Going into the final day, Munster are on stream to win the GUI Interprovincial Championship for the third time in six years. At Ballybunion yesterday, in perfect conditions, with a medium southwesterly wind blowing across the links, they beat Leinster by one match.
Connacht, on the other hand, surprised Ulster when they led the foursomes by 3-1 and won eventually by nine matches to four. It was the first time since 1991 that Connacht had a victory over any of the other three provinces, and not since 1983 have they won the overall competition.
The big battle was between Munster and Leinster after they had shared the foursomes. But the southern province won five of the nine singles matches for their seven to six overall win. It came down to the final singles match, which Tom Cleary, one of the senior members of the team, won on the 17th after he put an eight-iron to within 12 feet and holed the putt for a birdie three.
Amateur Interprovincial Championship (at Ballybunion, second day): Munster 7 Leinster 6 - Foursomes (Munster names first): E Power and S Quinlivan lost to R Coughlan and P Lawrie 2 and 1, J Morris and P Murray bt J Fanagan and N Fox 2 and 1, N Goulding and K Bornemann lost to B Omelia and D Coyle 3 and 2, T Cleary and G O'Flaherty bt A Morrow and L Dalton 4 and 3. Singles: Morris bt Coughlan 1 hole, Quinlivan bt Lawrie 4 and 3, Power lost to Fanagan 2 and 1, Murray lost to Fox 6 and 5, Borneman lost to Omelia 6 and 5, T Rice bt Coyle 1 hole, Goulding lost to Morrow 3 and 2, O'Flaherty bt Dalton 4 and 3, Cleary bt M McGinley 2 and 1.
Connacht 9 Ulster 4 - Foursomes (Connacht first): D Mortimer and C Moriarty bt P Gribben and R Elliott 2 and 1, S McTiernan and K Flanagan halved with A McCormick and C McMonagle, D Dunne and D O'Flynn bt S Paul and J Foster 4 and 3, S Horkan and M Flanagan halved with M Sinclair and C McElderry. Singles: Dunne bt Gribben one hole, Horkan bt Sinclair 3 and 2, O'Flynn bt McCormick 3 and 2, Flanagan halved with Paul, McTiernan lost to Meharg 2 holes, Mortimer bt Leonard 2 and 1, N Howlett halved with McMonagle, Moriarity bt McElderry 3 and 3, Cunningham lost to Elliott 2 and 1. Standings (after day two) - Munster 2 pts (181/2 matches), Ulster 1 pt (111/2 matches), Connacht 1 (101/2 matches), Leinster 0 (111/2 matches). Today's draw: Connacht v Leinster - Foursomes: Dunne and O'Flynn v Coughlan and Lawrie; Horkan and Flanagan v Fanagan and Morrow; Mortimer and Moriarty v Omelia and Coyle; McTiernan and Cunninagham v Fox and Dalton. Singles: Dunne v Coughlan; Horkan v Flanagan; O'Flynn v Lawrie; Flanagan v Fox; Moriarty v Omelia; Mortimer v Morrow; Horwley v McGinley; McTiernan v S Brown; Cunningham v Coyle. Munster v Ulster - Foursomes: Power and Quinlivan v McCormick and McMonagle; Morris and Murray v Gribben and Elliott; Byrne and Rice v Sinclair and McElderry; Cleary and O'Flaherty v Paul and Leonard. Single: Morris v Gribben; Quinlivan v McCormick; Power v Sinclair; Murray v Paul; Rice v Meharg; Byrne v Elliott; Goulding v McMonagle; Cleary v McElderry; O'Flaherty v Foster.
