Maynooth sweeps Irish Colleges Match Play Series

International Caolan Rafferty played a key role in Maynooth’s domination at Woodbrook. Picture: Golffile/Thos Caffrey.

Maynooth University celebrated a clean sweep at the Irish Colleges Match Play Series at Woodbrook.

Following an entertaining day's play through three nine-hole series —two in match play before a final shootout involving the leading six teams— it was Maynooth C that claimed the bragging rights. 

The pairings of Éanna Griffin and Caolan Rafferty and Mary Doyle and Molly Dowling were a combined level par on their foursomes cards for the final series with Rafferty and Griffin's two-under par effort for the final nine enough to clinch the title on a countback of the best cards.

That was just enough to pip Maynooth A  — TJ Ford andHarry Gilivan, and David Brady and Cian Feeney — who had also combined to win the inaugural Irish Students Sixes Tournament, a six-hole blitz format consisting of six series of matches played over two days, at The Heath last month.

With shorter forms of competition golf being encouraged at club level by both The R&A and Ireland's administrative bodies, the ILGU and GUI,  the six-hole and nine-hole formats in Colleges golf have showcased how competitive these formats can be.

Trinity College, the defending champions, made a gallant defence of their title, fighting through to the final shootout before finishing sixth behind Colaiste Stiofain Naofa and DCU (b). 

Maynooth B's combination of Liam Power and Conor Ryan and Aaron Ryan and Gareth Carr clinched the bronze medal.

Irish Colleges Match Play Series, Woodbrook

Thursday 14th March

Final

Group Summary after Sessions 1 & 2

(Note: Group Scores are the aggregate numbers of holes up or down recorded in matches between pairs from each college)

Group A

1. Maynooth University (a) 11 up (Q)
2. Colaiste Stiofain Naofa 2 up (Q)
3. Trinity College Dublin 3 down (Q - on result v CIT)
4. Cork Institute of Technology 3 down
5. University College Dublin 7 down

Group B

1. Maynooth Universiy (b) 2 up (Q)
2. Dublin City University (a) 1 up
3. IADT Dun Laoghaire 3 down

Group C

1. Maynooth University (c) 8 up (Q)
2. Dublin City University (b) 2 up (Q - best runner-up, Group B/C)
3. IT Carlow 10 down

Session 3: Finals Shootout

Gross Stableford combined foursomes scores (Par 36pts)

1. Maynooth C 36pts (Countback)                  
2. Maynooth A 36pts 
3. Maynooth B 32      
4. DCU B 31             
5. CSN 29                 
6. TCD 21