Murdoch pips local star O'Gorman for Seniors title- CANADIAN Alison Murdoch fired a final round 76 to win the Irish Senior Women's Open Championship by two strokes from local favourite Phil O'Gorman at Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club last week.
After a tournament played, for a change, in glorious sunshine and with a soft breeze, Murdoch dropped just one stroke on the front nine, at the seventh.
However, a treble-bogey eight on the 12th, where she struggled to find the fairway opened the door for the chasing pack.
A birdie at the next restored her lead and five further pars on the homeward stretch saw her lift her fourth Irish title in just six years.
Local O’Gorman birdied the seventh on her way to two over par at the turn.
When Murdoch faltered on the 12th, O’Gorman’s birdie on 16th closing the gap to one, but a bogey on the 17th put paid to O’Gorman’s challenge.
Defending champion Vicki Thomas was one shot further back thanks to a marvellous eagle on the 18th which leapfrogged her into third place ahead of Canada’s Karen Pultz and Strabane’s Helen Jones.
THE Ireland team to defend the Seniors Home Internationals at Westport GC from September 29th to October 1st: Tom Cleary (Cork), Maurice Kelly (Killeen), Adrian Morrow (Portmarnock), Séamus McParland (Greenore), Michael Quirke (Doneraile), Barry Reddan (Co Louth), Hugh Smyth (Mourne).
Meadow looks good for All-American
STEPHANIE Meadow is in prime position after her runner-up result in the American Junior Golf Association Girls Championship to win a First-Team Rolex Junior All-American Award.
Karen Chung, of Livingston, shot a one-over-par 73 to capture the title. Chung finished the tournament at four-over-par 220, one stroke ahead of Meadow.
The Ireland International has also earned an invitation to play in the highest ranked junior tournament in America – The Ping Invitational – to be held in Oklahoma, October 9th-12th. The elite field is made up of the top 27 ranked girls in America.
The Rolex Junior All-American awards are announced following this tournament, which serves as the season finale.
Meadow is ranked number 11 in the United States on the AJGA Polo ranking system and number seven on the Golfweek/ Sagarin system.
The top 12 in the Polo rankings earn a First-Team All American award, the next 12 earn a Second-Team All American award.
LORETO High School Beaufort in Rathfarnham will hold the inaugural outing of the LHS Beaufort Past Pupils Golf Society in Edmondstown Golf Club on Friday.
Further details and the time sheet are with Bronwyn (nee Byrne) O’Donnell at odonnellx@yahoo.com or call 087 8110962.
Girls call shots in Duke of York
FOR the first time in the nine-year history of the 54-hole Duke of York Young Champions Trophy, girls had the upper hand.
Moriya Jutanugarn, from Thailand, 15 years of age and barely five foot tall, finished on a two-over-par tally of 218 at Dundonald Links yesterday to win by a shot from Israel’s Laetitia Beck.
Richard Jung from Canada was the first boy in the mix, signing off on a share of third place with Spain’s Camilla Hedberg, on the 220 mark.
Ireland’s Dermot McElroy finished on 223 after rounds of 71, 76 and 76 for share of fifth place.
Fleming triumphs after epic battle
OVERNIGHT leaders Damien Fleming and Bryan Delaney battled it out to the final hole in the Irish Open Pitch and Putt Championship, sponsored by Clonee Business Park, at Clonee over the weekend, with Fleming finally lifting the title by one shot.
Fleming carded a final round 42 to move to 27 under par and the only player on the course who had any hope of matching his score was Delaney.
It went to the final hole with Delaney needing a two to tie but it proved too great an ask and the putt slipped by to give Fleming a well deserved victory.
It was a fitting climax to an outstanding competition and every credit is due to all the players involved and the Royal Meath Club who presented the course in excellent condition.
The women’s title also went to the wire, with Christine Byrne, on 12 under par, winning by a shot from Tracy McGrath and Ann Hall.
IRISH OPEN (54 holes): Damien Fleming -27, Bryan Delaney -26, Seán Downes -24, Eoin Walsh -23, JR Crangle -21. Women: Christine Byrne -12, Tracy McGrath -11 (on last 18), Ann Hall -11 (on last 18). Best overseas players: Patrick Lunning (NPPB Netherlands) -17, Rolf Kwant (NPPB Netherlands) -14, Henk-Rik Koetsier (NPPB Netherlands) -10, Héctor Diaz de Argandona (FCCP Catalonia) -5.
Wicklow three-in-a-row for Condren
ALAN Condren from Greystones won his third Wicklow Scratch Cup in a row at Delgany GC on Sunday.
Condren’s 36-hole total of 135 after rounds of 68 and 67 gave him a two-shots win over Simon Bryan, a junior member of Delgany GC, with Pat Errity a further shot back in third place on 138 in the Under Armour (Mark Wyse)-sponsored event. Consolation for Bryan was that he won the Delgany Scratch Cup confined to Delgany members.
ALTHOUGH there are no Irish players involved this time around the Britain and Ireland Club Pros team will bid to regain the PGA Cup when it takes place at Loch Lomond from Friday through to Sunday.
Gary Allis 10-man team take on the Americans at the Scottish venue over the Carrick Course as they look to win back the Trophy.
On the three previous visits to Scotland B and I won in 1983 at Muirfield, 1984 at Turnberry and halved at Gleneagles in 1996.
Bounce favours McCreevy and Moran
WHEN your luck is in and things suddenly go your way you know you’re going to win. That might just have been the case in the final of the recent Joe Duffy BMW Open Mixed Foursomes Matchplay at Sutton.
Tom McCreevy and Ann Moran from the host club were facing a real struggle to win the final as they found themselves three down with six to play. But they managed to battle back and draw level by the time they stood on the 18th tee against Tom and Ann Ryan from Malahide.
Moran split the fairway with her drive, only for McCreevy’s second looked to be heading out of bounds but amazingly, the ball hit the boundary rocks, bounced back into play and the Sutton pairing ended up making an unlikely win at the hole to take the match one up and take the Trophy.
Beaten semi-finalists in the hugely popular annual event were John and Veronica Holohan from Corrstown and Vincent Moran and Colette Dennis from Hermitage.
