A Round-up Of Today's Golf News In Brief

Durnin bids to defend his crown

A TOP-class field will tee-up in Laytown and Bettystown to take on the Leinster Senior Cup champions in their Senior Scratch Cup next Sunday. The defending champion is local Russell Durnin and he will be joined by Stephen Barry, fresh from the Irish Boys’ win in Wales. However, the locals will be pressed all the way by Eddie McCormack, runner-up in West of Ireland, Jim Carvill and Eoin Arthurs.

The club will be launching its new-look website which will allow live scoring from the course and no doubt will get a lot of hits to see if a local can win for the third time in four years, at www.landb.ie

Elite field for Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin

THE AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Championship, which will be played at The Royal Dublin Golf Club on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 7th, 8th and 9th, has attracted a world-class entry.

The cut-off for the field of 120 fell at plus 0.6 and has attracted 58 overseas players from countries including Belgium, USA and Canada.

Included in the field are nine players who qualify under the rule which allows the top 10 players from the qualifiers for the West of Ireland Championship matchplay stages, who failed to gain entry on exact handicap, to be included, subject to each of these players being under the age of 21.

James Watts from England, at plus 4.1 holds the lowest handicap in the field, while the leading Irish player, Pat Murray is playing off plus 3.5.

John Rice, AIB general manager said: “We are delighted to see a very impressive gathering of home-grown and International golfers for the Irish Amateur Open – a championship that is now ranked amongst the leading amateur championships in the world.”

First played in 1892 and held every year with the exception of the war years up to 1959, 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 and Louis Oosthuizen.

Kilkenny gear up for Scratch Cup

A TOP-class field is also expected for the 47th Smithwicks Kilkenny Senior Scratch Cup, which will take place at Kilkenny Golf Club on Saturday, May 15th. The long association with sponsors, Smithwicks (Diageo) coincides with their celebration this year of 300 years brewing in Kilkenny.

This year’s event is also special for the senior squad players in the club as Kilkenny are the holders of the All-Ireland Barton Shield title, following their success in 2009.

Since its inception in 1964, a host of renowned players have taken part in the Scratch Cup. It was fitting that the first winner was Tom Duggan, as the Duggan family have a long association with the club.

The great Joe Carr won in 1965, before Tom Duggan regained his title in 1966. Other club players to win the event were Pauric O’Rourke, former International and three-time South of Ireland winner, Jim Mahon, David McDonald, former Interprovincial, Tom Deegan jnr, Eddie Power, a five-times winner, former international and three-times Irish Close champion, and the defending champion, Paul O’Hara.

Pádraig Harrington was the 1992 champion while his caddy Ronan Flood, from Hermitage, also won the event in 1998.

Sparkling 67 helps Power to victory

SÉAMUS POWER, from West Waterford, closed with an excellent five-under-par 67 to capture the individual title at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships. His three-shot victory also helped his ETSU team to capture the team championship. In the process, the Bucs set a new school record with their fourth team championship win of the season and automatically qualify for NCAA regionals in May.

Power was creating his own bit of history when he became only the fifth player in the 32-year history of the championship to earn medal honours twice, having won it previously as a freshman in 2007. His exceptional run of form makes him the lead player in the college, replacing Rhys Davies who has already won on his first season on the European Tour. This was Power’s fifth individual win since he joined East Tennessee State University in 2007. Power had rounds of 69, 74 and 67 for 210 to win by three from Florida’s Brandon Pena on 213.

• PROVING recently that age was no barrier to success was Philip Kennedy who won the LMC Seniors Alliance around his home club of Roscrea. At 82 years young Kennedy, playing off a handicap of 25, shot a highly impressive 43 points to leave the rest of the field trailing in his wake. His nearest challengers were four points back on 39 points, Paddy Nolan (Templemore) and Gerry Stakelum (Thurles).

Dineen holds his nerve to claim title

FRANK DINEEN captured the Irish Pitch and Putt Open at the RGSC Club in Clondalkin over the weekend when beating Stephen Murray in a three-hole play-off by just one shot.

It was a pressure-filled afternoon for Dineen as he had failed to recapture the brilliance of his second 18 from Saturday where he carded a competition best of 46 and in fact stood on the 18th tee needing a two to force the play-off.

He duly sank the putt and then went on to defeat Murray by that one shot. Only five shots separated the top-15 players and Paul O’Brien was third on -13, while Jason O’Regan took fourth place on a better last 18 from Brian Webster after both finished on -12.

Chrissie Byrne won the women’s title when she carded an impressive five-under-par 157 to win from Tracey McGrath on 161, who edged out Geraldine Ward on a better last 18. Best overseas player was John Deeble of the BPPA on a score of -4.

Roganstown hosts Pro-Captain event

ROGANSTOWN will host the Irish regional qualifier for the BMW-backed PGA International Pro-Captain Challenge, an event which unites the PGA professionals with their golf club captains.

And the winners from all the Irish and British regional qualifiers will head to Turkey for the final at the PGA Sultan course at Antalya Golf Club in Belek in December.

Just one pair from each of the PGA’s seven regions qualify for the final and they progress to the 36-hole final on December 7th and 8th in what is a betterball event.

The opening qualifier is on May 6th at Bush Hill Park for the East Region, with the last of the seven finals in Roganstown.

The other qualifiers are in Crail Golf Society (Scottish region), Staverton (Midland region), Huddersfield (North region), Woodbury Park (West region) and Royal Ascot (South region).

At the final in Turkey in December the professionals will compete for a £7,500 prize fund.