Kearney Gives a Good Kicking to St Margaret

Sunrise over the 18th green

The Pro-Am at St Margaret's Golf Club today could have been a wash out, but Niall Kearney simply took the course to the cleaners, winning by 6 shots.

I was there photographing the course on Thursday, and the place was in superb condition. Consider that St Margaret's had fallen by the wayside a bit in recent years and was in a sorry state when Synergy Golf stepped in, in November

last year. If the course isn't now back to its best then its very close to it.

Kearney's score amounts to a superb eight under par round of 65 and included a hole in one on the 5th, helping him reach five under after five holes. It was the perfect send-off for the Royal Dublin man, who flies out to America on Saturday with his GB&I team mates to compete in the PGA Cup.

The par three 5th hole (with pin positioned as it was for PGA event)

“It was one of those days when everything inside 15 feet went in,” said Kearney. “It's a great boost and I'm looking forward to getting over to America to play against the US team.”

Birdies at the first, second and third set the tone for the 27-year-old who parred the fourth before using a seven iron to ace the fifth. Three more pars followed before he dropped a shot at the ninth to reach the turn in four under 32.

Approach to the par five 12th... Kearney eagled it.

The heavy rain that started to fall from the 10th onwards failed to halt his momentum as he birdied the 10th and 11th and then eagled the par five 12th, firing a five iron into 12 feet and rolling in the putt. 

He dropped another shot at the par three 15th but immediately hit back with a birdie at the par five 16th, closing out his round with pars at 17 and 18 to come home in four under 33.

Wayne O'Callaghan (Fernhill) finished alone in second place after carding a two under par round of 71 with Noel Murray (Massereene), Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance LTD) and Eamonn Brady (Clontarf) a shot further back.

Approach to the water drenched 8th at St Margaret's

Brian Kerley (Green Life Golf Centre) and his amateur partners edged out Kearney in the team event with 93 points.

St Margarets Pro-Am at St Margarets Golf & County Club (Par 73)

Leading scores

1 N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 65

2 W O'Callaghan (Fernhill G&CC) 71

3 N Murray (Massereene GC); C Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance LTD); E Brady (Clontarf GC) 72

T6 J Dwyer (Ashbourne GC); K Fahey (GUI National Academy) 74

T8 J Kelly (St Margarets G&CC); D Beattie (Deer Park Hotel) 75

T10 R Codd; D Mooney (Ballyliffin GC); Cormac Hennessy: H O'Neill (Connemara GC); J Bolger (Kilkenny GC), M O'Sullivan (Piltown Driving Range) 76

Team pro-am scores

1 B Kerley (Green Life Golf Centre) 93

2 N Kearney (Royal Dublin) 92

3 N O'Briain (Old Conna GC) 91