Night rider

Colm Moriarty slipped home in the gathering dusk to grab top of the leaderboard, at Mount Wolseley to win Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin PGA pro-am tournament.

The Glasson Hotel professional carded a four-under-par 68 to be one stroke ahead of long standing leader Brendan McGovern.

The winner did his work on the outward run as, after a bogey five at the fourth hole he glued together a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth and added another at the ninth to turn on three-under-33.

On the way home, he birdied the long 12th but gave that shot back at 15, before finishing with birdie three to snatch top spot.

McGovern got his trouble out of the way early. The Headfort professional bogeyed the par four second hole for his only slip of the day. From the fourth to the tenth he then birdied all the even number holes.

He pencilled in a three at the fourth, made a two at the short sixth, another three at eight and trimmed the long 10th to four blows to be three-under-par.

McGovern then finished with eight straight pars and be one stroke ahead of John Kelly (St Margaret’s) and local pro Ted Higgins, who rifled a seven iron to one inch for birdie three at the 18th hole.

Dundalk assistant Conor Thornton, who finished on 71 despite a bogey at 18, brought in the winning team on 96 points.

The amateurs were 15-year-old Darragh Smith, who plays off a four handicap, Tom O’Connor and Mark Webster, both 11-handicappers. They are all from Stackstown.

Among the other notable amateurs playing were DJ Carey, Davy Fitzgerald and Micéal Ó Muíreartaígh.