16th May, 2016

Dallas Texas Irish American Cup Challenge 2016

19th Annual Texas Irish American Cup Challenge
May 16, 2016

It was another beautiful day for the 19th Annual Texas Irish American Cup Challenge at Northwood Club.  A total of 116 participants teed it up and dodged Mother Nature to enjoy a wonderful day for golf.  The shootout was another exciting event, with the final two holes showcasing some great golf. Three American teams tied the 17th hole with a par, sending it to a chip off between Waymon and Michael Levell, Jim Graham ,Billy Harris.Jeff Olmstead and Cole Rothwell.  Waymon Levell, coming off a personal best score of 73 earlier in the day was fantastic in leading his son to that point in the shootout. All three teams chipped off with Olmstead and Rothwell prevailing.

On the Irish side, Ronnie O’Brien and Alan Kerins hit two terrific shots 25 feet past the hole on 17 and were able to two putt for a par 4 to edge Dessie Farrell and Kyra Donworth and Nick Gallagher and John Kennedy. On the 18th hole, the Irish had the honor, and Kerins stripped a fairway wood that nearly stopped in the water at the end of the fairway.

For the Americans, Olmstead hit a beautiful hybrid off the tee that left them about 130 yards from the pin.  Rothwell struck the second shot about 20 yards short of the green for the Americans. O’Brien, faced with a daunting shot from a downhill lie to the 18th green, hit a low fade that came to rest just over the back of the green in the deep rough.  With both teams facing chip shots, their chips each came to rest about 10-12 feet from the hole. The Irish putted first, and O’Brien made a beautiful stroke downhill from 12 feet that ended up in the back of the hole for a par 4. The Americans, now facing a must-make putt by Rothwell just missed on the left side for a bogey 5.  O’Brien and Kerins won the shootout after narrowly being defeated in a chip-off in 2015.

Congratulations to O’Brien and Kerins on capturing the 19th edition of the Texas Irish American Cup Challenge!