Uden Cup Vs Donabate.
After getting to the final last year, expectations were high that the Sutton Uden Cup team could put another good run together in this year’s campaign and the team got off to a great start with a relatively comfortable victory over Donabate 3.5 to 1.5 in round 1.
With 3 matches at home, it was important to start strongly and so who better to lead us out than Captain Mark Hogan and Tom O’Gorman. The 2 lads were up against a strong pair (of brothers) who were steady and didn’t give much away in a tight match that never had more than 1 hole in it. Mark made a lovely birdie on 9 for the Sutton lads to turn 1 Up and the 2 lads played very steady and smart golf on the back 9 to fend off the Donabate pair and close the match out on 18 with a 1 Up victory.
Next up for Sutton at home were Fintan Maher and James Kelly. Our lads made a slow start and found themselves 3 Down after 3 and up against it. The Sutton pair didn’t panic and always felt that once they got going they could reel in Donabate and so it proved. A great win on 9 brought the deficit back to 1 Down and the scoring improved again on the back 9 where the Sutton pair put a string of solid holes together to win the match on 17 with a 2&1 victory.
Our final pair at home were Brian Curtis and David Walsh. The Sutton lads were up against a Donabate pair which included the late addition of the team manager to their line up – who duly showed his intent early by birding the 1 st to put Donabate 1 up. Our Sutton pair were in a battle and found themselves 3 Down after 7 but a good par by Brian on 8 and an excellent birdie by David on 9 meant the matchturned 1 Up to Donabate. On the back 9 the other member of the Donabate pair came to the fore with a masterclass of lag putting which led to the Donabate lads closing out the match on 16 despite Sutton’s best efforts.
Meanwhile in Donabate, our away pairs consisted of Simon English and Mark Banahan in match 1 and Mark Newman and Larry White in match 2. There was a tough Par 3 hole to start and despite Sutton players all hitting good tee shots, both pairs lost the 1 st hole due to good Donabate short game play. Simon and Mark settled quickly and were in a tight match from the get go against two big hitting Donabate men. It was nip and tuck the whole way around, with the match turning all square. Sutton went 1 Up after 15 but were quickly pegged back on 16 before they were called in on 17 with the match all square.
Mark and Larry made a slower start in their match and quickly found themselves 2 down after 2. A great win on the par 3 4th set the tone for some great iron play from our lads throughout the day. The match continued to be a tight one on the front 9 but Mark birdied the 8 th to lay down a marker and the Sutton pair never looked back from there. Brilliant 4ball strategy of always having a ball in a good position saw their opponents bewildered and the match finish on the 16th green with a 4&2 victory to Sutton.
Beaverstown are next up for Sutton in round 2 with 3 matches away this time so all support will be welcome.