It was titanic struggle that went to the final putt as Gweedore Golf Club won the Donegal Youth Golf Matchplay.
In the first leg Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf led by 2 matches to 1 so it was all to play for on Sunday in Gweedore. In very stormy weather both teams made light of the elements in a highly entertaining final.
After 11 holes Gweedore G.C. were very much in the ascendancy leading in all 3 matches 3 up in the 1st match, 4 up in match 2 and 3 up in the 3rd match.
In the 1st match Jamie Doherty and Padraig Doherty (Gweedore) played their best golf for the 1st 11 holes and then went on to make it 3up after 12.
However, Ryan Griffin and Michael Curran (Ballybofey and Stranorlar G.C.) winning 15th and 16th brought it back to one down playing the 18th. Meanwhile in the 2nd match Sean Doherty and Dylan O’Dwyer (Gweedore) reversed the result in Ballybofey and Stranorlar over Thomas McMenamin and Dylan O Dwyer (who won on the 18th in Ballybofey and Stranorlar) this time the Gweedore boys won on the 15thhole.
The final match was also very close as both teams held the upper hand at different stages. After 11 holes Michael Doherty and Cian McBride (Gweedore G.C.) were winning by 3 holes and it looked like they were heading for another big result as they had in Ballybofey and Stranorlar G.C. in the 1st leg.
The Finn Valley boys Oran Allen and John Moore had other ideas and battled back to lead by 1 hole going down the 18th.
However, the first match ahead on the 18th was to make the difference with Jamie Doherty (Gweedore G.C.) sinking the vital putt to won the Donegal Youth Matchplay 2017.
Well done to both Clubs and especially the managers Michael Doherty (Gweedore G.C.) and Barry McMenamin who made it a great final with sportsmanship and Youth golf the real winner.
