Ulster Fourball

Matchplay Team Reports

Competition:	Ulster Four Ball 2^nd Leg
Opponents:	Moyola Park
Date & Venue:	24^th July 2011 @ Moyola Park
Match Result:	3 & Half to 1 & Half, overall win for Moyola Park 5 & Half to 4 & Half
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt

Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
Ivan Gilmore John Hinds		17 19	Seamus Graffin Damian McLarnon	Lost 3 & 1
George Russell Brendan McCabe		18 17	Martin Kelly Kevin Conway	Lost 3 & 1
William Wilson Jim Madden		19 17	Gerry Slowey Roderick Skelly	Won 3 & 1
Russell Jamison Fergus McCartney		18 18	Danny McGlone John Strathern	Lost 4 & 3
Sean Lawell Dennis Irvine		18 17	Damian O’Boyle Hugh Lynn	Half Match
Overall Comments – Performance, Conditions etc.
On a fine warm sunny day at Moyola Park our lads play their hearts out, however they lost out to a good Moyola side, with the last match going to the 18 hole, which was half to give them a win and go through to the 5^th Rd, we wish them all the best for the rest of the competition. Our 1^st pair out was Ivan & John who kept the top pair at bay for most their match only to lost out on the 17^th 3 & 1, the lads where level after 8 but lost the 9^th to go 1 down and kept it that way until they lost 13^th got it back to 1 down by winning the 15^th however they lost the next 2 holes to lose 3 & 1, 1^st point to Moyola. 2^nd out was George & Brendan, just could get going and where always chasing their opponents, 2 down after 9, when 3 down by the 12^th got it back to 2 at the 15^th hole, Brendan play a great shot to the 16^th par 3 green, miss he’s long birdie putt for a win but got the par to take the match to the 17^th only to lose out. Our 3^rd pair out was William & Jim who were always in control of their game, when 1 up in the 1st few holes, Got peg back to level at the 9^th, got to 3 up by the 15^th, playing the 16^th had a great chance to closed out the match but didn’t take it, got the win at the 17^th to win 3 & 1. 4^th pairing for Rockmount was Russell & Fergus, when behind by 2 after 4 holes, just couldn’t get back at the Moyola boys, lost the 9^th to go 3 down, playing the 15^th 4 down won that hole, however lost the 16^th to lose 4 & 2, just wasn’t their day. Now everything rested on the last match with Sean & Jim in a ding dong match with their opponents, when 1 up after 4 holes, lost their way a bit went 1 down at the 9^th but got it back to level by the 12^th, stay level through 15^th and when Sean play a great shot from the sand, to win this hole it was looking good for us, however they lost the next with Sean’s putt for a par stop a few inches from the hole. Going up the last hole all the play for by both teams, winner takes all, with a large following watching them none of the 4 players play good tee shots. With Sean just short of the green in four and Dennis on in 5 and with the Moyola lads the same, we just need Sean to get up & down in 2 to go through, however it was not to be, the hole was half and that gave Moyola the extra ½ point they needed to go through. Many thanks to all the lads for a gallant effort on the day, but it was not our turn yet, maybe next year.

Matchplay Team Reports

Competition:	Ulster Four Ball
Opponents:	Moyola Park
Date & Venue:	17^th July 2011 @ Rockmount
Match Result:	Rockmount won 3 & 2 with 8 holes up
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt
Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
George Russell Brendan McCabe		18 17	Seamus Graffin Damian McLarnon	Lost 2 holes
Chris Millar Barry O’Neill		18 17	Martin Kelly Kevin Conway	Lost 4 & 3
Kevin Cushnan Stephen Gilmore		20 17	Barry McGlone Brian Doyle	Won 6 & 5
Russell Jamison Fergus McCartney		18 18	Roderick Skelly John Thompson	Won 3 & 1
Sean Lawell Dennis Irvine		18 17	Gerry Slowey Donal Mullan	Won 5 & 4
Overall Comments – Performance, Conditions etc.
In very poor weather conditions of wind & rain all day it was tough going for both teams, with Rockmount just winning by 3 & 2. Our 1^st pair George & Brendan where up against a very good Moyola pair, where one down after 4 holes and when behind by 3 holes in the front 9 got it back to 1 hole down by the ninth, George & Brendan just couldn’t get to level had chances on the 15^th & 16^th to level, lost out on the 18^th. 2^nd pair out Chris & Barry where always chasing their opponents, 1 down @ the 4^th and 3 down at the 12^th lost out on the 15^th 4 & 3, but the lads tried hard but it just wasn’t their day. Our 3^rd pair Kevin & Stephen got to 2 up after 4 holes and where always in control, went through the front 9 holes 4 up and closed out their match on the 13^th winning 6 & 5, our 1^st point of the day. 4^th pair out Russell & Fergus got in front by 2 after 4, went through the front 9 holes 3 up, got it to 4 up going up the 15^th, when Fergus had a great chance to close out their match with 2 putts from off the green to have the holes, but lost it & the 16^th to go up the 17^th 2 up, however he didn’t make the same error twice, had 2 putts to win the match, took his 2 putts and with the Moyola lads missing their putts, our lads won the match 3 & 1. Last pair out was Sean & Dennis went 3 up by the 4^th and even though they got it to 4 up finish the front 9 holes 3 up, and always in control of their match went through 12 holes 3 up however they won the 13^th & 14^th holes to win 5 & 4. We still have a lot to do next week at Moyola, but our lads are confident enough to get the points we need to precede to the next round, but it won’t be easy.

Matchplay Team Reports

Competition:	Ulster Four Ball
Opponents:	Ashfield, Cullyhanna
Date & Venue:	19^th June 2011 @ Rockmount
Match Result:	3.5 to 1.5 overall win for Rockmount 6 & 4
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt
Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
George Russell Brendan McCabe		18 17	Joe Murphy Pat Murphy	Won 4 & 3
Russell Jamison Fergus McCartney		18 18	Malachy O’ Rourke John Harte	Won 5 & 4
Chris Millar Dennis Irvine		18 17	Jim Malone Mickey Savage	Half Match
Kevin Cushnan Stephen Gilmore		20 17	Mickey McShane Aidan Carragher	Won 5 & 3
Ivan Gilmore William Wilson		19 19	Con McParland John Shields	Lost 3 & 2
Overall Comments – Performance, Conditions etc.
The weather was more kind to us than the previous week, good sunshine all day with a light wind that eased as the day when on. Our lads all played well as we needed 3 full points to proceed to the next round, the end result on the day was a win for Rockmount 3.5 to 1.5 giving us an overall win of 6 & 4. We play Downpatrick or Moyola in the 4^th round. Our 1^st pair of George & Brendan got the proceeding rolling, had a very tough match against the Ashfield lads Con & John, level through the front 9, however by the 12^th our lads got in front by 1, winning the next 3 holes to win 4 & 3 to give us our 1^st point of the day. Following them in the 2^nd match was Russell & Fergus got off the a great start by winning the 1^st 2 holes only to be peg back to level after 4, Russell had a great putt from the far side of the 6^th green to win the hole and go in front again, which they never looked back and where in control of their match from this point on, going through 9 with a 2 hole advantage, won the next 3 holes to go 5 up after 12, however the Ashfield pair didn’t give up, they won the 13^th, with Russell & Fergus winning the 14^th for a 5 & 4 win, giving us our 2^nd point of the day. Our 3^rd pair of Chris & Dennis had the tough match against a very good Ashfield pair Malachy & John, this match was level though the front 9 and by the 12^th was still level, however the Ashfield pair then won next 2 holes to go 2 up, but our lads won the 15^th but lost the 16^th 2 down with 2 to play, however they won the last 2 holes to get a half point which was a fair result for this match. New boys in the team both playing their 1^st match was Kevin & Stephen, where always in control, 1 up after 4, when through the front 9, 3 holes up, won the next 2 to go 5 up. The Ashfield pair of Jim & Mickey won the 12^th to pull a hole back, however the match was closed out on the 15^th for a 5 & 4 win for Kevin & Stephen, good result for their 1^st match. Our last pair of Ivan & William manage to get in front by 1 hole by the 4^th, however this was short lived as the Aidan & team captain Pete got in front by the 9^th hole and stay in front for the rest of the match, went 3 up by the 12^th and this match finish at the 15^th declaring and 3 & 2 win for Ashfield. Many thanks to all of the Ashfield lads for a very sporting match that was playing in good spirit over the 2 legs, and we wish them well for the future and hope to meet again. Again many thanks to all our lads who stuck to their tasks and got us through to the 4^th round, where we go to Downpatrick or Moyola.

Matchplay Team Reports

Competition:	Ulster Four Ball
Opponents:	Ashfield, Cullyhanna
Date & Venue:	12^th June 2011 @ Ashfield
Match Result:	2.5 to 2.5 with Ashfield 5 holes up
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt

Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
Eric Chambers David Kirk		18 21	Joe Murphy Pat Murphy	Lost 5 & 3
George Russell Jim Madden		18 17	Malachy O’ Rourke John Harte	Half Match
Chris Millar Barry O’Neill		18 17	Jim Malone Mickey Savage	Won 2 & 1
Russell Jamison Fergus McCartney		18 18	Mickey McShane Aidan Carragher	Won 1 up
Sean Lawell William Wilson		18 19	Con McParland John Shields	Lost 3 & 2
This was another visit to Ashfield and a great result that sets us up for the return leg all square, with 2.5 points, not over by a long way, still lots of work to do. All 5 matches where play in a steady rain all day, but not as heavy as it was in Rockmount. Our 1^st pair out was Eric & David and they found their opponents in great form, the Ashfield lads when in front by 3 after 5 holes, but to Eric & David’s credit they stuck at the task in front of them and got it back to 1 down by the 9^th, however they lost out on the 15^th green 5 & 3. Our 2nd pair George & Jim where always in control from the start 1 up after 5 holes and when George birdie the 12^th to go 4 up it looked good for the lads, both had chances to close out the match on the 16^th & 17^th holes, however it was not to be and had to settle for a half point. 3^rd pair of Chris & Barry where chasing the game on the front 9 holes, and where 2 down, by the 15^th they had level the match, won 16^th and as Barry had a short putt to win the 17^th, do so to gives us our 1^st full point, which left the Ashfield lads in a bit of a shock as they were always in front until the 15^th hole only to lose out on the 17^th. Russell & Fergus out in the 4^th match started off with Russell chipping in on the 1^st hole for a birdie, where pull back to level at the 9^th, this match was nip & tuck the whole way round, Russell had a great chance to go 1 up on the par 3 16^th, as his playing partner had got the half, but is wasn’t to be, however Russell made up for it on the 17^th with a par to go 1 up playing the last hole which was half in 5 and gives us or 2^nd full point. Last but not least Sean & William lost their way in the front 9 and found themselves 5 down at the turn, they didn’t give up and found back to 2 down by the 13^th, however lost the next hole and lost out on the 16^th 3 & 2, this was a great fight back by the lads to take the match to the 16^th when all look lost by the 9^th. Well done to all the lads, however this result sets us up nicely for the return leg at Rockmount, and the lads are confident of completing the job.

Matchplay Team Reports
Competition:	Ulster Four Ball 2^nd Round 2^nd Leg
Opponents:	Murvagh Co. Donegal
Date & Venue:	22^nd May 2011 @ Rockmount
Match Result:	5 nil to Rockmount
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt
Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
George Russell Brendan McCabe		18 17	Roy Harron John Joe Travers	Win 2 & 1
Eric Chambers Chris Millar		18 18	Damian Hanna Andy McLaren	Win 3 & 1
Fergus McCartney Russell Jamison		18 18	Donne McIntyre William Tomoney	Win 5 & 4
Sean Lawell Dennis Irvine		18 17	Declan Gallagher Raymond Nolan	Win 2 & 1
Ivan Gilmore Douglas Bain		18 21	Ivor Stewart Paul Murphy	Win 2 & 1
A great performance by all the lads in this match, needing to win at least 4.5 matches, all the pairs won their matches. The 1^st leg @ Murvagh was played in very poor conditions with wind & rain coming in off the shore all day, however we got more pleasant conditions at home. Our 1^st pair George & Brendan had a very tough match the Murvagh pair, level through 4 & 9, got in front by 2 @ the 12^th and closed out the match on the 17^th green to give us our 2^nd point. 2^nd pair out was Eric & Chris where level going through 4, when 2 up by the 9^th, the Murvagh lads put a hole back by the 12^th, but by the 16^th Eric & Chris got it back to 2up and Eric won the 17^th with a par, having 2 puts to win the hole, left his 1^st put at the hole for a win, this gave us our 3^rd point of the day. Now things where looking very good at this point, with 2 matches still to decide the outcome. Our 3^rd pair Russell & new boy Fergus playing his 1^st match was guided around by old hand Russell, where always in control of their match, level after 4, but then up their game to go 3 up @ the 9^th, got it to 4 up by the 12^th and closed out the match on the 14^th to win 5 & 4, our 1^st point of the day, when this news got around to the rest of the boys it gave them all a lift and spurred them all on. The 4^th Rockmount pair Sean & Dennis got themselves in front @ the 4^th by 2 when 4 up going into the back 9, the Murvagh lads did managed to pull 2 holes back, Sean & Dennis closed out the match on the 17^th with a half. 4 points up and looking very strong, all focus was now on our last pair Ivan & Douglas, the Murvagh lads where 1 up after 4, but going into the back 9 the Rockmount lads where in front, 2 up playing the 12^th, they lost that hole to stay 1 up, however playing the 16^th still 1 up they won this hole to go 2 up and secured at least the ½ point that we need to win the overall match, going up the 17^th, where call in with the overall result 5 wins to Rockmount. Well done to all the lads and many thanks to the Murvagh lads for a great sporting match, played in great spirit at home & away. They all found the Rockmount course very tough as they are not use to playing a course with so many trees. Our 1 point away proved very valuable that gave us a platform to work off on the home leg.

Matchplay Team Reports

Competition:	Ulster Four Ball 1^st Leg 2^nd Round
Opponents:	Murvagh
Date & Venue:	14^th May 2011 @ Murvagh Co. Donegal
Match Result:	Win for Murvagh 4 & 1 with 14 holes up
Team Captain:	Frank McCourt
Rockmount Players		Handicap	Opponent	Result
George Russell Jim Madden		18 17	Ivor Stewart Paul Murphy	Lost 3 & 1
Chris Millar Brendan McCabe		18 17	Damien Hanna John S. Travers	Lost 3 & 1
Barry O’Neill David Kirk		17 21	Michael Shallow Ray Foster	Lost 7 & 6
William Wilson Sean Lawell		19 18	Roy Harron Andy Mclaren	Won 1 up
Pete Rowntree Brian Hasson		25 19	Dowie McIntyre William Timoney	Lost 3 & 1
Overall Comments – Performance, Conditions etc.
This was a very tough match for all our lads in very windy & heavy rain coming in from the sea. At one stage of the match we where down in 3 & up in 2 after 7 holes play, this all change in the back 9, with our 3^rd pairing get the dreaded dog licence losing 7 & 6. We had 4 players playing in this competition for the 1^st time and made a good account of themselves. Our 1^st pair George & Jim just couldn’t get going and where chasing the match from the 1^st hole, losing out on the 17^th 3 & 1. Our 2^nd pair Chris & Brendan did manage to get in front on the front 9 but also lost out on the 17^th like our 1^st pair. The 3^rd pair out Barry & David where up against a very good pair from Murvagh. Our 4^th pair William & Sean played very well and where in front for most of their match, got peg back to level after 9, going behind on the back 9, level at 17^th and with Sean having 2 puts on the 18^th green for our only win. Well done to William & Sean. Last but not lease Pete & Brian where behind from the 1^st and with 3 down at one stage got it back to 1 down by the 13^th like our other matches lost out on the 17^th 3 & 1. All our lads play well and with a little more luck in the running of the balls, we could have had another ½ point or full point. We look forward for our return match at Rockmount on Sunday 22^nd May, with the boys feeling confident of over turning the result in our favor.