Trinity shock Maynooth then down Ulster for Irish Colleges Matchplay Sprint title
Woodbrook Golf Club. Picture: Jamie Gibson
Trinity College overcame the University of Ulster's B team by four holes to claim the inaugural Irish Colleges Matchplay Sprint title at a wet Woodbrook.
Eight teams had progressed to the knockout stages after Thursday's round-robin group format and extra holes were needed for two of the four quarter-finals with the University of Ulster (UU) B and Maynooth University (MU) A overcoming their teammates to meet IADT Dun Laoghaire A and Trinty College Dublin (TCD) in the semi-finals.
In perhaps the upset of the competition, Trinity knocked out Maynooth's A team with Cillian Tully and Conor Fitzgerald beating Eanna Griffin and Kyle McCarron by two holes as Jack Killeen and Nick Armstrong halved with Eugene Smith and Liam Grehan.
IADT bowed out to UU's A team but with the third place playoff match conceded due to the inclement weather, they were awarded their first bronze medal.
Champions TCD pick up the inaugural Irish Colleges Matchplay Sprint trophy in the comfort of the Woodbrook clubhouse
"It's such a surprise, I am not sure how we got here but we are delighted all the same," said TCD captain, Nick Armstrong after his team's four-hole win in the final.
"The format has worked really well, it levels things out and makes the game so much quicker which is great.
"It has been one of the most enjoyable formats we have played in Intervarsity Golf thus far."
The Student Series continues later this month with the Munster Students Amateur Open at Cork Golf Club from March 20-22.
Irish Colleges Matchplay Sprint, Woodbrook
Semi Finals: Ulster (b) bt IADT (a) 4 holes; TCD bt MU (a) 2 holes
Final: UU (b) lost to TCD by 4 holes (results unavailable at this time).
