Jimmy Bruen V Headfort

Jimmy Bruen Quarter Final Match Report 15th June 2025 (J Bruen is combined WHI of 14)

Sutton advance to Semi final with top quality displays of foursomes golf against our Headfort. We won 2 games decisively and superbly turned around the other 2 games to get the overall result we wanted

Headfort have recent pedigree in Bruen having got to the All Ireland semi final in 2023. 

We had the long drive up to Kells for pairings of Niall McNamara and Ken Moore, while James Bowen and Jack O’Gorman were our second pair to represent us away in Headfort. Thanks also to Michael O’Halloran (deputising for brother Noel) and Ronan O’Driscoll for the vocal support and match reporting from Headfort.

Niall and Ken found themselves 3 down early in the match as the home advantage was used well by Headfort. But Niall and Ken are made of tough stuff and battled back into it to level by the 10th. The match continued to be in the balance as the sides exchanged leads and the sides were level on 16th when overall match result was declared.

Performance of the day goes to James and Jack in the 2nd match away in Kells. It was a bit of a demolition job by J&J from the outset combining long drives, confident irons and putting. To win 7&6 is a great achievement but to do so away against one of the stronger pairing Headfort had put out was a very significant statement to deliver for the whole Sutton team. 

Meanwhile back in Sutton, Donnacha Butler and Gavin Fitzgerald as in previous rounds delivered monstrous drives, delicate chips and putts – Donnacha is lobbying to lengthen the 1st hole by 50 yds to allow for a driver length hole for himself. The early holes were tight but Donnacha and Gavin made a significant move on the two Par 3s on the front 9 and never looked back. The 2 lads comfortably closed out the match on the 16th with a 3&2 win.

Ben Logan and Neville Firth were our men in the deciding match at home (getting the result we wanted just ahead of Niall and Ken in Headfort). The first few holes were evenly balanced and then Headfort hit us with some exceptional golf to take a 3 hole lead at the turn. Ben and Neville didn’t panic though and got back into the match winning 10 and 12. You could sense the wobble beginning to appear in the Headfort pair in the face of great determined play from Ben and Neville. We levelled on 15 but Headfort hit back to go 1up on 17. But as we know the drive on 18 in Sutton is daunting and Headfort made the cardinal mistake twice of hitting the beach twice. This allowed Neville to play a tactical safe tee shot and for Ben and Nev to safely play up the 18th fairway where Headfort conceded the match and overall result just before the 18th green.

All the matches were played in great spirit with our visitors very complimentary of the warm hospitality and welcome they received at Sutton and similarly Headfort were excellent hosts out in Kells. They were genuinely decent guys to play against and the overall result was tighter than the scoreline indicates.

 But again, our men played with real skill and intent from the outset and were full value for the win!!

 We now play either Malahide or Killeen Castle in Semi Final– its getting interesting 😊!