McDermott makes trial run count

The professionals got a close-up chance yesterday to sample the Christy O’Connor, junior, designed 7,000-yards testing Roganstown course before they aim for victory, over the next four days, in the Cassidy Golf PGA Irish Region Championship, at the north Dublin track.

Making the best of the trial run, in the championship pro-am tournament, was Michael McDermott who topped the leaderboard with a three-under-par 68 in the blustery, sunshine conditions.

However, he was only one stroke ahead of championship favourite Niall Kearney and Peter Martin, with Damian Mooney and Mark Staunton just another shot adrift.

Yesterday’s action was a shotgun start and McDermott highlighted his card with a golden eagle three at the 10th hole, then backed it up with birdie three at the next. He swapped birdie two at 17 for bogey six at 18 and covered the front nine in regulation 35, wiping out a two at the sixth hole with bogey five at the seventh.

Kearney’s title odds tumbled yesterday to four-to-one as he turned in another solid performance on the Broadmeadow River-side course. He also covered the front nine in level par 35 and then made birdie fours at 10 and 18, without conceding a stroke to the course.

It was a different sort of round by Martin as he sprayed birdies and bogeys over his card, six of the first and four of the second, leaving only eight pars. He birdied the first hole and then went 4-4-2 for a hat-trick of birdies from the fourth but dropped a shot at the short ninth. He picked that up at the long 10th but bogeyed 11, 12 and 14 before birdie three at 15.

Damian Mooney piloted the winning team which included Roganstown Managing Director Ian McGuinness and Miriam McGuinness, who also won the ladies’ longest drive at the par five fourth hole. The team, which was completed by Donhnall Connor, posted a winning 94 points.

Out of the championship is current Irish Order of Merit leader John Kelly. The St Margaret’s pro has withdrawn because of family reasons.