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5th April 2009: Co. Board Scratch Cup Ends In Exciting & Dramatic Fashion


What an exciting start to the season for Erry's hotshot Larry Maher Jnr. Larry over the past two years has really established himself as a top contender at scratch cups around the country. Today marked his first scratch cup victory of 2009 and maybe one of the sweetest to date. Larry has a strong and consistant track record at scratch cups held in Offaly but those that have been hosted by Tullamore have proved just out of his reach. But today was to prove otherwise!

A strong field assembled in Tullamore today for the Co. Board Scratch Cup, with 122 players taking part. Special thanks to all who supported from local Offaly Clubs (57 in all) to those who travelled from Dublin, Kildare, Westmeath, Longford, Limerick and as far as Cork, Kerry and Clare. The Scratch Cup ran smoothly through the day, the same can't be said however for majority of putts hit today!! The course was in fantastic order but the fast and tricky greens got the better of a lot of players, which kept the scoring tight amongst the top half of the field. Pitching into a stiff breeze on the home stretch from the 14th also contirbuted to the low scoring.

After 36 holes the top 12 and ties that qualified for the climatic 18 hole playoff were as follows:

Name Club 36 Gross Playoff 54 Overall
George Beardsley Cement 95 50 145
Eddie Carey Athgarvan 96 50 146
Pacelli Darcy Bruff 96 51 147
William Buckley Jnr. Erry 97 52 149
John Fleming Tullamore 97 54 151
Vinny Murphy Tullamore 97 49 146
Larry Maher Jnr. Erry 98 47 145
Sean Galvin Tullamore 99 55 154
John Cullen Glenville 99 51 150
Patsy Reams Ferbane 100 48 148
Sean Goggins Cement 101 53 154
William Kennedy Erry 101 52 153
Lorcan Bracken Tullamore 101 50 151
Mick Hogan Tullamore 101 52 153


The playoff got off to a flying start with John Fleming, Larry Maher Jnr. and Eddie Carey moving to -14 to keep a tight leash on George Beardsley who had moved to -16 by the 9th hole. However, the drama unfolded on the back 9 holes where there were uncharacteristic mistakes made by Fleming, Carey and Beardsley all dropping shots. The door was wide open to anyone who could find valuable birdies on the tough playing closing 9 holes. Local favourite Vinny Murphy made an impressive surge with a third round 49 to set the clubhouse lead on -16. Erry's tenacious Larry Maher fought his way around the 12th and 13th corner to move to -16 and a brilliant pitch to the dangerous 15th hole saw him holed a 5 foot putt to take the lead on -17. Two holes behind Larry, Beardsley's attacking style paid off, he also moved to -17 with four holes to play. His playing partner, defending champion in pursuit of a possible title hattrick, Carey birdied the 16th and 17th to move to -16, with Beardsley failing to convert a five footer on the 16th to take the overall lead. It was down to the final two holes; Maher and Beardsley lying on -17 and Carey on -16. Maher finished with two good pars missing a long downhill putt on the final hole for birdie. Carey duly held a 7-8 footer uphill putt on 17th to move to within one of the leaders with Beardsley carding a fighting par on 17th after pitching short of the bank. Spectators gathered around the 18th hole in anticipation with Maher watching unbearably. Carey pitched to within 8 foot and left the putt agonally inches short of the hole, he finished on -16. Beardsley made hard work of the 18th where he was unlucky to remain on the top right back ledge leaving a tough chip downhill. Unphased he left himself an up hill tap in to finished on -17.

A two way playoff ensued between Maher and Beardsley over 6 holes. Maher drew first blood on the first hole holding out for a birdie and went two shots ahead when Beardsley took a bogey on the second hole. Both players went on to miss birdie chances on the 3rd, 4th and 5th holes. Coming to the last playoff hole Maher just had to secure his par to get his hands on a long awaited county scratch cup. He duly obliged. Beardsley made his only birdie of the 6 hole playoff on the final hole to lose out by one shot for a second consecutive week. George had come so close in the Westmeath Classic last weekend finishing one shot behind the eventual winner Ian Dillon.

A successful Co. Board Scratch Cup could not have gone to a more deserving player on the day, a person who would play from early morning to dusk every day if he could along with his father Larry Snr. Both support competitions the length and breadth of the country each weekend. It is only a matter of time before this name finds its way onto a championship title!! Larry will indeed be anxious to follow in the footsteps of his father who won the Leinster Inter Gents Strokeplay in 2007. Hard luck to George once again but with his home club's (Cement) Scratch Cup taking place over Easter weekend he will hopefully go that one step further to claim a deserved victory.

Once again thanks to everyone who supported today and to all our sponsors. Special word of thanks to the Tullamore club for hosting the scratch cup and providing a course in fantastic condition as usual, with credit in this respect especially due to Andy Boland. We can't forget the ladies in the kitchen and bar staff who kept everyone well fed and refreshed through the day also..

Congratulations to Larry on a great win!! A true crowd favourite on Offaly home style.

List of all winners at the Offaly Co. Board Scratch Cup:

Grade Name Club Score
Overall 54 Gross Larry Maher Jnr. Erry 145
Runner-Up 54 Gross George Beardsley Cement 145
Third 54 Gross Vinny Murphy Tullamore 146
Last 18 Patsy Reams Ferbane 48
Gents Inter P.J. Pyke Tullamore 104
Gents Junior Sean Galvin Tullamore 99
Ladies 0-7 Tracey McGrath Erry 103
Ladies 8-18 Geraldine Ryan Erry 130