McDermott and Duff shine at Portmarnock Links

Grange professional Michael McDermott

Grange professional Michael McDermott showed his liking for Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links by carding a best-of-the-day 68 to take home the nett in the TaylorMade Winter Series.

Winner of last July's mac-group Pro-Am at the links, when he also shot a three-under 68, the former West of Ireland winner claimed the nett by three strokes from Portmarnock's Harry Bradshaw with Fermoy's Richard Crean a shot further back.

Headfort professional Philip Duff edged out Boys international Max Kennedy from Royal Dublin for the gross with a level par 71 as GUI National Academy professional Niall McGlynn third with a 72 .

Played in 40mph winds, the 23rd outing of the Winter Series was the first of the new M5 Sprint where three of four scores will count with the top three players in the gross and nett categories winning prizes worth €4,000.

Out in level par thanks to a birdie at the ninth, McDermott birdied the 10th, 13th, and 15th in an impressive back nine.

He might have been pipped for the overall prize by amateur talent Bradshaw, but the young gun, who went out in two over, was left to rue three dropped shots in his last four holes.

Five-handicapper Crean turned in four-over before coming home in two-over with the highlight of his round a birdie two at the 11th, where he holed a slick 15 footer.

Duff played the tough, five-hole opening stretch in two-over but he birdied the sixth and then got up and down for birdie at the downwind 14th to get back to level par.

He dropped a shot at the 15th but closed with a superb, tap-in birdie a the 18th to win after a count back from Kennedy, who will play for the Irish Boys in a Quadrangular Tournament against France, Spain and Italy in Chantilly from March 15-17.

The young Royal Dublin ace was on course for one of the best scores of the day when he got to two-under with three holes to play. But he bogeyed the 16th and a failed to get up and down for his par-three at the 17th and also shot 71.

As for GUI National Academy coach McGlynn, whose brother Shane won a prize last week, he made three birdie and four bogeys in a one-over 72 to win the third gross.

TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71, SSS 74 CSS 75)

Nett

1, Michael McDermott (Pro) Grange 68

2, Harry Bradshaw (4) Portmarnock 71

3, Richard Crean (5) Fermoy 72

Gross

1, Philip Duff (Pro) Headfort 71

2, Max Kennedy (+2) Royal Dublin 71

3, Niall McGlynn (Pro) GUI National Academy 72