrath for the runners-up spot on the back six after – both had 15 under par with Tralee taking two of the other three titles on offer last Sunday.

Deerpark’s Damien Fleming (second from right) receiving the National Gents Matchplay title from Pitch and Putt Ireland President, Mervyn Cooney, at Rocklodge Pitch and Putt Clun in Cork. Also included are Bryan Delaney (runner-up) and Shane Murphy (semi-finalist)

Eamon Sheehy had a brilliant 14 under par score to win the Intermediate grade by six strokes from Deerpark’s Adam Kelly who beat another Killarney player, Sean Ashe from the Gleneagle, by a stroke for second with a score of eight under.

In the ladies, event, Lisa O’Connor was a 13-point winner of the stableford format over Deerpark’s Mary Murphy with a score of 90 points as the junior gents’ title on Sunday went to Listowel’s Conor Leahy.

In his first year out of the U-16 ranks, Leahy had a strong nine under par score to finish seven strokes clear of club-mate Ger Guerin in second on two under par. 60 players took part in what was one of the biggest turnouts for a County Strokeplay in some time.

It leads in to what will be a momentous weekend for Listowel this coming weekend as the club hosts its first Munster event in 17 years with the staging of the Ladies and Gents’ Strokeplay Championships.

Just under one-third of the entire field (33) is made up of both Kerry ladies and gents competitors with players from the county in five of the six grades of competition this weekend. The junior gents’ competition along with the ladies’ grades are to be played on Saturday with the senior and intermediate gents the two events taking place on Sunday.

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