Shay’s Short Game: Rowan Lester wins North of Ireland Amateur Open

Lester claims North of Ireland Championship

Hermitage international Rowan Lester defeated his Ireland teammate Colin Fairweather by two holes to win the North of Ireland Amateur Open at Royal Portrush.

In a topsy-turvy final, Lester recovered from a two-hole deficit to claim his first major title. After losing the South of Ireland final to Stuart Grehan in 2015, it was another case of what might have been for Knock’s Colin Fairweather, who took Lester all the way.

Like Fairweather, Lester had come close before, losing out to Conor Purcell in last year’s South of Ireland final. And when Fairweather held a two-hole lead with seven holes remaining, it seemed like Lester would have to settle for second-best again.

Lester won the 12th to halve the deficit and while the next three holes were halved, the match went all square on 15. “I said to myself standing on the 15th tee: ‘If I can play the last four in level par I will win.’”

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Having set himself a target, Lester started to turn the match in his favour and pars proved sufficient on the way home to clinch the title.

Double success for Leinster

The Leinster Women and Girls’ Teams have had double success in Shannon Golf Club at the 2017 Interprovincial Matches. The Leinster Women, who last won in 2014 at Tramore, overcame Connacht 6.5 - 1.5 making it three wins from three while the Girls’ mirrored their senior counterparts, dominating each of their three encounters.

Foursomes partners Kate Lanigan (Hermitage) and Ellen O’Gorman (Milltown) both had a 100 per cent record, winning six out of six matches. Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) meanwhile, helped her Ulster team to second place by contributing five points from six.

Needing to beat Connacht on the final day, the Leinster Women started positively, winning two of the morning foursomes matches. Wins in the afternoon from Coyle-Diez, Dowling, Murphy and Casey confirmed their title as Women’s Interprovincial Champions 2017.

“We had a strong team this year and the girls have been great all week, they kept in there even when things were looking tight and I’m very proud of them,” said Leinster captain Mary Dowling.

Amateur McBride in European Open

The Island’s Paul McBride has been given an amateur invitation to tee it up in next week’s €2m Porsche European Open in Hamburg, Germany (July 27th-30th).

World number 54 McBride is one of three amateurs invited to tee it up at Green Eagle Golf Course next week alongside his fellow Wake Forest team mate Will Zalatoris (the world No 11) world No 8 Sean Crocker from USC.

It’s great news for McBride but bad news for the South of Ireland with the man from The Island now out of the Lahinch event.

Doherty is Ulster Boys champion

Jack Doherty from Carton House won the Ulster Boys Championship 2017 with a three day Championship total of 211.

Doherty shot rounds of 71, 70 and 70 to claim victory. The runner up was David Kitt from Athenry with a three day score of 213 made up of rounds of 75, 69 and 69, winning on a countback from the Caste’s Tommy Smyth who carded rounds of 73, 66 and 74 with Elm Park’s Charlie Denvir 69, 73 and 71. Doherty was out in the first group on the final morning of play with a shot gun start seeing all the players tee-off together and by lunch time Doherty was the newly crowned Ulster Boys champion.

On the final hole of the Championship, Doherty finished in style when he holed from 20 feet for birdie and a two-shots win to claim the Ulster Boys Crown

Shipp impresses in Boys Close

Headfort’s Evan Shipp fired an impressive round of 67 to win the Titleist Footjoy Sponsored Leinster Boys Under 16 Close Championship at Ashbourne.

Shipp carded four birdies in his four under par round to narrowly win by one shot from Laytown & Bettystown’s Alex Maguire (68).

Elm Park’s James Fleming came third three shots behind with a steady level par 71.

Awards keep rolling in for Maguire

The awards keep coming for Duke University rising senior Leona Maguire as she was named the recipient of the 2017 Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award Monday by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA).

The award is presented annually for women’s division I golf and goes to the student-athlete who is an upper classman and both a WGCA All-American Scholar and a WGCA All-America. If more than one student-athlete qualifies, the student-athlete with the highest GPA receives the award. A donation of $5,000 is given from the Curtis & Edith Cummings Munson Foundation to the general scholarship fund of the recipient’s institution.

Maguire joins Blue Devil Amanda Blumenherst (2006) as the only golfers to win both the Edith Cummings Munson Golf Award and the WGCA Player of the Year in the same season.

McGrane wins Challenge in play-off

Damien McGrane edged out Richard Kilpatrick on the first play-off hole to win the 36-hole Johnston, Mooney and O’Brien PGA Challenge at Carton House. The pair put on a low-scoring final round exhibition over the Montgomerie course with McGrane signing for a seven under par 65 only for Kilpatrick to trump him with an eight under 64 to tie on 134. That sent the duo back down the par four opening hole with McGrane’s birdie sealing victory.

“We both hit two good drives down the first and Richard hit his approach in to five feet while I hit mine into three feet. He missed, I holed to win,” said Damien who had nine birdies and a double bogey in his 65. “It was one of those days, the weather was good, the course was good and I managed to hit it close.”

Mark Whelan (Castlewarden) finished third on six under par 138 (72, 66) with Delgany’s Mark Staunton (71, 68) and David Higgins (73, 66) from Waterville sharing fourth on five under 139.

First round leader, Ciaran Molloy (Ardee) followed up his opening round 68 with a three over par 75 to finish down the field in a tie for 11th place.

Women Seniors for Slovakia

Irish seniors champion, Suzanne Corcoran will lead a strong Irish selection in the European Senior Women’s Team championship at Golf Resort Skalica in Slovakia on September 5th-9th. The other members of the team are Sheena McElroy, Gertie McMullen, Maria O’Reilly, Catherine Reilly and Laura Webb, The team will be captained by Pauline Walsh.

Higgins tops at Kanturk

Roscommon’s Thomas Higgins justified the long journey to Kanturk as he won the Munster Boys Under-14 Amateur Open. The three handicapper from Connacht went around in 66 strokes to win the title by one shot. Higgins turned on two-under after four birdies and two bogies on the front nine. He added another birdie on the 11th and finished strongly with birdies on the 16th and 17th.

Tandragee’s Edward Rowe took second place with a 67 (-4). Rowe also turned on two-under but a bogey on the 17th cost him a chance of a playoff. Higgins and Rowe were the only two to break par and third place went to Portmarnock’s Brandon St. John who finished on 73. Alex King (Faithlegg) won the Under 13 Close Championship with a 75.