FIPPA Newsletter - August 2006.
Welcome to the first FIPPA Newsletter.
Chrissie Byrne - Irish World Cup player 2006, Irish Womens Matchplay Champion 2006
What a year 2006 has been for Chrissie Byrne, the lady who features on the banner of fippa.net. The 24 year Kilcullen, Co. Kildare, Ireland resident represented Ireland in World Cup II in March and then at the beginning of June defeated her sister Marian in a unique Irish Ladies Matchplay final at Fermoy.
Chrissie’s reflections on World Cup II a few months on? “I brought back nothing but good memories. It was an experience that will be hard to forget. It was excellently organized. I had some great matches and the highlight of the week for me was beating Rolf in my last match.”
Was WCII a stressful situation? "I think it was unavoidable that I did feel some pressure but I think it was the same pressure that every other player was feeling because we were all playing for our own country in the World Cup."
The attitude of her colleagues helped. “I was slightly nervous when I was originally selected on the team with such great players as Sean and Darren. However they totally put me at my ease from the very first practice day and it was an honour to be on the same team."
Non-Playing captain Sean Breen is singled out for specific praise. “Sean is a veteran of the game in Ireland. He was an international player himself and supports Ireland in all the international events. He was a great manager throughout our games in Teia and we couldn’t ask for more from him.”
How’s this for a ringing endorsement of those that pursue the worldwide mission? “I have no doubt whatsoever that international Pitch and Putt has a future. The dedication is there to be seen, from EPPA, FIPPA and from the players themselves. The number of countries playing every year is increasing and it shows that the game is growing in popularity and the standard of play is rising also. There’s no question that International Pitch and Putt will go from strength to strength. I enjoyed every moment of the World Cup. If Pitch and Putt is to be promoted around the world it is imperative that it is encouraged to both ladies and gents.”
Chrissie loved Teia. “It was a fantastic and challenging course. It was in brilliant condition but very testing …especially on my putting!! It had a great variety of shots and I’d definitely love to play it again.”
Chrissie won’t be worried about any stigma attached to being part of Ireland’s first side to lose internationally. “Not at all. It was a great achievement to play in the World Cup and it is not a bad thing to go down in history – even if it was for losing! All credit to the Andorrans they played extremely well against us. They were great putters and it was nice to see a derby final. They gave the Catalans a great game which proves that they have a very high standard of play.”
And so to the Fermoy fiesta. It must have been a strange feeling to face one’s sister in such circumstances. “It’s difficult because we like to see each other do well. However it’s better that we meet each other in the final rather than early on in the championship,” sums up Chrissie.
The 2003 champion faced seemingly insurmountable arrears in that Fermoy showpiece, which delivered her second Irish Matchplay crown. “When you’re five down the odds are totally against you. But I never gave up hope. All I tried to do was win one hole to put some pressure on Marian and give myself a bit of confidence. I had nothing to lose at that stage so I went for everything.” Chrissie birdied the last four holes to force the match to sudden death.
Surely two sisters meeting in the final suggests a dearth of top-class opposition? Chrissie disagrees. “In my opinion the Irish ladies game has always been of a particularly high standard. There is a wide diversity of players around Ireland and the standard is steadily improving every year. In Kildare we have a number of great players to play with and against and when you have such high standard setters to compete with, you have to keep up the pace in order to win."
What’s left to achieve for a player who has already experienced such extraordinary highs? “When you play a game you love you never stop wanting to achieve more and more. Although it would be nice to play in the World Cup again….”
(by John Manning)
| 
