Smyth tops Motorola pro-am
Des Smyth flew into Cork from Celtic Manor in Wales to top the leaderboard after the Motorola pro-am at Little Island - a tournament that finished in darkness because of the bulging field.
Smyth carded a three-under-par 69 with a blazing back nine of four-under-32 that included a golden eagle three and two birdies.
He had a bumpy run to the turn, taking 37 shots. He chalked up bogey five at the first hole, a bogey six at the second but then stopped the rot with birdie three at the third hole and got back to regulation with another birdie at the long fifth.
However, he missed the green at the short ninth hole to turn in 37 strokes before making his charge for the winner's cheque on the homeward run.
The highlight of that blistering finish was this eagle from 10 feet at the long 11th hole and he backed that up with birdie threes at the 14th and 16th.
It was a double for Des as he also led in the winning team on 91 points.
His amateurs were club captain Pat McCarthy (11), tournament sponsor John Phillips (11) and Peter Cowley (1), husband of the Cork club lady captain and who has just again been selected in the Irish Seniors' Team for the European Championship.
MOTOROLA PRO-AM TOURNAMENT AT CORK:
69 - D Smyth (Unattached).
70 - B McDaid (Rathsallagh), D Ryan (Cork), J Dwyer (Ashbourne), B McGovern (Headfort), J Dignam (Slade Valley), N Manchip (Royal Dublin), E Darcy (Druid's Glen), D Walker (Foxrock).
71 - Z Rouiller (Spawell).
72 - M O'Donovan (Harbour Pt), W O'Callaghan (Fernhill), E Doyle (Heritage), G Loughrey (Knockbracken), P McGuirk (Co Louth), J Murray (Malahide), R O' Dell (Village Green).
73 - J Heggarty (Spawell), K Dorrian (Unattached), G Burke (Curragh), M Sludds (Enniscorthy), D Kearney (Galway DR), JP Dolan (Charleville), D McFarlane (East Cork).
74 - H Jackson (Donabate), C Spence (Royal Belfast), J Bolger (Kilkenny), G Bleakley (Balmoral).
Team:
91pts - D Smyth (Unattached) with Pat McCarthy 11, John Phillips 11 & Peter Cowley 1 (all Cork).
