Drama at the death

All the drama in the national pitch and putt championships at Stackallen last weekend centred on the 18th green where the holder, Ray Murphy (Templebreedy) faced a 10-foot birdie putt to take the championship to tie holes. However, the putt slipped agonisingly past to leave Fermoy's John Cahill the winner by one shot. Cahill fired a brilliant final round of 45 for a 22-under-par total of 140.

The 1997 champion, John Walsh (Collins), chipped in at the final hole for birdie to edge out Athgarvan's Eddie Carey for third place on a countback. Murphy and Cahill were tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the championships, which are sponsored by Paddy Old Irish Whiskey, on 13-under-par 95.

In the intermediate championship, James Kiernan (Castletown) looked to have the title wrapped-up when he led by four shots with just three of the regulation 54 holes to play. However, he bogeyed the 16th and 17th and double bogeyed the last from a bunker and his 55 left him tied with the fast-finishing Damien Long (Riverdale). Long was back in eight place after 36 holes but an excellent 47 in the final round took him into the play-off. However, a birdie at the first set Kiernan up for victory in the nine-hole play-off.

Stephen O'Leary, the Cork strokeplay champion, took the junior title with a level-par aggregate of 162, which left him five shots clear of Pat Murtagh of the McBride club in Drogheda, with another Corkman, Crosshaven's Conor Aherne taking third place on 169.