Uzzell Leads Kingspan at Concra Wood

Steve Uzzell leads by one stroke after the first round of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open after carding a six-under-par 66 in the HotelPlanner.com PGA EuroPro Tour event in Castleblayney.

The Hornsea Golf Club man is trailed by Liam Murray, with three players sharing third on four under with 36 holes to play in the event, which carries a £40,000 prize fund with £10,000 going to the winner.

Uzzell, who celebrated his 31st birthday on Tuesday, began on the tenth tee and was five under for his first nine, thanks in part to an eagle at the 15th. He made two bogeys on his back nine – at two and six, but birdies at one, four and eight helped him to an opening-round 66, six under par.

Murray (La Marquesa Golf) signed for a bogey-free 67, five under par, with his round including an eagle three on the first having started his round on the tenth.

Tied for third two behind the leader on four under are Englishmen Rory Walsh (Ashton-on-Mersey Golf Club), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge Golf Club) and Ryan Brown (Worksop Golf Club).

The leading Irishman is Colm Moriarty, who is based at Glasson Hotel and Golf Club in County Westmeath. He sits 11th on the leaderboard on two under par, four behind the leader.

The Kingspan Concra Wood Open is a 54 hole strokeplay event with a cut to the leading 50 players and ties after the second round. 

Spectator entry is free throughout the week.

Armitage Seals Kingspan Concra Wood

Marcus Armitage recorded his first 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour victory when he shot a final-round 68 to win the Kingspan Concra Wood Open by two strokes from Paul Doherty.

Armitage finished the event eight under par after his four-under last 18 at the par-72 Concra Wood Golf Club in Castleblayney, Ireland.

The Lancastrian began the final round one behind Scotland’s Doherty but began in some style with an eagle on the par-five first, climbing to six under alongside his playing partner Doherty, who opened with a birdie four.

Birdies on the third and fourth afforded Armitage a two-stroke advantage, but Doherty hit back-to-back par breakers at seven and eight to leave the pair tied at eight under.

Armitage dropped back one when he bogeyed the tenth but Doherty joined him three holes later when he took six at the par-five 13th.

On the 14th Armitage returned to eight under and as heavy rain began to engulf the course at Concra Wood, Doherty dropped to six under with a bogey on the 17th. His English rival held his nerve to par the last and collect the £10,000 winner’s cheque and a brand new Motocaddy trolley.

“I have only played twice on this tour before and I missed the cut both times,” said Armitage on collecting his trophy. “This is my first event of the year since Qualifying School and it is great to win, I didn’t think it would feel as good as it does to win it. Concra Wood is a great test.

“The rain got heavy on the last three holes and I just had to focus and play the shots I needed too.”

Doherty takes home £5,000 after finishing six under par for the tournament, while his compatriot Elliot Saltman shot a six-under-par final round 66 to fire himself from one over par at the start of the day to five under and third place by the end.

Richard Edginton shot a four-under final round to finish fourth. The Wimbledon golfer had to putt the last 11 holes with his driver after a mishap left his putter bent.

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Paul Doherty Leads Concra Wood

Paul Doherty shot a second-round 70 to take a one-stroke advantage into the final round of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open, the latest event on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The Scotsman moved to five under after 36 holes while Marcus Armitage (Howley Hall GC) is one off the pace after shooting the day’s best score, a five-under 67. William Harrold is joined by last year’s Kingspan Concra Wood Open winner Billy Hemstock and Limerick’s Tim Rice on three under in a tie for third.

Doherty (Vale Hotel) had shared the lead with Colm Moriarty (Glasson Hotel and Golf Club) on three under par following Wednesday’s first round, but the Irishman shot a four-over 76 on day two and is now tied 19th.

After a one-hour delay due to fog, joint overnight leader Doherty teed off on the tenth tee but bogeyed the 14th to drop to two under. Back-to-back birdies on the 16th and 17th saw him take his second-round card below par and a four on the par-five first had him at five under, although that was short-lived when his second bogey of the round came on the following hole.

However, Doherty found one more par breaker on the seventh and his clubhouse lead was never taken.

His closest challenger at the start of Friday’s final round will be Armitage. The Englishman is playing his first 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event of the main season after finishing tied 33rd at Qualifying School.

He went into the second round one over but quickly found form, making five birdies before the turn. A bogey at the second, having started on the tenth, was only a brief setback before a sixth birdie of the round was recorded on the fourth.

Hemstock (Teignmouth Golf Club), carded a one-under 71 on day two and is just two strokes behind Doherty as he looks to defend the title he won by play-off at Concra Wood last year.

Two birdies on his last three holes took Rice to three under, while Harrold (Sheringham Golf Club) fired a second-round 70 to manoeuvre himself into a tie for third.

Ahead of the final round a cut to the leading 50 players plus ties has been made. A total of 53 golfers, whose 36-hole score is five over par or better, will play the final round in a bid to claim the £10,000 winner’s cheque and a brand new Motocaddy trolley.

Spectator entry to the course is free throughout the week.

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Colm Shares Concra Wood Lead

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Paul Doherty and Colm Moriarty share the lead on three under par at the Kingspan Concra Wood Open after each shot 69 on the opening day of the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event.

The pair are one clear of the six golfers who share third place on two under at the par-72 course in Castleblayney, Ireland.

Scotsman Doherty (Vale Hotel) carded birdies on the first, fifth and 11th to sign for an opening-round 69. The 28-year-old missed the cut at Concra Wood in 2012 but didn’t suffer a single bogey in the opening round of this season’s tournament on Wednesday.

Moriarty, who plays out of Glasson Hotel and Golf Club in Westmeath, started his round on the tenth and turned home two under after birdies at 15 and 17. A four on the par-five first took him to three under and he closed out the remainder of his round to par, matching Doherty’s 69 to share the lead ahead of day two.

A finish which featured an eagle at 15 and birdies at 17 and 18 saw last year’s Kingspan Concra Wood Open winner Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth GC) transform a score of two over par to sign for a two-under 70, leaving him as one of six players just one stroke off the lead.

Irishmen Ruaidhri McGee (Rosapenna), Neil O’Briain (Old Conna Golf Club) and Michael McGeady are also two under after day one, as are Scotland’s Jordan Findlay (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) and England’s Alex Belt (De Vere/Snainton), who won his first888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event at the PDC & WSL Open at Collingtree Park in June.

A two-hour highlights package of the event will be broadcast on Sky Sports HD at 7pm on Tuesday, August 6, repeated on Wednesday, August 7.

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Hemstock Wins Play-off at Concra

Billy Hemstock won the Kingspan Concra Wood Open after beating Wallace Booth in a play-off following a gripping final day in Ireland.

The pair both shot two-under-par 70s in their final round to finish on six under par and send the event to a play-off starting on the ninth, where Hemstock shot a birdie two to claim the £10,000 winner’s cheque.

Hemstock (Teignmouth) began his day four under par, two shots off overnight leader Liam Burns (Sunridge Park). He made birdie, bogey, birdie at the first three to climb up the leaderboard and added a third birdie at the par-three sixth, taking him to six under for the week.

Booth (Comrie Golf Club), teeing off with Burns one group behind Hemstock, also made birdie, bogey, birdie at the start of his final round and then made four at the par-five fourth to move to six under par.

Another birdie followed for Booth at the eight but back-to-back bogeys at 10 and 11 saw him drop two strokes down the leaderboard. Hemstock also bogeyed the 10th but returned to six under par with a birdie at 14, leaving him to sign for a final round score of 70.

Booth quickly made up for his two dropped shots with consecutive birdies at 12 and 13 to take a one-shot lead over Hemstock. However, when the Scotsman took five at the par-four 17th he knew he needed to avoid dropping a shot on the 18th.

He made par and both headed to the ninth tee for the first hole of a sudden death play-off. Hemstock made birdie at the par-three, leaving Booth a long putt to remain in contention. The Scotsman came close but was unable to sink it for two and made par, handing Hemstock the victory.

Overnight leader Burns shot a four-over-par 76 in the final round and finished as one of seven players tied for sixth.

Stuart Manley (Machynys Peninsula) shot a four-under-par 68 to finish third on five under, one shot behind the top two. Bogeys at 14 and 17 denied him victory but the Welshman earned vital money to consolidate his place in the Order of Merit top five.

James Hepworth (Ilkley Golf Club) remains fifth on the Order of Merit after finishing the week fourth on four under par, largely thanks to a 69 in the final round. Elliot Saltman (Archerfield Links) finished the event two over par and tied for 29th, extending his lead at the top of the Tour Order of Merit. 

The Scotsman will not be in action at Frilford Heath next week due to his participation in the Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Liam Burns Leads at Concra Wood

Liam Burns smashed his way to the top of the leaderboard after the second round of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open on Thursday.

Burns (Sundridge Park), who came second to Dan Seymour in a play-off in the season opener at Wensum Valley in April, signed for an eight-under-par 64 in his second round to move to six under for the tournament, two shots ahead of his closest contenders.

The Englishman is currently 12th on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour Order of Merit but could jump to the top of the pile should he claim victory at Concra Wood on Friday.

Wallace Booth (Comrie Golf Club) and Billy Hemstock (Teignmouth) both carded second round 67s, five shots under par, to move to four under overall and are tied for second behind Burns.

The course record at Concra Wood is a four-under-par 68, set by European Tour player Simon Thornton. However, because the preferred lies rule is in effect, none of the scores made on Thursday can be officially recognised as a course record.

Having carded a two-over-par 74 on Wednesday, Burns began Friday’s second round on the first tee and got off to a confident start with a birdie four. However, back-to-back bogeys at the par-four second and third pushed his score in the wrong direction.

With just six events to follow the Kingspan Concra Wood Open before the Tour Championship in the autumn, chances to earn a card on next season’s Challenge Tour by concluding the summer in the all-important Order of Merit top five are beginning to thin out.

Knowing that another above-par round could see him miss the cut, Burns forced a change in his fortunes with a four at the par-five fourth and kept going to record five consecutive birdies through to the eighth.

A bogey at the 10th proved only to be a brief setback and Burns continued to dominate the course with five back-nine birdies to see him return home to sign for 64.

Booth started his round at the 10th and a solitary birdie at 15 saw him turn home at level par for the tournament following a 73 on Wednesday. Four birdies on his back nine; at one, three, four and seven, moved him up the leaderboard and the Scotsman signed for 67 at the end of his second round.

Like Booth, Hemstock had also finished his first round one above par and made five under on Thursday to move to four under overall. Starting at the first tee the Englishman was three under the card when he turned home but he dropped a shot with a bogey at 10. He soon made amends though, with birdies and 12, 14 and 18.

Four players are three shots behind Burns on three under par while nine golfers are a further shot off the lead.

A cut of the top 50 and ties has now been made with all those who have total scores of three over par or better progressing to the final round, which gets underway at 7:30am with the leading group due off the tee at 11:15am.


Leaderboard

Five Share Lead at Kingspan Concra Wood

Five players share a one-shot lead on two under par after a weather-disrupted first day of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open in Ireland.

Play was suspended shortly after 2:30pm in the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour event due to stormy weather but resumed at 4:15pm.

Lee Clarke, Paul O’Hanlon, Duncan Stewart, Andrew and George Woolgar all signed for two-under-par 70s and share a one-shot lead over 11 golfers who are tied for fifth.

Clarke (Everbuild Building Products) began his round from the 10th tee but bogeyed the par-four hole. He hit back immediately with an eagle two at the 11th but struggled at 12 where he made five at the par three.

Birdies at 13 and 15 saw Clarke move to one under par and he also broke par at seven and eight. A bogey four at his final hole, the ninth, prevented him from taking the outright clubhouse lead but the Englishman will be happy to have signed for 70.

O’Hanlon (The Curragh GC) also endured a mixed opening round, despite beginning with an eagle three at the first and improving his card with a birdie at the par-five fourth. His early work was undone, however, when he made four consecutive bogeys from the fifth to see him fall to one over par.

Turning home he made up for a disappointing conclusion to his front nine with birdies at 11, 13 and 14 to sign for a 70 and take a share of the lead.

Stewart (Grantown on Spey) made birdie five times but bogeys at 14, two and five saw him card a first round of 70. Willey (Notts Golf Club) started with a bogey at 10 before making a birdie at 15 and another bogey at 16.

On the back nine he eagled the par-five first before making bogey at two. Back-to-back birdies at three and four restored his score to two under par.

Woolgar (Capital Services), who also started at the 10th, has an eagle three at the first to thank for his share of the lead. He made four birdies in his round but also suffered four bogeys.

The Kingspan Concra Wood Open continues with the second round on Thursday, after which a cut of the top 50 plus ties will be made ahead of Friday’s final round.

Kingspan Concra Wood Open - Key Holes

The Kingspan Concra Wood Open gets underway on Lough Muckno in Co. Monaghan, Ireland on Wednesday.

It is event number eight of the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour season and with another £10,000 cheque on offer to the winner it is all to play for in the race to earn a card for next season’s Challenge Tour.

Ahead of the event we spoke to Concra Wood’s head professional Conor McKenna and he has picked out his five ‘Key Holes’ on the course.

Three

Par: 4; Yards: 385

“The third is very much downhill from the tee with a view out onto Lough Muckno. It is 385 yards but doesn’t play as long down the hill. It’s a hole where you can be rewarded for risk.”

Four

Par: 5; Yards: 594

“The fourth hole is a double-dog-leg par five. It’s quite a long one at 594 yards. Generally there aren’t many golfers who hit it in two shots; most take it to the top of the hill and then have a third shot across the water to get to the green.”

Eight

Par: 4; Yards: 405

“The eighth is a very-good par four. It is 405 yards off the back sticks and has an elevated tee from which you go downhill and then up into an elevated green. We have bunkers on the right and left of the fairway and very heavy rough on the right. It is a great golf hole. The green has three tiers so it will give a bit of hassle during the week!”

Fifteen

Par: 5; Yards: 514

“There is an elevated tee but you have to hit over the Lough. The carry over the water is probably just short of 200 yards, so it is an exciting hole. We have water down the right side of the fairway but it isn’t the longest par five, you can get to the green in two if you get your drive away. If the players are brave enough to take on the tee shot then you can be rewarded for that risk.”

Sixteen

Par: 4; Yards: 467

“The sixteenth is a long par four. The tee box is out on a peninsula and you have a lot of carry, about 180 yards, over the water. There are bunkers on the left hand side and then a long shot into the green with Lough Muckno running alongside the right of the fairway. Again we have a two-tier green so it is going to be one of the major holes coming back in.”

Round 1 Tee-Times

Concra Wood - The Course - EuroPro Tour

Following Elliot Saltman’s course-record 61 to win the Audi Cork Irish Masters at Fota Island last week, the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour remains in Ireland for the Kingspan Concra Wood Open.

Concra Wood Golf Club was designed by Christy O’Connor Junior and Christy O’Connor Senior and opened in 2008. Located on Lough Muckno in Co. Monaghan, the course is entwined with the water and offers a solid test of golf.

Ahead of the event we spoke to Concra Wood’s head professional Conor McKenna to get an ‘Inside Track’ on the course.

Concra Wood

“We are in a great location. The site itself is on Lough Muckno, which is the most beautiful setting. We are on a 240-acre site which was Concra Wood Forest before it was the golf club.”

Course Condition

“We have been working hard on the course. The weather hasn’t been favourable over the last month or two but the fairways don’t take long to drain off. The players will enjoy it here; the location and the course with the challenges we have for them. We have some good tee positions and pin positions that will excite the players.”

Weather Watch

“The course is playing a little bit longer because of the weather. There will be some long second shots in and some tough rescues, so the players will have to be on the ball to score well. Our course record is four under par, and that was set by Simon Thornton, the European Tour player, so nobody comes here and takes the course apart. During the week we want to provide a stern challenge for the players.”

Good Score

“As an aggregate score I would say we are looking at about six under par for the three days. It’s going to be tough. The fairways are generous but if you miss them the rough is quite high at the moment and it is also fairly wet. Off the back sticks the course measures over 6,600 metres.”

Top Tip

“It’s very open off the tee but you have to get your distance correct on the second shot. The greens are very elevated and some of our greens are absolutely massive. The most important thing is the second shot, and then anybody who putts well will do well.”

The Kingspan Concra Wood Open gets underway on Wednesday. 

Spectators can take advantage of FREE entry to the event throughout the week and Junior Golf Ireland will be onsite during the tournament to offer free coaching to young golfers

Thornton Talks Straight at Concra Wood

European Tour player Simon Thornton has warned competitors playing the Kingspan Concra Wood Open that straight hitting will be required to succeed at the Christy O’Connor Jnr designed course in Castleblayney.

Newcastle Co Down based Thornton, who recently finished 33rd at the Irish Open at Royal Portrush, holds the course record at Concra Wood; a 68 carded in a PGA Sprint event in 2010.

“Concra Wood is one of the best courses in the country – full stop. It is absolutely fantastic,” said Thornton.

“The players will have to find the fairways off the tee. The fairways are not very wide but at the same time there are bail-out areas. It is important to know where you cannot hit it off the tee.

“The second shots are not overly difficult but there is often no point in hitting with the driver all the time. Sometimes you are going to have to lay back and hit full shots into the greens which are superb putting surfaces.”

Elliot Saltman’s stunning final round of 61 at Fota Island last week saw the Scotsman surge to the top of the Order of Merit, with Hampshire’s Martin LeMesurier just £8.33 behind in second.

Paul Reed is currently third on the Order of Merit and will be looking for further success in Ireland after previous Tour wins at Fota Island (2011) and Galgorm Castle earlier this season.

Entry is free for all spectators and young golfers can avail of free coaching lessons courtesy of Junior Golf Ireland, who will be on site during tournament week.

Concra Woods Hosts Europro Tour

Concra Wood GC in conjunction with the PGA Europro tour is proud to announce that Kingspan Insulation, has come on board as title sponsor of the ‘Kingspan Concra Wood Open’ scheduled to take place from the 9-13 July at the Castleblayney venue. 

Course designer and Ryder Cup legend, Christy O’Connor Jnr was on hand to help launch the event which is set to add another dimension to a spectacular summer of golf in Ireland. 

Jim Loughran, Commercial Director at Kingspan Insulation, said: “Kingspan Insulation are delighted to be the main sponsors of the Kingspan Concra Wood Open. Being located adjacent to our manufacturing site in Castleblayney, we are aware of the high standards set at Concra Wood and the opportunities that being involved with such a high profile event offers Kingspan Insulation. Supporting local business and events has always been at the forefront of our community involvement, we are very proud to be involved with Concra Wood and to sponsor this PGA EuroPro tour event.” 

Christy O’Connor Jnr said; “It is a great honour to be asked to help launch this event. Getting a tournament here is a huge thing for me personally as it proves the golf course is considered a proper test of golf. I would like to extend my own thanks to the title sponsors, Kingspan. We all know this is a difficult time in Ireland and it is great to see them supporting the community. I would also like to congratulate everyone at Concra Wood. Bringing this tournament to the venue is proof that the club is ambitious and moving forward, which is fantastic news in these tough times.” 

Head professional at Concra Wood, Conor McKenna, said, “We are delighted to have secured Kingspan Insulation as the main title sponsor of the event. Not only do they play a vital part in the local community in terms of continued job creation, but they are a market leader in thermal insulation and their brand is renowned worldwide. We look forward to working closely with Kingspan Insulation in the coming months to make this tournament a success for the whole community.” 

The PGA Europro Tour is a partnership between The Professional Golfers’ Association and Matchroom Sport. It has become one of the leading tours in Europe and is the only officially recognised golf developmental tour in the UK. 

The backing and support of the PGA is pivotal to its success as players strive to progress from the PGA Europro to Challenge Tour and full European Tour. 

The 2010 Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen is one of the tour’s greatest success stories. Oosthuizen made his PGA Europro Tour debut in 2002, building his confidence and skills for two years.

Ryder Cup star Ross Fisher, 2008 Irish Open winner, Richard Finch and Scottish World Cup winner Marc Warren have all used the PGA EuroPro Tour as a launchpad to European Tour success.

There are 168 players in each tournament, which are three day events, usually preceded by a one, or two-day pro-am’s, all organised by the extremely professional team at the PGA. 

In 2012 there will be up to 15 PGA Europro Tournaments staged at venues around UK and Ireland - all televised on Sky Television.

Photo caption
(l-r) Andy Whelan (Concra Wood GC President), Pat Freeman (MD, Kingspan), Christy O’Connor Jnr (course designer), Conor McKenna (Head Professional Concra Wood GC), Ms Eithne McAviney (Lady Captain, Concra Wood GC)