Moriarty wins Irish PGA Pro-Am to set up title tilt at Roganstown
Glasson’s Colm Moriarty. Picture by Pat Cashman
The €32,000 TLC Nursing Homes sponsored Irish PGA Championship tees off at Roganstown Hotel and Country Club today.
The in-form Colm Moriarty from Glasson, Tulfarris’ Simon Thornton and Banbridge’s Richard Kilpatrick are among the favourites to dethrone Carlow’s Damien McGrane and claim the €3,600 first prize in the 54-hole event.
Moriarty showed he’s a man in form when he carded a seven-under-par 64 to win Monday’s Irish PGA Championship Pro-Am by five strokes from Thornton, Ballyneety Golf Club’s David Barry, Richard O'Donovan, and Evolve Golf Coaching’s Michael McGeady, the winner of the Irish PGA at Roganstown in 2013.
Roganstown Hotel and Country Club was founded in 2004 and is located in the picturesque grounds in Swords, North Dublin.
The venue’s 18-hole championship course was designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr and has already staged a number of PGA events, including the Southern Branch Championship and the Irish PGA Championship in 2013 when McGeady edged out Cian McNamara and Damian Mooney by a shot.
Ian McGuinness, Managing Director at Roganstown Hotel and Golf Course, commented: “It’s an honour and a privilege to be staging the Irish PGA Championship once again. The members at Roganstown were very supportive when the Championship was last staged here in 2013.
“When Christy O’Connor designed the course it was with the intention that it would be a players course and that meant a layout to suit all types of amateurs, as well as professionals. The options on tee-markers brings into play the location of all hazards and features for all level of competitors.”
The course has matured beautifully since opening and continuous attention from Colm McGuinness and his greenkeeping staff ensure that it is in beautiful condition all year through.
The Irish PGA Championship is one of the Association’s oldest tournaments dating back more than a century to 1907. A long list of legendary Irish golfers has been crowned winners, including Harry Bradshaw, Des Smyth and Ryder Cup captains Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley.
In more recent years, current European Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington is a six-time winner, while former European Tour player McGrane bagged his second Irish PGA Championship crown at Bunclody Golf and Fishing Club last year.
110th Irish Professional Championship, Roganstown Hotel and Country Club
08:00 Craig Stewart (Craig Stewart Golf Limited), Conor Coyne (Lisheen Springs GC), Michael Gielty (Grange GC),
08:10 Paul Behan (Black Bush GC), Graham Byrne (Palmerstown House Estate), Josh Adams (Stackstown GC),
08:20 Andrew Gorman, Eric Byrne (Rathfarnham GC), Conor Gorevan (Portmarnock GC),
08:30 Mark Higgins (Limerick GC), Sean Cannon (Athenry GC), Mark Sutton (The Ward Golf Centre),
08:40 Ciaran Hegarty (Millicent GC), John McDermott (Grange GC), Joe Murray (Roganstown Golf & Country Club),
08:50 Paul O'Neill (Shannon GC), Bradley Cohen (Wexford GC), Daniel Sheehan (Carr Golf Services),
09:00 David Rock (County Meath GC), Bernard Fitzgerald (Westmanstown GC), Leo Hynes (Killiney GC),
09:10 Gary Madden (Glenlo Abbey GC), Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret's Golf & CC), Mark O'Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre),
09:20 Hazel Kavanagh (Impact Golf At Leopardstown), Brendan Walton (Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links), Mark O'Boyle (Heath GC),
09:40 Peter O'Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle GC), Eoin O'Brien (Clontarf GC), Peter Jones (Athy Driving Range),
09:50 Glen Robinson (Craddockstown GC), Cian McNamara (Monkstown GC), Michael McGeady (Evolve Golf Coaching),
10:00 Derry Kiely (Faithlegg GC), Gerry Burke (Royal Curragh GC), Richard Bridges (Castle GC),
10:10 Sean O'Donoghue (Mount Wolseley Golf & CC), Stephen Barry (Royal Tara GC), Shane Irwin (Monkstown GC),
10:20 Damien McGrane (Carlow GC), Tim Rice (Limerick GC), Richard O’Donovan
10:30 Colm Moriarty (Glasson GC), Paul Eivers (Cahir Park GC), Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf),
10:40 Simon Thornton (Tulfarris Golf Resort), David Higgins (Waterville Golf Links), Nathan Kernaghan (Massereene GC),
10:50 Neil O'Briain (Old Conna GC), Steven Quinlan (SQ Golf), Jack Howard (Fota Island GC),
11:00 Philip Walton, Ciaran Molloy (Golf4Kids), Brian Jnr (McCormack McCormack Golf Ltd ),
11:20 Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny GC), David Barry (Ballyneety GC), Andy Hogan (Edmondstown GC),
11:30 Donal Gleeson (Old Conna GC), Brian O'Reilly (Glenlo Abbey GC),
11:40 Brian Doheny (Callan GC), John Dignam (Spawell Golf Academy), Shane Franklin (Cregmore Park GC),
11:50 Jerry Scullion (J Scullion Golf), Keith Shannon (Cloverhill GC), Leslie Walker (Dundalk GC),
12:00 Leonard Owens, Wesley Ramsay (Knockbracken Golf Academy), Peter Hickey (Cork GC),
12:10 Matthew Looby (Greystones GC), John Casey (Tralee GC), Michael Alexander (Blackwood Golf Centre),
12:20 Sebastien McShane (Carton House), Kevin McMillan (P & M Golf Superstore Ltd JM), John McQuaid
12:30 Noel Murray (Hole in One Golf Academy), Enda Maguire (Co. Louth GC), Eoin O'Connor (Kilkenny GC),
12:40 Ronan Higgins (Balbriggan GC), Richard Weldon (Black Bush GC), Keith McDermott (Hermitage GC)
13:00 Mark Murphy (Beech Park), Philip Duff (Laytown & Bettystown GC), Conor Russell (Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links)
13:10 Niall McGlynn (GUI National Academy), Roy O'Neill (Galway GC), James McVicker
13:20 Raymond Ryan (Thurles GC), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC), Nicholas Grant (Knock GC),
13:30 Patrick Devine (Sutton GC), Philip Ring (McGuirks Golf Blanchardstown), Michael O'Shea (Palmerstown House Estate)
