GOLF/All-Ireland Cups and Shields: For some, the dream died almost before it had begun. Yesterday, as the links at Rosslare basked in late autumnal sunshine, Sutton's grip on the Barton Shield - won in somewhat emotional fashion at Shannon a year ago - was firstly gently relaxed and finally released by Warrenpoint, who beat the Dublin club by two holes in a hard-fought semi-final to set up a showdown today with Galway.
As the four-day long festival that is the Bulmers All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals swung into life in ideal conditions, on a links that has defied the ageing process and the ravages of the sea, Warrenpoint and Galway took quite different routes to reach the same destination.
While Warrenpoint had to fight tooth and nail to secure their eventual two-hole winning margin over the defending champions, Galway's progression to the final was never in doubt as they cruised to an 11 holes win over Ballybunion.
Indeed, it was a grand day for Galway's golfers. Not alone did the Barton Shield team reach the final, but their Irish Junior Cup team replicated the feat. In their case, admittedly, it was a more perilous journey with Joe Costello emerging as the hero of the hour with a win at the first hole of sudden-death over Billy Hewitt that proved decisive. In today's Junior Cup final, Galway will meet Fortwilliam, who also showed some fortitude in overcoming Castle.
First things first, however. Warrenpoint - winners of the Barton Shield three times, most recently in 1998 - only emerged from a mighty tussle with Sutton with the back-to-back 13th and 14th holes crucial in determining their progress. This is a rather unique alternate-shot competition in which the combined score of the two foursomes matches dictates the winners.
Perhaps Sutton could cast a rueful look back at the bunkers that come into play on the homeward run in figuring out why their grasp on the title was relinquished.
In the top match, Warrenpoint's Paul Reavey and Barrie Trainor, who will attempt to take the first tentative steps towards a career in the professional ranks when he competes in the PQ1 on the European Tour next week, took advantage of the woes of Mark Collins and Séamus McMonagle at the 13th hole to eventually forge out a three-hole win.
On that 13th, a short par four of 282 yards, Collins's approach plunged high into a greenside bunker. It left McMonagle with an impossible shot. He failed to get the ball out of the sand trap, and the Warrenpoint pair of Reavey - the Irish Boys' Under 17 winner - and Trainor to move two holes ahead. It was a position they were not to let slip.
In the match behind them, the Sutton pair of Alan Darbey and Seán Doherty experienced their sand problems on the par three 14th hole. Doherty's tee-shot found a green side trap and, again, Darbey was left with an impossible shot. While he contrived to get a stance to play his shot, he could only watch as Colm Campbell played an exquisite pitch over a bunker to within a foot of the hole. Darbey did well to get his sand shot out to 12 feet, but Doherty missed the par putt and they fell back to all square.
Although the Sutton duo regained their one hole lead by the time they were teeing off of the 18th, matters were taken out of their hands by events ahead of them.
Warrenpoint's progress is a tribute to their junior coaching policy, as epitomised by Reavey's emergence this summer. Only recently turned 17, Reavey - described by team manager Paddy O'Hanlon as "a very interesting talent, he's always had the raw potential but he's discovered something in himself (of late)" - played alongside aspiring tour player Trainor with the utmost composure in giving them the three hole win that proved to be decisive.
Galway's semi-final win was an altogether gentler affair, with John Heary and Eddie McCormack beating Ballybunion's Eoin O'Connor and Hannes Boch by six holes and then Joe Lyons and former Irish close champion Mark O'Sullivan, who is also competing in the first stage of the tour's qualifying school next week, defeating JD Guiney and Peter Sheehan by five holes.
In the Junior Cup semi-finals, Fortwilliam's Gary O'Hara's one hole win over Castle's Omar Bhamjee secured a place in the final with Galway.
O'Hara's par on the 18th - where Bhamjee put his tee shot out-of-bounds - gave the Ulster champions a 3-2 win.
Just short of the green on the par five finishing hole in two, O'Hara sensibly chipped onto the green some 20 feet short of the hole for the two-putt par that secured his side's advancement.
Galway had earlier needed to go to sudden death to book their place in the final. After Jonathan Hehir and Gary Scott had won their respective matches, only to be cancelled out by wins down the order by Billy McEwan and Brian McLean for Clonmel, it was left to Costello and Billy Hewitt to go down the 19th in their match.
Neither player managed to find the green with their approach shots, but Costello played a wonderful chip from over the back of the green to tap-in distance. Hewitt, with a poor lie, chipped 15 feet past the hole and missed his par putt.
BARTON SHIELD
Semi-Finals
Galway bt Ballybunion 11 holes (Galway names first): John Neary and Eddie McCormack bt Eoin O'Connor and Hannes Boch 6 holes; Joe Lyons and Mark O'Sullivan bt JD Guiney and Peter Sheehan 5 holes.
Warrenpoint bt Sutton 2 holes (Warrenpoint names first): Paul Reavey and Barrie Trainor bt Mark Collins and Seamus McMonagle 3 holes; Jim Carvill and Colm Campbell lost to Alan Darbey and Sean Doherty 1 hole.
JUNIOR CUP
Semi-Finals
Galway 3, Clonmel 2 (Galway names first) Jonathan Hehir bt Barry McMenamin 4 and 3; Gary Scott bt Pat Johnson 3 and 1; Joe Costello bt Billy Hewitt 19th; Michael Hennelly lost to Billy McEvoy 3 and 1; Eddie Mulholland lost to Brian McLean 4 and 3.
Fortwilliam 3, Castle 2 (Fortwilliam names first): Gary Brown lost to James Hanby 3 and 2; Conan McLarnon bt Karl Swaine 4 and 3; Paul Maguire lost to Stephen Webster 7 and 6; Gary O'Hara bt Omar Bhamjee 1 hole; Michael Tierney bt Harry Gleeson 5 and 4.
TODAY
Pierce Purcell: Semi-finals:
8.00am - Black Bush v Castleblayney (Black Bush names first): Liam McKay and Tony Cotter v Eamon Tavey and Paddy King; Daire Foran and Pat Kelly v Michael Fee and Martin Rafter; Pat Connolly and Seamus Morrison v Noel Flanagan and Martin Moore; Tom Finn and Terry Moore v Joe Quinn and Brian Coleman; John Donnelly and Kieran Dunne v Eamon Toal and Francis Murphy.
8.50am - Castletroy v Portumna (Castletroy names first): Martin Lucey and Kieran Tracey v Frank Hynes and Ray Lawless; Brian Hanrahan and Tony Frawley v Eugene McEntee and Eamonn Hodgins; Kieran Punch and Pat McNamara v Joe Austin and Eamonn O'Grady; Tom Guinan and Tony Delaney v Peadar Ryan and Jim Cleary; Tom Coffey and Michael Tracey v Eamonn Kelly and Anthony White.
Barton Shield Final: 11.00am - Galway v Warrenpoint (Galway names first): John Neary and Eddie McCormack v Barrie Trainor and Paul Reavey; Joe Lyons and Mark O'Sullivan v Jim Carvill and Colm Campbell.
Junior Cup Final: 11.30am - Galway v Fortwilliam (Galway names first): Jonathan Hehir v Gary Brown; Gary Scott v Conan McLarnon; Joe Costello v Paul Maguire; Michael Hennelly v Gary O'Hara ; Eddie Mulholland v Michael Tierney.
