Golf

Shay’s Short Game: Scotland’s Clara Young wins at St Andrews

John Ross Galbraith finishes eighth in the Scottish Open Amateur Championship

John Ross Galbraith, who finished eighth in the Scottish Amateur Strokeplay championship at Western Gailes.

Shay Keenan
Mon Jun 5 2017 - 12:05

Scotland’s Young takes St Rules Trophy

Scotland’s Clara Young produced a fine weekend’s work to secure a narrow one-shot success in the St Rule Trophy at St Andrews.

The North Berwick player, 20, fired rounds of 67 and 72 over the New Course on Saturday, before adding a 71 at the Old Course 24 hours later. Young’s 16 under total of 210 saw her edge out Australian Montana Strauss by a shot, with overnight leader Gemma Clews from England two shots further back on 13 under.

Clews, who set a new record over the New Course on Saturday after her stunning 65, held a four-shot lead going into the final round, but her 78 saw Young, at college at the University of Missouri, overcome the deficit.

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Paula Grant from Lisburn was best of the Irish on 230 after rounds of 79, 72 and 71 with Ciara Casey from Hermitage carding 73, 81 and 72 for 226, Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe and Maynooth University) shot 74, 80 and 79 for 233 while Mary Doyle from the Heath finished on 238 (80, 78, 80).

Kavanagh set for landmark appearance at Luttrellstown

Hazel Kavanagh has made history by becoming the first woman to qualify for the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Professional Championship. Dublin-based Kavanagh will make a landmark appearance in the grand final at Luttrellstown Castle on June 13th-16th.

Kavanagh, representing Carr Golf Centre at Spawell, carded a five over par round of 77 in the qualifying event, also held at Luttrellstown Castle. And that was enough to get her into the final along with 18 other qualifiers.

Kavanagh is no stranger to rewriting the record books. Three years ago, she became the first woman to win a PGA Irish Region event with her triumph in the PGA Irish Club Professional Tournament at Arklow Golf Links.

She has also represented Ireland in the World Cup of Golf 2005 and in the European Cup in 2010 - along with several Top 10 finishes on the Ladies’ European Tour.

Galbraith eighth as Johnston claims Scottish title

Scotland’s Liam Johnston overcame windy conditions to secure a two-shot success in the Scottish Open Amateur Championship as Ireland’s John Ross Galbraith finished eighth at Western Gailes.

Having won the African Amateur at Leopard Creek in March, the Johnston player has strengthened his Walker Cup claims after landing his biggest win in the game to date. The 24-year-old posted rounds of 69, 66, 69 and 71 for a nine-under-total of 275, two ahead of fast-finishing Englishman Matthew Jordan from Royal Liverpool, who carded 72, 66, 69 and 70 for 277.

While Rowan Lester, Colin Fairweather, Colm Campbell and Jordan Hood missed the cut, Whitehead’s Galbraith carded rounds of 73, 69, 69 and 71 to jump from 22nd to eighth on two-under-par 282.

Laytown and Bettystown’s Thomas Mulligan, signed for 67, 74, 75 and 75 to end up tied 30th on seven over with Naas’ Conor O’Rourke two shots further back in 34th after another roller-coaster day that saw him following an 81 with a 68. His clubmate Jonathan Yates was 36th on 11-over.

Paddy Devine appointed professional at Sutton

Paddy Devine has been appointed head professional at Sutton Golf Club. He joins the club from Royal Dublin where he has been assistant professional for the past nine years. He becomes only the fourth professional at Sutton. Joe Nangle was appointed the club’s first ever professional in the early 1950’s. He was followed by Nicky Lynch, who held the position for over fifty years, before Conor Russell took over.

Devine is a fully qualified AA PGA professional ,who has worked as a club assistant professional, and also played on the PGA Europro Development Tour for a number of years. Amongst his achievements was victory in the PGA National Fourball Championship in 2009 where he and his partner recorded a 59 on their way to a record winning score of 31 under.

He is a member of the Committee of the Southern branch of the PGA. He also regularly competes on the Irish Region circuit, finishing in second place in the 2013 Irish Club Professional Championship in Dundalk.

Casey makes it two titles in three weeks

Hermitage’s Ciara Casey grabbed her second win in the space of three weeks when she captured the Ulster Women’s Open at Moyola Park. The Dubliner rounded off a memorable month of May in which she was named as first reserve for July’s European Amateur Team Championships when she defeated Royal Portrush’s Emma Forbes 2 and 1 in the final.

Having retained her Hermitage Ladies Scratch Cup recently, Casey qualified second in the strokeplay, one stroke behind Massereene’s Lucy Simpson with rounds of 78 and 75. She then beat City of Derry’s Vivienne Houston 6 and 5 in round one and Enniscrone Hilary Hall 4 and 2 in the quarter-finals before defeating Ballinrobe’s Shannon Burke 5 and 4 in the semi-finals.

Forbes had a walkover against Tandragee’s Bethany Thornbury, then saw off Elm Park’s Rachael McDonnell 6 and 5 and City of Derry’s Catherine McCanny one up before falling to Casey in a hard-fought decider.

Sports stars join Hoey for NI Open

Michael Hoey has been the Tournament Ambassador for the Northern Ireland Open, presented by Modest! Golf, from the outset but this year the multiple European Tour winner is joined by a small army of NI sporting legends who make up a formidable Ambassador team.

Hoey will be the figurehead of the NI Open for the fifth consecutive year from August 10th-13th and the in-form 38-year-old will look to improve on last year’s eighth place finish at Galgorm Castle behind the 2016 champion, Ryan Fox from New Zealand.

The five-time European Tour winner will have plenty of support and back-up this year as household names from the sport and entertainment world join the NI Open ambassador club.

“Each year we have grown this event to become even bigger and better than before. In 2017 we now have legends such as Pat Jennings and Michael O’Neill plus star names like Stephen Ferris and David Healy joining us to have some fun and promote the event.

“I welcome the many great names who have thrown their name in the hat and will support this year’s NI Open. GAA is represented by Oisin McConville, snooker’s Mark Allen, motorsport’s William Dunlop and athletics star Michael McKillop are among the new NI Open ambassadors” said Hoey.

Error-free Giles claims Malahide Pro-Am

Robert Giles produced a bogey free five-under par round to win the Malahide Pro-Am. The Greenore GC professional, playing in his opening event of the season, carded five birdies in a five-under-par 67 as he finished two shots ahead of Noel Murray (American Golf), Damien McGrane and Damien Mooney (Damien Mooney Golf).

The tournament, supported by 1995 Ryder Cup hero Philip Walton, raises much needed funds for the St Francis Hospice. Walton finished down the field in the individual event but he came within a whisker of winning the team prize.

The 55-year-old and his amateur partners amassed 90 points over the 18 holes only to be edged out by Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret’s G&CC) who guided his team of Liam Morgan, Joe Duddy and Paul McHale to success with 91 points.

Meanwhile, David Higgins from Waterville collected his third win of the season with a composed display of links golf at the Flogas Pro-Am. The 44-year-old posted a four-under- par 67 which included five birdies and a solitary bogey on his way to success at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.

The Kerry golfer finished one shot ahead of Damien McGrane and Tim Rice (Limerick GC). The team event was won by Brian Doheny (Callan) who guided his amateur partners of Brian Lorde, Neil Lorde and Sean Brett to a winning total of 87 points.

Weather takes its toll in German Junior

Rain hit the final day of the German junior championships at St Leon-Rot Golf Club and the event was decided on the first 36 holes. And so, Linn Grant from Sweden was the winner with rounds of 66 and 68 for 134. Emma Spitz (Austria) finished second with 66 and 69 for 135 and England’s Annabel Fuller third with scores of 69 and 67 for 136.

The boys competition, also decided on the earlier two rounds, was won by Germany’s Falko Hanish (135) by two strokes from Jiri Zuska of the Czech Republic.

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