By SHAY KEENAN
SHORT GAME:
Hyland and family back in spotlight
BACK in 2008, seven-handicapper Eddie Hyland made club history when over two days he won three matchplay finals in Howth Golf Club – club fourball, club foursomes and club mixed foursomes. Now in 2012, Eddie and his family have made more history by taking the same three matchplay championships but with different partners. In the finals Eddie (7) teamed up with John Costello (13) to win the club foursomes while son Philip (3) teamed up with Jeff Fallon (12) to win the club fourball. On the same final day, Phillip teed off again, this time with his mother Mary (29) to win the club mixed foursomes matchplay final.
THE Irish Senior team for Ladies Home Internationals at Elie and Earlsferry, October 2nd-4th is: Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna), Pat Doran (Donabate), Kate Evans (Frilford Heath), Helen Jones (Royal Portrush), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Gertie McMullen (The Island), Carol Wickham (Laytown Bettystown).
Junior pro-am final in St Helens Bay
THE 2012 Zurich-sponsored Junior Pro-Am series Grand Final takes place this Saturday at St Helen’s Bay Golf Resort, Co Wexford. This year nine teams will battle it out for the title having come through their respective Munster and Leinster qualifiers. There is a great regional mix of golf clubs being represented with teams from East Cork GC, Frankfield GC, Malahide GC, Monkstown GC, St Helens Bay GC and Wexford GC.
There is also the important matter of the nine qualified assistant professionals who will be competing in their own PGA affiliated tournament.
THE Great North Links Challenge takes place again this year over Ballyliffin (Glashedy), Royal Portrush (Dunluce) and Portstewart (The Strand) on October 3rd-5th.
Entries are being accepted on 074-9376119 and this is a great opportunity to play some of the finest links courses in this country for just €175 per person.
Tulfarris lift a special Cock of the Walk trophy
TULFARRIS GC has won the 2012 Cock of the Walk competition. Recently it was Tulfarris’ turn to host the annual event and they took full advantage of the home venue.
Each club was represented by its current captain and five past captains. The format was Scotch Foursomes with two of the three scores counting. The trophy has been played for by Wicklow clubs for 64 years and the 64-year-old trophy itself is special – a representation of a cockerel cast in silver standing on a timber plinth.
Tulfarris was represented on the day by the 2012 captain, Niall Robinson and past captains Jerry Lambe, Paul Fitzpatrick, Pearse Daly, Brendan Daly and John Horan. Their winning score was 135 and the runners up were their neighbours down the N81, Baltinglass, with a score of 141.
AFTER six events Dún Laoghaire and Milltown were declared winners in the Paddy O’Beirne Elm Park Trophy for 2012. The trophy is now in its 10th year. The competition is for under-15 boys’ and under-16 girls’ teams. The Dún Laoghaire team of Zach Maguire, Dylan Finlay, Luke Flynn and David McKeon celebrated their first win in the event edging out Castle GC on a countback.
The Milltown girls Alana McDonald, Sarah O’Reilly and Christian Spain were clear winners and retained the trophy for the second year.
Singh-Brar wins Faldo Series
JACK SINGH-BRAR of England posted a final round 72 to win the 2012 Faldo Series Grand Final by two shots at Lough Erne last week. It was a double success for England as Rochelle Morris won the girls’ overall title.
“Jack is a worthy champion having beaten our largest ever field,” commented Nick Faldo. “It is the support of our partners, including the RA, ISPS, the European Tour and Lough Erne Resort, that allowed us to bring this level of opportunity to 84 competitors from 19 different nations and to more than 7,000 young people in 28 countries worldwide each year.”
Singh-Brar (Brockenhurst) carded one birdie and one bogey in a composed level-par round of 72 for a 222 total to finish on six over and two ahead of Rochelle Morris and Scotland’s Ewan Scott (St Andrews) who won the boys’ under-18 title. Overnight leader Assaf Cohen (18), who started one ahead of the field and four ahead of Singh-Brar, struggled to a 79 and finished in a tie for fourth. Morris (Huddersfield) was crowned Faldo Series Girls’ champion following a final round of 77 for 224. Ireland’s Rowan Lester (Hermitage) finished third in the under-16s after rounds of 73, 76 and 82.
Irish managers retain silverware
THE Irish Golf and Club Managers’ Association held their annual match against their Scottish counterparts in Royal Portrush recently and once again held on to the silverware for another 12 months.
On day one, the Irish won 4.5 to 1.5 to put themselves in the driving seat and they matched that scoreline on day two to give them an overall winning margin of 9-3 to retain the trophy.
On the successful Irish team were Michael Walsh, John McCormack, Hilary Madden, Michael Moss, Michael Delany, Matt Sands, Peter Kelly, Roger Kennedy, Noleen Quirke, Ronan Burke, Ronan Smyth and Paul Wisniewski.
Hard slog pays off for Carton's Carroll
IT took a tough campaign lasting 10-months for Mark Carroll (9) of Carton House to get to sink a par putt on the 17th hole to beat Shay Kelly (18) of Beech Park in the final of the East Of Ireland Matchplay last week at The European Club.
Carroll had to battle through six rounds, three of which were decided on the 18th, to reach the final. His run of matches was: bt James Harlow (9 Tulfarris) 3 and 2; bt Derek O’Gorman (8 Kilkenny) 1 up; bt Matt Critchley (Killeen) 1 up; bt Dave Campbell (5 Headfort) 4 and 3; bt Michael O’Neill (13 Blainroe) 5 and4; bt Tony Maher (7 Powerscourt) 1up.
Kelly’s victories were gained over Claire O’Carroll (8, Woodbrook) 2 and 1; bt Neville Collier (16 Coollattin) 6 and 5; bt Gary O’Flaherty (18 Killeen) 2 holes; bt Niall O’Gorman (7 Kilkenny) 18th; bt Liam Murphy (11 The European Club) 2 and 1.
The sixth East of Ireland Matchplay gets under way on October 1st. Entry fee is €60 and friends may play against each other in the preliminary round (the fun being to try to pick a friend you can beat thus assuring onwards golf at no added cost) any weekday.
Re-entry is available until December 1st after which the winners will be put in a draw for the second round, and there will be one round per month thereafter.
Entries can be made by telephone at 0404-47415 or by e-mail at info@theeuropeanclub.com
