By SHAY KEENAN
Murphy edges North Dublin event
A DAY of hot weather produced hot scoring at St Anne’s on Friday last as the North Dublin Golf Club Captains’ Association held their President’s Prize.
And taking Kevin Hughes’ prize was Forrest Little’s Joe Murphy, who, playing off a handicap of 18, was the best of three players on 40 points, edging out Séamus Campbell (17) from Sutton and the host club’s Tadg O’Sullivan (17).
Next best was Corrstown’s Tom Monaghan (12) with 39 points, while The Island’s Humphrey Kelleher, playing off nine, was fifth, a further two points back with the best of a group of three on 37 points.
The seniors’ section was won by Beaverstown’s Tom Prenderville with 35 points, Bob McAdoo of Malahide was victorious in the veterans’ section with the same total, while The Island’s Lorcan Redmond won the senior veterans, also with 35 points.
Next up for the association is a visit to Clontarf on Friday, December 7th.
WESTPORT’S Ian Walsh has just had the kind of week of golf he won’t forget in a long time. He won back-to-back Open days at Castlebar and his home club of Westport on Tuesday and Wednesday last and then followed that up with a podium finish in Ballinrobe on Thursday.
In total he bettered his handicap by four shots in the space of just three days and now plays off 7.
Murdoch to defend her Irish Senior Women's Open title
Canadian international Alison Murdoch will defend her Irish Senior Women’s Open Strokeplay title at Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club, starting tomorrow.
Murdoch will be looking to claim her second consecutive title and fifth in the last seven years. Strongest challenger for the crown is likely to be Ireland’s Helen Jones, who finished third at the European Senior Women’s Individual in Austria in June, while Wales’ Vicki Thomas, who has won the event in 2006 and 2008, is sure to feature on the final day.
Fellow Canadians Diane Williams, Karen Pultz and Lynda Palahniuk lead the sizeable party from North America in a field of 66 which includes competitors from England, Scotland, Wales, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland and the US.
This year’s tournament is as competitive as ever, with the majority of the field availing of the additional practice in advance of the next week’s British Seniors Open at West Kilbride on the Ayrshire coast.
With the full Irish squad from the Senior Women’s European Team Championship in action, home favourite Phil O’Gorman looks next best after Jones to secure an Irish victory, the first since Mary McKenna’s successful outing at Co Louth in 2001.
The field will play two 18-hole strokeplay rounds tomorrow and Thursday, with the top 40 qualifying for the final 18 holes on Thursday.
Irish duo through to second stage
MICHAEL McGeady and Niall Turner made it through to the second stage of the European Tour School qualifying to be held in Spain in November.
McGeady shot rounds of 67, 70, 71 and 67 to finish third at London GC, while Turner carded 74, 70, 72 and 67 to make it through on five-under-par.
The winner in London GC was England’s Ricki Neil-Jones with rounds of 67, 67, 73 and 63.
HOWTH, under the guidance of coach Darragh Tighe, won the Fingal Girls Trophy this year. On the winning team were Laura Doherty, Lauren McGinn, Sophie Harrison, Caoimhe Reid, Sibéal Cole, Breanne Flynn and Lucy McMorrow.
Oughterard claim All-Ireland title
CONNACHT champions Oughterard defeated Munster champions Lisselan 3-2 to win the All-Ireland final of Irish Mixed Foursomes, sponsored by 3, at Castlerock Golf Club last week.
This marks a great few weeks for Connacht club golf, with two green pennants after Athenry’s victory in the Fred Daly Trophy.
In the semi-finals Oughterard edged out the City of Derry 3-2, while Lisselan beat Clontarf 4-1.
In the final, despite losing the top match where John Carr and Laura Gore lost to Leo Hassett and Niamh Sheehan 3 and 2, Mairtín Ó Cearr and Ursula Hernon set Oughterard on their way with a 6 and 4 win over Eamonn Hurley and Roni Hawe. Michael Darcy and Catherine Hosty lost to Raymond Hayes and Marie Mackey but wins for Pete Feeney and Rita Jordan over Killian Hurley and Elaine Burke, and Jerry Gore and Maire Ní Mhaile over Richard Fleming and Marion O’Leary saw them triumph.
Irish seniors finish fourth in Berlin
THE Irish Seniors team finished a credible fourth place at the Senior Ladies’ European Team Championships in Berlin, Germany, last week.
Ireland qualified in seventh place and then beat France to progress to the semi-finals. A narrow defeat against Scotland saw Ireland take on Switzerland on the final day for a bronze medal but the Irish side had to settle for fourth place after losing out by 3½-1½.
Scotland beat the favourites and top seeds England 3-2 to win the gold medals for the first time.
When England took a 2-0 lead in the final, the writing looked to be on the wall for the Scots but they came back with a tremendous rally to tie it up at 2-2. Then Tain’s Anne Ryan, a debutante at this level, kept her nerve to beat Susan Dye 3 and 1 in the last match to finish.
THE Castlerock pairing of Dan Beattie and Gareth Dallas won the Ulster Scratch Foursomes title with two rounds of 77 at Malone GC. Their 154 total gave them a one-shot win over John McBurney and Neill Boyd from Donaghadee (79, 76), while Alastair McCully from Banbridge and Keith Walker from Portadown edged out the Knock pairing of Nicky Grant and Matthew Welsh with a better second 18 after both finished on 156.
Daly and Wright win mixed matchplay
LOCALS Simon Daly and Karen Wright won the Joe Duffy BMW mixed matchplay at Sutton GC on Saturday with a 4 and 3 win over Sam O’Beirne from Royal Dublin and Jackie O’Beirne from Donabate.
In the semi-finals the winners beat Chris Ryan and Mary White from Malahide, while the O’Beirnes edged out Barbara Murphy and Fergus Nolan from St Anne’s. Murphy, who had a hole in one at the fourth, and Nolan were the leading qualifiers.
CONNACHT champions Galway GC will be seeking back-to-back wins when they defend the JB Carr Diamond Trophy at Woodenbridge GC next weekend.
Galway, will be joined by Leinster champions The Island GC, Munster winners Ennis GC and Ballybofey Stranorlar GC from Ulster, all three making their first appearance in the finals
The semi-finals will take place at Woodenbridge GC on Saturday next with the final scheduled for Sunday.
