Lucan lads end club's long wait

It may have been a long wait - 100 years, to be precise - but Lucan Golf Club don't mind making up for lost time now that they have finally got their hands on a green pennant! And, appropriately enough, it was the new generation of golfers at the west Dublin club who ended the famine by claiming the Irish Junior Foursomes Championship at City of Derry, beating Ulster champions Ballyclare by two holes in the matchplay final. "When the squad was originally assembled, we didn't envisage them going all the way to a national title," explained team manager Eamon Hudson. "However, four or five matches into the campaign, we realised we had something special, a really competitive squad of players.

"Given that this is the club's centenary year, it is unique that it should be the juniors, our future, who should deliver the cherished national title," he added. Dermot O'Leary had already shown his competitive instincts when lifting the Dublin Pitch and Putt matchplay championship this year, but it was a first taste of success for the other players in the national finals, Craig McEvoy, Gary Hudson and Barry McAuley, while Robert Bulger was a member of the team until the Leinster semifinal stages.

Indeed, Lucan had to win the title the hard way - particularly in the All-Ireland semi-final when the top match of McEvoy and Hudson were four down with seven holes to play. However, they conspired to win six of the remaining seven holes to steer Lucan into a final against a highly-rated Ballyclare team and the Dubliners were always in front in the decisive showdown.

Hudson, McAuley and O'Leary - all 16 years old - are in their second year in juniors, and McEvoy, who is 17, is in his fourth year. "The future certainly looks bright for the club," enthused manager Hudson.

Meanwhile, Killarney captured the Jefferson Smurfit Girls' Team championship when beating Enniscrone 21/21/2 in the final at City of Derry. Deirdre Prendergast secured a two holes win over Marina Gilhawley in the top match, and then Ellen Ann Sugrue ensured the title was heading to Munster when defeating Michelle Holmes at the 20th. Ciara O'Mahony halved her match with Aideen Gallagher.

Did you hear the one about the captain who had a hole-in-one, broke out and bought the traditional round of drinks in the clubhouse and was then disqualified? It happened to Bill Brown, the captain at Seapoint, who has been in all-conquering form in his special year - witnessing his handicap tumble from nine to six. Recently, he shot a level par 72 to take the chairman, Michael Dowling's prize. And the captain looked set to collect a further prize in the club's fourball competition last Sunday when his rich vein of form continued. Indeed, to make the occasion a little more special, Bill actually aced the 15th hole with a superbly struck five-iron at the delightful seaside course in Termonfeckin.

And, to really savour the competition, Bill and partner Frank Kirwan completed the finishing stretch in par-birdie-par for what they thought was the winning score. However, the tale took more twists and turns than the River Boyne after that. While Bill insisted on the traditional celebrations, the competitions committee discovered an error on the card. The ninth hole had been filled out incorrectly (the score was wrong but the points were correct) and, under Rule 6-6-d, the team was disqualified.

There is one ray of sunshine, however, for the captain - his hole-in-one still stands!