IRELAND’S PAUL DUNNE and Gavin Moynihan will bid to inject winning momentum into their respective seasons when they come together to defend their GolfSixes title in Portugal this weekend.
The pair clinched the title, and €100,000 prize money, at St Alban’s last year after receiving a wildcard entry and are back to put their crown on the line in the third edition of the six-hole matchplay event.
Dunne is coming off a strong performance at the Made in Denmark event last week, with a tied for fourth finish seeing him bank €109,440 and move up to 62nd in the Race to Dubai standings, while Moynihan will have also been encouraged by a top-20 finish.
With a big couple of months ahead for the duo, with Dunne bidding to qualify for the Open and Moynihan looking ahead to the Irish Open at Lahinch, the GolfSixes provides an opportunity for the Irish team to continue their excellent record together.
The event, played at Oitavos Dunes, will see 16 international pairs go head-to-head on the Cascais coastline, with the first phase of matches starting on Friday and the tournament concluding with a final on Saturday afternoon.
Ireland are in Group B alongside Sweden, Thailand and England women.
“It’s set up for a fun format for the week,” 26-year-old Dunne said. “There’s good will between all the competitors.
“Once we get on the course we’re going to want to win but it’s a good festival atmosphere around it. The weather helps when you’re in the sunshine and everyone is in the rain at home.
“It’s a week we’re looking forward to, the format sets up quite well for myself and Gavin and hopefully we can do what we did last year but you just never know over six holes.”
Moynihan, who is enjoying a much better season on the European Tour after retaining his card at Q-School last year, added: “I’ve been looking forward to this for the last few weeks.
“It’s always great playing team golf, even going back to the amateur days, playing home internationals and Walker Cup, they’re just a great week.
“Obviously the golf is the main event but you just have so much fun. Just enjoy it and then when you get on the golf course it’s just normal business.”
Meanwhile, former world number one Martin Kaymer has been added to the field for July’s Irish Open, with the German joining fellow Major champions Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Danny Willett at Lahinch.
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