GOLF: Gavin McNeill took full advantage of local knowledge when winning the Waterford Scratch Cup for the second time over his home course last weekend.
The former Irish champion, who won the Waterford Crystal-sponsored event two years ago, shot a four round total of 275 - nine under par - which included a course record 63 in the second round.
After an opening round of 74, McNeill hit the birdie trail in the second round on Saturday, which left the field trailing far behind. Rounds of 68 and 74 on Sunday gave him a two-shot cushion over Des Morgan from Mullingar on 277, after rounds of 73, 67, 70 and 67. Royal Dublin's Lee Owens was next best on 278 (74, 70, 68 and 66), with Declan Moran from the Island on 279.
McNeill's victory gives him another record, in that he is the first Waterford player to win the prestigious event twice.
Meanwhile, Martin Kelly and Pat Doran brought the curtain down on championship golf for 2002 when winning the East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes Championship at Luttrellstown on Sunday.
The Forrest Little/Donabate partnership laid the foundations for victory in the Cassidy Hotel-sponsored event with a four-under-par 67 in the opening round. The gap of six shots proved too much for the rest of the field, and rounds of 73 and 78 gave them a five-shot win over Sean Quigg (City of Derry) and Curtis Cup player Alison Coffey from Warrenpoint.
Quigg and Coffey had rounds of 77, 72 and 74 for 223 - two ahead Tony and Rosemary Hayes (K Club/Hermitage) - father and mother of Suzie Hayes, who won last year's event with Brian O'Connor, before taking up a scholarship with Nortre Dame University in the US.
And daughter Suzie was part of this week's "Fighting Irish" team which won its first tournament of the year on Sunday afternoon, edging Western Michigan by three strokes in the third annual Notre Dame Women's Invitational. It was the second time in three years Notre Dame has won the tournament, having won the inaugural tourney in 2000.
The Irish shot a final round total of 319 to finish with a 54-hole total of 945 (316-310-319). The Broncos, who turned in the best round of the day with a 308, started the day in third-place, 14 strokes behind the Irish. Western finished with a 948 (325-315-308) total for the weekend. Suzie Hayes tied for 41st place in the individual event after rounds of 85, 82 and 78.
There was some consolation for Coffey, however, for the Warrenpoint player claimed the ILGU Order of Merit for the third year in a row. Coffey defeated Rebecca Coakley (Carlow), winner of the Irish Close Championship and the Irish Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship with a total of 1,535 points.
Coffey was delighted to claim the title once more, but, after taking a sabbatical to concentrate on her golf, she is now back at work and focusing on her career and engineering exams.
Heather Nolan (Shannon) and Karen Delaney (Carlow) share the Junior Order of Merit title. Both girls have performed exceptionally well this year, winning two district finals each and qualifying for the Irish Girls' Close Championship in Athenry, where Karen came out victorious with a 4 and 3 win over Heather.
Meanwhile, Limerick Golf Club, winners of the Irish Senior Cup in Galway in September, have left British Open Junior Champion Cian McNamara out of their team for the European Club championship finals in Rome from November 6th to 9th.
With international Tim Rice unavailable, team captain Billy Rice had a difficult decision to make and he has gone for Ger Vaughan, Michael O'Kelly and Michael Kemmy to represent the club on the three-man team.
