SHORT GAME:THE Irish Ladies Golf Union is sending a strong international line-up to the Women's World Amateur Team Championships at the Gloria Golf Resort in Antalya, Turkey, starting on Thursday.
British Amateur Champion Stephanie Meadow, last year’s British Strokeplay champion Leona Maguire and international Paula Grant will play for the Women’s Espirito Santo Trophy from September 27th-30th. Monkstown’s Ada O’Sullivan will captain the side.
The championship is being played over the old and new courses at the Gloria Golf Club and Ireland will be looking to improve on their 2010 final placing after Leona and Lisa Maguire and Danielle McVeigh finished 11th in Buenos Aires in 2010.
That marked Ireland’s best solo finish having helped Britain and Ireland achieve two silver and five bronze medals when the home countries fielded a combined team.
Doran pipped in British Seniors play-off
IRELAND’S Pat Doran, from Donabate GC, lost out in a play-off to Katherine Russell from Royal Ashdown Forest GC, making her debut in the championship at 51, in the Senior British women’s open amateur championship.
They tied on nine over par 234 at the end of a misty, miserable final day of wind and rain over the Hunstanton Links in Norfolk.
Russell closed with a one-under-par 74 and Doran with the same score, which included only 33 shots for the second nine, the best inward half of the week.
That inward 33 earned Doran the prize for the best score of the week.
After the pair halved the first hole of the play-off, Russell claimed the title with a par four at the 18th.
Doran was a member of the bronze-medal-winning Ireland team in Lugano, Switzerland, the week before last but the defeat in Norfolk meant that for the second year in a row the Donabate player had to settle for second place after losing out to Felicity Christine last year.
Sarsfields retain GAA Challenge title
SARSFIELDS of Galway became the first club to successfully defend their All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge title when they beat a strong field at Waterford Castle Golf Club.
In doing so, they also became the first club to receive the MacCarthy Perpetual Trophy Cup, a Waterford Crystal replica of hurling’s Liam MacCarthy Cup.
Having been in the joint overnight lead with Clare’s Clooney-Quin on 83 points, the Sarsfields quartet of David Byrne Snr and Jnr, Pádraig Hynes and Michael Corcoran put together a second day total of 79 to win by four points.
Clooney-Quin, comprising PJ O’Neill, Liam McInerney, Michael O’Brien and Jimmy Kelly, consoled themselves with the Munster title.
Castlederg, represented by Declan Devine, Kevin Connolly, Danny Glackin and former Tyrone footballer Aiden Lynch – were one shot back on 157 and took the Ulster crown.
Former All-Ireland champions St Brigid’s of Dublin, represented by Cian and Diarmuid O’Mahony, Paul Keane and Seán Duignan, were the best placed Leinster team.
After another successful staging of the Challenge, with five overseas teams competing, entries are already being taken for next year.
1 All-Ireland and Connacht winners: Sarsfields (Galway) 162; 2 Munster winners: Clooney-Quin (Clare) 158; 3 Ulster winners: Castlederg (Tyrone) 157; 4 Leinster winners: St Brigid’s (Dublin).
Malahide claim Junior Pro Am series title in Wexford
NINE teams from Munster and Leinster took part in the Grand Final of the 2012 Zurich Junior Pro Am Series at St Helen’s Bay in Wexford, where the Malahide team of Paul O’Sullivan, Scott Porter and Damien Murphy, joined by their assistant pro, Gavin Byrne (Greenlife Golf Centre), played the best golf on the day to finish up with 95 points and claim the 2012 title.
Second place went to the East Cork Golf Club team of Brian Whelehan, Lochlann McCarthy and Emma Curtain with assistant pro Peter O’Keeffe (Muskerry GC).
The Irish PGA Assistant Pros competition was won with a fine score of 73 by Patrick Sheehy of Newcastle West.
* BALLYLIFFIN Golf Club will host their first “Nearest the Pin Heli-Drop” next Saturday. One thousand balls will be dropped out of a helicopter and the ball that lands nearest the pin wins € 1,000.
Tickets can be purchased at 074 9376119. The cost per ball is € 5 or €10 for three balls.
* SEÁN DOYLE, a 13-year-old three-handicapper from Athlone GC, shot a level par round of 73 to win the Senior Scratch Cup at Ballinrobe recently. Doyle’s round included five birdies and he edged out local player Gary Brett on count back.
Meanwhile, at Foxrock GC, 11-year-old Jamie Vard, playing off 17, won the Captain’s Prize to Juniors with an excellent 38 points. Vard also had a hole in one on the fifth hole.
Red Letterkenny day for Collum
THE North Western Golfing Alliance season teed off on Saturday and home advantage proved beneficial as Michael Collum claimed victory over his home course of Letterkenny.
The six-handicapper shot 37 points for a one-point winning margin over Odran McGettigan (25) of Strabane, with Matthew McCauley (5) from Ballybofey Stranorlar third on 34.
In the gross section, the plaudits went to John P Dolan, a scratch player from Ballybofey Stranorlar with a 74, one better than Brian McElhinney (+2) of Golf Ireland and City of Derry’s Keelan Quigg (scr).
Next up for the Alliance is a visit to North West GC on October 6th.
O'Connell's outing raises €50,000
Over € 50,000 was raised at the inaugural Paul O’Connell Charity Golf Outing at Adare Manor last week.
The golf event, organised by the rugby international and UL foundation board member O’Connell, will directly fund scholarships at the University of Limerick for disadvantaged students.
Speaking at the event, O’Connell said, “UL is very important to me, and I’m delighted to support the work of the foundation and help some students who would otherwise not be able to pursue third level education.
“It’s really special to know that a number of young people will benefit from today’s sporting event.”
A number of sports stars and personalities attended, including rugby players Ronan O’Gara, Donncha O’Callaghan, BJ Botha, Alan Quinlan, Conor Murray and David Wallace, and former Kerry footballer Denis “Ogie” Moran.
skeenan@irishtimes.com
