Scholars dish out hard lesson

NUI Maynooth struck a blow for Irish college golf yesterday as their Paddy Harrington scholars lifted the coveted Barton Shield on the second day of the All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals at Kinsale Golf Club.

NUIM’s young golfers overcame the experience of Banbridge in the foursomes event at the Chartis-sponsored national finals to win by an aggregate of eight holes. Naas duo Jonathan Yates, 19, and Conor O’Rourke, 21, won the opening match by one hole over Banbridge’s playing captain Rory Leonard and Colin Wilton, before Sligo golfer Barry Anderson, 21, and West Waterford’s Irish boys’ international Gary Hurley, 19, ran out seven-hole winners against Connor Doran and Jim Carvill.

“That was a wider margin than any of us ever expected,” Anderson said. “We were all aware of the reputations of the boys we were playing against, Connor and Jim, and we thought it would be a very tight match.