Hibernian Golf Association

Fellow Hibernians,
It was a beautiful day for golf last Saturday as the boys traveled up to Puttnam County Golf to play a bunch of important singles matches and compete in our annual President’s Day event. Puttnam has a reputation for difficult, slick and undulating greens, but this year they threw in a new wrinkle. They added a couple thousand bumps to the surfaces. The lads enjoyed the challenge, and not a single complaint was uttered.

The Winners:

Paul Crudden: 41 points, $200

Liam Hickey: 39 points, $150

Eric MacDonald: 38 points, $100

Low Gross:

Craig Mahler:  79, $25

Closest to the pin:

Fifth hole: Andrew Butterworth  $50

Seventh hole: Paul Crudden  $50

Twelth hole: Eric MacDonald  $50

Fifteenth hole: Craig Mahler  $50

This year the President’s Cup goes to Paul Crudden. Here he is accepting the cup from Club President Noel McNamarra and last year’s champion, John Carroll.

In addition to the twelve-month use of the prestigious cup, Crudden also won a basket of goodies including sleeves of balls and some adult beverages. The man from Cavan should get years of use from his newly won swag.

There were many important and exciting matches played, but none more thrilling than the club-championship quarter-finals battle between PJ Tynan and Pascal Doran. After eighteen nerve-racking holes, the two lefties were all square and heading back to the first hole to play three more. Tynan won the first with a birdie, and Doran bounced back with the win on the second. After the two fellas parred the third, it was on to the par-five fourth, and sudden death. After a good drive, Doran had no trouble getting on the green in regulation, but when he got there he saw Tynan’s ball on the back of the green, lying two. PJ was facing a tricky downhill sliding putt, and Pascal had a manageable uphill twelve-footer. Doran never had a chance to putt as Tynan confidently banged in the curving putt for an eagle and the win.  PJ moves on the semi-finals.

Finally, there was a disturbing incident during our outing. Club President Noel McNamarra had already hit his second shot onto the green on the third hole and was sitting in his cart about twenty yards ahead and to the left of playing partner John Griffen, who was standing over his ball, ready to advance it. Griffen then struck his ball, which instead of flying towards the green implausibly flew directly into McNamarra’s cart and ricocheted all over the interior, finally banging into the steering wheel and heading for the President’s head. At the last second, President McNamarra jolted his head back, and to the left…back, and to the left. The implausibility of the flight of this “magic” golf ball has led some experts to theorize that there must have been a second golfer to the other side of President McNamarra, maybe playing from a nearby grassy knoll. Sadly, we may never know the truth about what really happened on that day.

See you this Saturday at Richter Park for another doubles competition, and other odd behavior.