Portmarnock Golf Club wins World Club Championship
Portmarnock team members Geoff Lenehan and Jack Pierse
along with Ayodhya Links Founder and Chairman Pitak Intrawityanunt
(WCC Photo)
AYUTTHAYA, Thailand (December 9, 2016) -- It took
one extra hole but after a day full of tense golf Ireland's
Portmarnock Golf Club was able to outlast Royal
Melbourne Golf Club and win the 12th World Club
Championship at Ayodhya Links. The battle between the
top two-seeds lived up to the billing as the match swung
back and forth all throughout the day.
The Irish duo of Geoff Lenehan and Jack Pierse broke
the ice and took an early 1 up lead with a 3rd hole
birdie before giving it back with a bogey three holes
later that squared the match. Heading to the backside
the match was still all-square, however that changed
quickly as Matias Sanchez and Will Heffernan of top-
seeded Royal
Melbourne won the 10th and 11th holes to open a 2 up
lead.
Forced to play from behind and with holes running out
two-seed Portmarnock received a gift win on the 14th
and then
birdied the 15th to return the match to all-square with
three holes to play. An eagle on the par-5 17th
appeared to have pushed Portmarnock over the top but
a lost ball on the closing hole cost them and it allowed
Royal Melbourne to square the match once more.
The Portmarnock duo refused to hang their heads and
minutes later, playing the 18th hole again, they sealed
the deal on the first playoff hole.
In the semifinals Portmarnock cruised by three-seed Los
Angeles Country Club 4&3. The 2017 Walker Cup site
team of John Callaghan and Sandy Horacek led 1 up
following an eagle on No. 3 but the match was squared
one hole later and Lenehan and Pierse never looked
back from their.
The trip to the finals was a bit more difficult for Royal
Melbourne as they held on 1 up against No. 4 Royal St.
George's. Karl Gilbert and Richard Osterdahl of
Royal St. George's found themselves 3 down with four
holes to play and they made a valiant comeback
attempt thanks to 16th and 17th hole birdies before
ultimately falling to Royal Melbourne 1 up.
After falling in the semifinals Royal St. George's
defeated Los Angeles 4&3 in the consolation match.
Gilbert and Osterdahl won the first hole and led for the
duration of the match.
View results for World Club Championship
ABOUT THE
World Club Championship
The club champion and a partner from GOLF
Magazine’s
Top 100 World Courses List compete at another Top
100
golf course over the course of three days. The first
two
days feature 18 holes of stroke play qualifying after
which the top 4 teams advance to the final day of
match play. The event began in 2004 and is held
every other year.
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