Mooney set to win Pro-am in Donegal
With one round still to go, Damian Mooney looks a sure-fire winner in the €15,000 Great Northern Hotel pro-am event at Bundoran, having opened up a seven shots gap at the top of the leaderboard.
Over the 36 holes to date, the Laganview Club professional hasn’t dropped a stroke as he carded rounds of 67 and 66 to be seven-under-par.
Nearest challenger is Leslie Walker (Dundalk) while the second best score today was carded by Limerick County professional Donard McSweeney.
He went round in 68 shots but is back in joint fifth place after an opening 74.
Regional vice-captain Mooney wedged to six feet for birdie three at the fifth hole and at the next rifled a nine iron off the tee to 10 feet and holed the putt for birdie two.
At the par four 12th hole he chipped stone-dead from 30 yards for another birdie three and then got up and down from a bunker for a four at the long 17th.
“I have played only three serious rounds of golf this year and it is the psychology course that I completed that has given me a whole new approach to the game.
It is nice to be in this position at the first event of the year in Ireland,” said the leader.
This competition doubles as the Irish Team Championship and leading that going into the last day’s play is St Helen’s Bay professional Liam Bowler.
His amateurs are his father Maurice who plays off 18 out of Head fort, 11-handicapper Denis Leanne and 12-handicapper Brendan Scallion who are both from Wexford.
Scallon was a member of the winning team last year that was led by Damian McGrane.
GREAT NORTHERN HOTEL PRO-AM AT BUNDORAN:
Leading Scores:
133 – D Mooney (Laganview) 66.
140 – L Walker (Dundalk) 71.
141 – B McGovern (Headfort) 71; L Robinson (Murvagh) 72.
142 – G Loughrey (Knockbracken) 71; G McNeill (Royal Portrush) 73; D McSweeney (Limerick Co) 68.
144 – R Ryan (Athenry) 71.
145 – H Jackson (Donabate) 70.
147 – S Donnelly (Castle Hume) 77.
148 – S Thornton (Royal County Down) 75; V Teague (Dungannon) 72; R Kelly (Nenagh) 74; D McQuillan (Co Sligo) 75; Kirkpatrick (Ardee) 75.
149 – JP Dolan (Charleville) 76; A Johnston (Ballyclare) 75; L Bowler (St Helen’s Bay) 75.
Irish Team Championship:
181pts – L Bowler (St Helen’s Bay) with D Lehane 11, B Scallon 12 (both Wexford) & M Bowler 18 (Headfort) 88.
180 – D McSweeney (Limerick Co) with I Cawley 8 (Limerick GC), J Tierney 10 (Castletroy) & G Walsh 15 (Limerick Co) 91.
178 – D Mooney (Laganview) with Wendy Taggart 20, Alexis Davidson 23 (both Aughnacloy) & Leslie Allan 21 (Dunmurry) 96.
