RENFREWSHIRE GOLF UNION PRESS RELEASE

 Chris Mooney (Gourock) beat Alan Kelly (Cochrane Castle) by 3 and 2 in the final of the Renfrewshire match-play championship at Gourock Golf Club.

LOCAL MAN WINS MATCH-PLAY

CHAMPIONSHIP AT GOUROCK

 Turnberry.db@gmail.com

Having fought their way through the 80 plus entrants, the four semi finalists for the Renfrewshire Match Play Championship arrived at Gourock Golf Club to do final battle.
The first semi final was between Lee Jenkins (Elderslie), the Stroke Play Champion, and Chris Mooney, the 31 year old from the local club.  Turning all square at the ninth, Chris put on the pressure by winning the tenth and birdieing the eleventh to go two up.  Lee fought back at thirteen to bring it back to one down but a birdie at the fifteenth restored the lead which enabled Chris to win the match 2 and 1 by halving the next two holes.

The second semi final featured another local member, Ross Campbell, who had to cope with an in form Alan Kelly from Cochrane Castle.  There were not many golfers who could have lived with Alan as he reached the turn in 32 strokes and went on to record his fifth birdie of the morning at the tenth before shaking hands at the twelfth.

In perfect conditions, the final started out cautiously with pars at the first two holes before Alan laid down the challenge with a win at the third to go one up.  Chris hit back at the fifth and went one up with a birdie at the sixth but Alan fought back and restored his narrow lead with a birdie 2 at the seventh and another one at the par five eighth which he carried through the turn.

Chris went all square at the tenth and with the spectators settling in for a drawn out affair, he went in to overdrive with birdies at 13, 14 and 16 to win the match 3 and 2 and take the Match Play Championship to the trophy cabinet at Gourock Golf Club.

Picture shows the winner, Chris Mooney, with Gourock Club Captain Alan Warwick