Venturi to attend Killarney Classic

LATER this month, Ken Venturi, whose silken tones as CBS golf commentator have infiltrated many an Irish livingroom, will strengthen his ties with this country when he honours an annual commitment to attend the "Mental Handicap Golf Classic" in Killarney.

Indeed, Venturi is now very much associated with the project this will be his ninth year to attend the classic, promoted by the Kerry Parents and Friends of the Mentally Handicapped. The former US Open champion - he was the winner at the Congressional Club in 1964 - will arrive here with his wife, Beau, directly after fulfilling his broadcasting obligations at The President's Cup, the imitation of the Ryder Cup which pits the United States against the golfers of Australasia and southern Africa.

Two former Kerry footballers, Mick O'Connell and Mickey Moynihan, nowadays a New York based businessman, and Clareman Pat Moroney, an elected local representative in Rockland County, a district in upstate New York, are all (in one way or another) responsible for Venturi's support for the work being carried out for adults with learning difficulties in the Kingdom.

The Kerry Parents and Friends organise an annual Independence Day classic on the Fourth of July each year at Van Courtlandt Park in New York and, some 10 years ago, Venturi volunteered: "I'll come to Killarney if you start a golf tournament there." He has been true to his word ever since. In fact, his deeds have spoken even louder than his words.

A few years ago, when Venturi wrote a book on his great mentor, Ben Hogan, he donated the entire proceeds to construct a multisensory room - appropriately called The Ben, Hogan Room, in the association's purpose built centre in Killarney, and he continues to attend the Irish fund raiser every year and refuses to seek any expenses.

This year's classic takes, place over the Mahony Point course on Friday week, September 20th. And, no doubt, Venturi will again be faced with a queue of American tourists with cameras in hand, They can't get near him in the States," said Rosaleen O'Connell, wife of the great Mick and one of the organisers.

"I work out five days a week on average, I know I'm never going to his the ball 285 yards on the tee, so I have to maximise what I've out."

Corey Pavin, the 1995 US Open champ ion. Acknowledged as one of professional golfs shorter hitters, he is nicknamed "Bulldog "on tour for the tenacious way he makes up for his lack of length off the tee with his superb shotmaking and iron play.

A DUBLIN solicitor was spied making a visit to Milltown Golf Club the other night, checking that the course record card of 67 set back in 1990 was still screwed to the club's walls.

There was nothing sinister in the nocturnal inspection, just that the man in question had a rather special interest in its continued existence.

John O'Brien, you see, set the record some six years ago - and, last week, the two handicapper put himself in the rather unique position of holding a second course record when shooting a five under par 67 at Luttrellstown Castle.

O'Brien, who is on the handicapping committee at the club, picked a good occasion to shoot the lights out. It was for Captain Paul Lawlor's prize and O'Brien's 43 points gave him the honours on countback from 13 handicapper Paul McDonagh.

"HEY, buddy, can you spare a dime?" Tiger Woods is on the way to becoming one of the richest men in golf - but the reputed $40 million on the way to his bank account from Nike, $3 million from Titleist and an unknown, as yet, amount from McDonalds weren't readily available when the three time US amateur champion made his professional debut in the Greater Milwaukee Open last week.

Woods, in fact, was so broke on the way to the tournament that he had to ask his manager for the loan of a couple of hundred dollars to pay his entrance fee!

Tom Lehman, the British Open champion, would know how he feels. In his first three years on the US Tour Lehman earned less than $40,000 and for the next six years couldn't even get through the qualifying school, At one point in his career, money was so tight that he had to borrow the $100 in a entry fee a fellow player to compete in a tournament next week.

LIFE as a professional golfer ain't always a bed of roses, as Tracy Eakin would testify. The former Irish amateur international hasn't made a cut on the European Women's PGA Tour, since joining the paid ranks, but at least she was back playing again in this week's European Open at Hanbury Manor.

Eakin missed the previous two tour events - in Sweden - after breaking her toe on the practice ground of Royston Golf Club, near London, when her boyfriend accidentally hit her foot while practising his own swing!

THE Bord Failte inspired scheme whereby overseas residents can become members of Irish golf clubs (well, 24 of them, in the Republic) for the princely annual sum of £100 ($160) has proven to be a huge success.

"It has exceeded all our expectations," said Damian Ryan, BF's Promotions Executive Golf. So much so, that the scheme could be extended even further next year.

At present, the 24 clubs involved are: Ballykisteen, Ballinrobe, Baeufort, Citywest, Coldwinters, Donegal, Dundrum House, Enniscrone, Faithlegg, Fota Island, Galway Bay, Harbour Point, Hollystown, Kilkea Castle, Kilkee, Knockanally, Lee Valley, Limerick County, Nuremore, Rosapenna, St Helen's Bay, Water Rock, West Waterford and Woodstock.

IN BRIEF: Some 11,000 golfers from 120 clubs participated, throughout the year in the Toyota Golf as Gaeilge Holmpatrick Cup, which is run in aid of the National Council for the Blind. The All Ireland Finals of the event take place at Ceann Sibeal in the heart of the Kerry Gaeltacht today when Monkstown, who include former Irish rugby captain Michael Bradley in the team Longford, Malahide and Tullamore battle it out for the trophy which has been in existence since 1932. It is expected the event will generate £20,000 for the Council, bringing the contribution over the past 10 years to roughly £250,000.... Minister for Sport Bernard Allen will tomorrow officially open Mallow Golf Course, which has been renovated at a cost of £250,000 over the past two years. The greens have been rebuilt to USPGA standards and new tee boxes have also been built. Among those due to sample the delights of the north Cork park land course tomorrow are Cork hurlers Teddy McCarthy, Tomas Mulcahy, Ger Cunningham and Jim Cashman.