By SHAY KEENAN
Ireland win on countback in Four Nations Development
IRELAND edged out Scotland on a countback after both sides finished on 2½ points in the Four Nations Development Matches at Royal Musselburgh Golf Club, Scotland last week. Ireland beat Wales 8-4 and The Netherlands 10-2. The Ireland team was David Byrne (Greystones), Robin Dawson (Faithlegg), Seán Flanagan (Co Sligo), Matthew Kane (Whitehead), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Paul McBride (The Island), William Russell (Clandeboye) and Luke Woods (Banbridge).
THE Mary McKenna Golf Classic, in aid of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland will take place at Donabate GC on Friday, May 27th. Now in its third year the four-person team with two scores to count on each hole has an entry fee of €200 per team.
Entry forms from Rossie Bissett, CEO Dyslexia Association of Ireland, 01-6790276 or info@dyslexia.ie
THE Newlands Golf Club biodiversity group are having their first Dawn Chorus Walk on May 7th at 4.45am. This course walk for members will be led by Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland. The walk will be followed by breakfast and a question and answer session. Booking through Gay Nolan, general manager.
FORMER European Tour player Anders Forsbrand from Sweden held a golf clinic at Roscommon Golf Club on Wednesday. The 2004 Ryder Cup vice-captain went through the full repertoire of golf shots in front of a large attendance.
Ulster set sights on back-to-back wins
ULSTER will have their sights set on back-to-back wins at the women’s Interprovincials when play begins at Royal Co Down Golf Club, Newcastle, tomorrow. The championship links course of 6,261 yards, with a par of 76, will provide a tough test for competitors who under the new tournament format will play both strokeplay and match play over three days.
This new format sees each of the four teams play a strokeplay qualifying round with six scores to count to decide the seeding for the matchplay on day two.
Ulster, who last year claimed the title for the first time in 21 years and broke Leinster’s run of six consecutive wins from 2004 to ’09, will start as favourites. The Northern side boasts the talents of Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup star Danielle McVeigh (right), Victoria Bradshaw, Louise Coffey and Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush). Junior international Paula Grant from Lisburn makes her debut.
Leinster will be led by Irish Close champion Mary Dowling who opened the year with a win at the Royal Co Down Ladies Scratch Salver, while the Royal Portrush and Woodbrook Scratch Cup winners, Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) and Karen Delaney (Carlow) are also members of the team.
A young Munster side, who contended strongly last year, will again look to cause an upset.
Top-class field for Irish Amateur Open
THE Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Royal Dublin Golf Club on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 6th, 7th and 8th, has attracted a world-class entry.
The cut-off for the field of 120 fell at plus 0.3 and has attracted many players from countries including Belgium, Austria and USA. Lucas Justra Bjerregaard from Denmark, at plus 5.5, holds the lowest handicap in the field, while the leading Irish player, Paul Cutler is playing off plus 3.6.
First played in 1892 and revived in 1995, the Irish Amateur Open can boast a strong history of producing great champions including Joe Carr (three times), Jimmy Bruen, Tom Craddock, Pádraig Harrington, Michael Hoey, Noel Fox, Louis Oosthuizen and Pedro Figueiredo.
THE Leinster Youths Open Championship tees off tomorrow and runs until Thursday at Knightsbrook, venue for the Junior Solheim Cup in September. The event is sponsored by Sigma Wireless.
Farr ahead of field in Trubshaw Cup
OLIVER FARR from Wales, who finished runner-up at The Duncan Putter, has greatly boosted his 2011 Walker Cup Selection hopes with victory at the Trubshaw Cup 2011 at Ashburnham and Tenby Golf Clubs
Farr shot rounds of 69, 66, 69, and 66 for a 270 total and an 11-shot win over Rhys Pugh and Michael Hearne on 281. Best of the Irish were Reeve Whiston from the Mourne club on 287 after rounds of 74, 73, 71, and 69, and Gary McDermott (Co Sligo) 289 (73, 72, 76, 68).
The other Irish scores included 294: John Greene (Carlow) 74, 72, 76, 72; Ian ORourke (Cork) 74, 67, 80, 73. 297: Aaron Kearney (Castlerock) 70, 79, 71, 77. 299: Barry Anderson (Co Sligo) 76, 77, 73, 73.
IRELAND won the Cardigan Cup at Rosslare Golf Club last week with a 12-8 win over Wales in the boys international. Ireland won the first day’s singles 6-2 and despite losing the foursomes 2½-1½ came back to take 4½ points from the final eight singles.
The Irish team was Alex Gleeson (Castle), Conor Glynn (Carton House), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh), Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Gavin Moynihan (Donabate), Colm OSullivan (Fota Island) and Jamie Richardson (Royal Portrush).
O'Connor Snr keeps his promise
CHRISTY O’CONNOR Senior took a trip down memory lane to Greystones Golf Club this week – in a thank-you gesture. He played the Co Wicklow course to keep a promise he made to lady member Angela Kennedy.
Angela presented “himself” with a red leather-bound “This is your life” outlining his achievements as one of Ireland’s most famous golfers – including his then record 10 Ryder Cup appearances. This record was only beaten in recent years by Nick Faldo. The presentation was the work of An Bord Bia, of which Angela was chairman. She made the presentation at Royal Dublin Golf Club of which Christy has been an honorary member for decades.
The three-ball was completed by the captain of Royal Dublin, JJ Murphy. Christy, now 86, said: “It was a wonderful gesture by Angela and the board. My visit was my way of saying thank you. I last played Greystones many, many years ago and it was great to play it again.”
Irish Seniors ladies triumph
THE Irish Seniors ladies team opened up their 2011 season in winning fashion last week when they made a successful defence of the Mary McKenna Trophy at Craigielaw Golf Club, defeating Scotland 6½ to 5½.
After the opening day’s foursomes the Irish led 3½ to ½ and despite losing the singles 5-3 on Monday they did enough to win overall.
The Irish team was Pat Doran (Donabate), Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire), Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Helen Jones (Strabane), Violet McBride (Belvoir Park), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Mairead McNamara (Woodbrook) and Phil O’Gorman (Laytown Bettystown).
