Elmgreen hold their nerve on final hole of good week

Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Club Challenge:Runners-up in 2002, Elmgreen Golf Club finally brought the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Golf Challenge title to Leinster after an enthralling four days of competition in the Algarve last week.

At the All-Ireland finals over four rounds at Pinta, Penina, Boavista and Morgado Golf Clubs, the destination of the title was in the balance until the final hole of the 144 played by the three-man teams.

When the final points were tallied, Leinster champions Elmgreen GC came out on top with 287 points from Connacht champions Roscommon 285, Rossmore from Ulster on 274 and Munster's Limerick County on 264.

The tournament, celebrating its 10th anniversary, attracted entries from over 90 clubs and close to 10,000 golfers, with the winners of the four provincial finals earning at trip to Portugal for the All-Irelands.

With just one hole to play on the final day at Morgado GC, Roscommon, who started the last day five adrift of overnight leaders Elmgreen, had reduced the deficit to just one point, and so it was all down to the all-scoring final hole of 410 yards, downhill, to a very undulating green.

Roscommon garnered their six points with pars from Tom and Frank Grehan and a point from Tony Grehan.

However, Elmgreen, needing to match that score to win the title, did so in the style of champions, with former international pitch and putt player Graham Temple, Michael Owens and Tommy Doyle showing nerves of steel before a large gathering on the 18th to score seven points and collect the Musgrave green pennant with two points to spare.

There was little between the three clubs after the opening day team event at Pinta GC. Limerick County were out in front on 51 points, with Elmgreen and Roscommon on 50 and Rossmore on 47.

Day two saw Elmgreen take over at the top after Doyle fired a magnificent 41 points at Penina to bring their total to 126. Roscommon were just two back on 124 after former Roscommon All Star Tom Grehan produced 39 points off a four handicap. Limerick were just three behind on 123, with county hurling star Pat Carey and Michael Meade each shooting 36 points.

Day three finished with Elmgreen five points clear on 200 points, with Temple shooting 40 points and Owens 34 at the testing Boavista GC. Tom Grehan kept the westerners in touch with another excellent round that produced 38 points to take the Roscommon total to 195, with Limerick County - Johnny Kelly being their best scorer with 36 - still in sight of the leaders on 190 and Rossmore on 181.

The final round at Morgado belonged to Rossmore in the early part, with Ben Beggan, Kevin Friel and Gerry Maguire setting the clubhouse target for the day at 93 points, with a final six holes that included four eight pointers and nine points at the 18th.

While their total was not to be passed, they did move up to third place after Limerick County slipped back with just 74 points.

Rossmore's Joe Moran, with 107 points, comfortably won the captains' prize from Neil Coakley of Limerick County, Brendan Farrell of the winning Elmgreen team and Darren Burgoyne, vice-captain of Roscommon.

The introduction of Play Better Golf by Musgrave's HR director Noel Keeley did not have the required effect on his colleagues, Shay Fahy, Seamus Scally and Norma O'Sullivan. But Keeley did make the top-10 in the guests category, behind Pat Duffy of Castle Hume, who fired a final-day 40 points to win from Gus O'Gorman and Limerick County's singing vice-captain Michael John Cosgrave.

Plans are already in place for the start of the next decade of competition, with still room for more clubs to partake in this worthy cause and to enjoy such a magnificent prize.

Musgrave's role in the 10 years has been immense as, apart from their considerable sponsorship, they also absorb all the administration costs so that every cent raised goes to the dedicated burns unit of Crumlin Hospital.