Mayo duo play their part in golf success

IRELAND'S Connaught contingent all contributed in helping the home side retain the International King's Cup at Lough Erne Resort.

Alan Moran (Tuam), Colm Feeney (Galway GC), Liam Friel (Westport GC) and John Collins (Westport GC) stood up to be counted against the Americans in the Ryder Cup style event which honours golf’s greatest ambassador, Arnold Palmer.

Leading by 30 points going into the final 16 singles matches, Ireland squeezed over the finish line by a mere eight points.

The tournament featured 16-man teams of club golfers from Ireland and the USA going head to head over the Sir Nick Faldo designed course in Co. Fermanagh. Under King’s Cup rules, players received two points for a hole won, one point each for a hole halved and nothing for a lost hole.

Ireland had the better of things on the opening day, finishing a series of fourball and greensomes matches with 303 points to the USA's 273 points. With the singles left to play, Ireland needed to break the 576 total point marker to retain the title but found the USA side in no mood to roll over.

The USA went on to win nine of the 16 singles ties but Ireland's overnight buffer and a superb individual effort from Irvinestown's Martin Peters (Donegal GC), who beat Joseph Costello (Tijares Creek) 27-9, saw Ireland home.

Ireland's other singles winners were Declan McKeever (Donegal GC), Tom Muldoon (Cloverhill), Colm Feeney (Galway Bay GC), John Collins (Westport GC) and Darren Carey (Dunmurry Springs GC), with Niall Clince (Craddockstown) claiming a half.