MALAHIDE Golf Club defeated Powerscourt Golf Club over two legs to win the final of the 2019 Best Cup.
The North Dubliners took a lead of 4 to 1 from their home first leg and defeated Greystones, Ballinascorney, Balbriggan and Ashbourne to reach the final.
The second leg was played in Powerscourt on the West Course.
Powerscourt Golf Club, with home advantage, got off to a solid start in four of the matches while Malahide Golf Club had the upper hand in match two.
Malahide Golf Club began to win holes around the turn and at one stage had a 3.5 to 1.5 lead.
However, towards the closing holes Powerscourt Golf Club had the upper hand with the 16th hole in particular proving a horror hole for the visitors.
Powerscourt won the first four matches and when in match five Malahide lost the 16th to go one down, it looked like Powerscourt had victory in sight.
The Malahide pairing of Oliver Sheedy and Robert Doyle won the 17th and the 18th sending the match up the 19th in falling daylight.
Doyle played a superb chip from the back of the green to leave himself a short putt to award Malahide victory.
Powerscourt Player/Manager Colman O’Neill, while disappointed with the final result, was full of praise for the tremendous golf Powerscourt played and how they had made the final the closest for a number of years.
Malahide team manager Bill Phelan collected the pennant and trophy and was full of praise for the courtesy and welcome from all at Powerscourt GC for his team. Bill then presented Malahide Captain Brendan Ryan with the trophy.
Malahide playing member Oliver Sheedy had previously won the Best Cup in 1996 and 2011 with Malahide GC.
Thirty-one teams entered the Best Cup in 2019 and the format is five matches of 18-hole Fourball for players of handicap 19 and upwards.
The Best Cup started life as the Inter-Club Rabbit's Cup in 1961 for players of 18 handicap and over and is named after long term organiser Bertie Best and is organised by Malahide GC for participating clubs.
Malahide GC have won the cup five times previously (1964, 1978, 1993, 1996 and 2011) while Powerscourt who have been in Best Cup since 1997 had previously reached three finals (2000, 2014, 2015).
As Powerscourt captain Billy Finn said at the presentation dinner, with three finals in past six years their time must be near.