A round-up of today's other Golf stories in brief...
Warrenpoint watches future stars
THE inaugural Don Patterson Open Juvenile Tournament was a fantastic success at Warrenpoint GC last week. The competition, sponsored by FPM Chartered Accountants, attracted 140 competitors from all over the country.
The Boys' Under-13 title was won by Jake Whelan of Slade Valley with a one-under-par 34. A close second was Stefan Greenberg from Tandragee with 35. The Girls' Under-13 went to Ruth Hewlett from Kirkistown, with 42, from Judith Connolly from Portadown with 53.
The Boys' Under-11 went to Patrick Jordan of Lurgan with a magnificent gross score of three-under-par 32. The runner-up was Adam McCormick from Comber with 35. Eleanor Metcalfe from Laytown and Bettystown won the Girls' with 48, ahead of Bethany Thornbury from Tandragee with 57.
In the Boys' Under-9, Lisburn's Reece McKeown shot an impressive 30, but only won on a countback from Tadhg Griffin from Carlow.
The Girls' Under-9s, which was played over six holes, was won by Ciara Richmond from Castlerock with 37 strokes. Young Warrenpoint star Katie McKee was a close second on 39 strokes.
Local lad Ruairí McCormack, aged eight, won the Don Patterson Special Prize with a fine 34 strokes in the Under-9 competition. Runner-up prizes in the Patterson special prize were presented to Manx Kennedy, age seven from Clontarf, and Ellie Richmond, age seven from Castlerock.
Each competitor received a signed certificate from Don Patterson.
McGreals claim McGinley trophy
THE father and son pair of John and Dave McGreal from Dun Laoghaire produced the goods to capture the McGinley Trophy at Powerscourt GC last week. To do so they had to get past another father and son pairing, Old Conna's Joe and Wayne Drea.
In a tight match full of birdies, the McGreals closed out the match on the 16th hole.
In the semi-finals, the McGreals got past Malahide's Brian Heelan and John Murphy 2 and 1, while the Dreas had to go to the third tie hole to finally end the challenge of Peter O'Brien and Martin Prior of Carton House.
IN more father and son news, the President of Kilrush Golf Club, Jim Young Snr, had the pleasure of presenting his prize this weekend to his son Jimmy, a five-handicapper, who fired a stunning, six-under-par gross score of 64 for 47 points.
Jim Jnr had six birdies on his back nine and an eagle two at the second hole.
Dolan repeats Grange win
EOIN DOLAN from Woodbrook underlined his enormous potential by retaining the Allianz Grange Dublin Boys' Championship from an entry of 75.
Playing off a one handicap, the 15-year-old shot gross rounds of 71 and 67 to tie with Andrew Montgomery (6) from Old Conna, who had rounds of 69 and 70, with Dolan keeping the title on the strength of his superior second 18.
Dun Laoghaire three-handicapper Richard Sykes, with 73-68, was third.
Milltown GAA squeeze into All-Ireland
GALWAY'S Miltown GAA Club have completed the line-up for the FBD GAA Golf Challenge All-Ireland final after a dramatic win in the Connacht final at Claremorris GC last week. It was the closest of the provincial finals, with Galway clubs filling the first five places and the top three all finishing on 82 points.
But in the end it was Miltown, with John Concannon and Pat Garvey bringing home 44 points and Eamon Blake and Cathal Sheridan adding 38, who took home the coveted title with a back nine of 42.
Long-time leaders Turloughmore were only edged out by Miltown late on in the day.
Jarlath Cloonan's Athenry were first to challenge. Cloonan paired up with Norman Farrell and scored 42 points, with team-mates Luke Glynn and Mixie Donoghue adding 40 to match Miltown's 82 points. Their back nine score of 39, however, was beaten by Headford, who also scored 82 points but ended up in second place after a back nine finish of 41 to Milltown's 42.
Headford's Charlie O'Sullivan and Mike Fahey scored 39 points, while Monty Henegan and Pat Fahey contributed 43.
Miltown will now challenge Lismore, Cavan Gaels, St Brigid's and Roscommon GAA of New York at Faithlegg Golf Club in Waterford at the FBD GAA Golf Challenge All-Ireland final on the second weekend in September.
Island's young Hurley has the genes
CONOR HURLEY showed the field the way home after driving in as Junior Captain at The Island Golf Club last week4l with girls' Captain Hanna Dolan.
Hurley, a grandson of former international and South of Ireland champion Noel Fogarty, shot 42 points to start his year on a high.
Hurley is no stranger to sporting achievements: his grandmother is a sister of the Dublin Gaelic games legends of the 1960s, Lar and Des Foley.
Team men seek individual title
RECENTLY crowned Munster matchplay champion Martha O'Brien from the Lakeside Pitch and Putt club in Templemore claimed her first National title over the weekend in the Junior Girls Championship.
O'Brien, in her last season in the juvenile section, finished on 112, four clear of Aoife Carton from Kilbeggan.
FIVE members of the Irish team which won the European Team title are among six players - the other being Dara Lernihan from Castle - who will represent the GUI in the individual European Amateur Championship at Esbjerg Golf Club, Denmark, starting tomorrow.
Jonathan Caldwell, Paul Cutler, Niall Kearney, Shane Lowry and Paul O'Hanlon were victorious in Italy, making it back-to-back titles for Ireland, while Gareth Shaw, the sixth member of the team, has since turned professional.
Delgany's Stephanie Brennan (12) and Hilda Duff (19) from Grange won the Eileen Leyden Sisters Trophy at Grange last Thursday. The hugely popular event attracted players from 73 clubs around the country, and Brennan and Duff emerged victorious among the 98 pairings with a score of 37 points in the Scotch foursomes format.
That gave them a two-point victory over the Stackstown duo of Barbara Kelly and Joan Fitzgerald, who claimed the runners-up spot only on countback from Ruth Shiel (Charlesland) and Máire Ní Shiodhail (Kilcoole). Slade Valley Lady Captain Dympna Wilson and Joan Donnelly (Kilcoole) were fourth on 34 points, while Slade Valley's Louise and Gillian Harris took the gross prize.
