Raymond, Moynihan and Purcell to the fore at Portmarnock Links
Conor Purcell
Tour players Cameron Raymond, Gavin Moynihan and Conor Purcell rose to the top in the TaylorMade Winter Series at Portmarnock Links.
The trio took advantage of mild weather and a light breeze to break 70 and take home three of the top prizes as a 96 man field took the links.
Tied 18th in the Irish Challenge in May, Raymond bogeyed the sixth and seventh to turn in two-over but raced home in 30 thanks to birdies at the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th and 17th en route to a three-under 68.
He won the nett by a shot from Moynihan — 28 under for his last two Challenge Tour starts.
The Portrane native went out in one-under as he made up for bogeys at the third, fifth and seventh with birdies at the second and fourth and an eagle three at the sixth, where he holed a bunker shot.
He then birdied the 10th and parred his last eight holes to claim the second nett with a 69 as four handicapper Darragh Curran from Portmarnock Links claimed third place with a nett 70.
With his 2.4 handicap adjusted to 4, Curran bogeyed the fifth and birdied the sixth to go out in level before coming home in three-over thanks to bogeys at the 11th, 12th, 15th, and 17th and a lone birdie at the 16th.
Purcell, who will tee it up on the Second Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour School in Alabama next week, took the gross with a two-under 69.
He started with a double-bogey before mixing birdies at the second, sixth, 13th, 14th and 15th with a lone bogey at the third to win on a countback from Portmarnock Links’ AJ McCabe.
McCabe went out in two-under-par as he followed a bogey at the third with birdies at the fourth, fifth and eighth holes before coming home in an adventurous level par.
He birdied the 12th, bogeyed the 13th after driving out of bounds, then birdied the 17th before dropping another shot at the last for his 69.
Craddockstown professional Glen Robinson took the third gross with a one-under 70 as he mixed birdies at the third, fifth, 14th and 15th with bogeys at the eighth, 10th and 18th
TaylorMade Winter Series, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links (Par 71), 12 October
Nett
Cameron Raymond (Pro) 68 Unattached
Gavin Moynihan (Pro) 69 Unattached
Darragh Curran (4) 70 Portmarnock Links
Gross
Conor Purcell (Pro) 69 Unattached
AJ McCabe (+3.1) 69 Portmarnock Links
Glen Robinson (Pro) 70 Craddockstown
All handicaps above are adjusted for the course.
