A father and son will be heading the Irish challenge in the Volvo Captain's Trophy at Wentworth on May 27th. Murdo Morrison, a former League of Ireland soccer player with Finn Harps, is the captain of Nenagh golf club and his eldest son, Gordon is the club's professional. Their partnership won the Irish qualifying section at Co Louth last week and they now join 18 other captain-professional pairings from Britain and Ireland at Wentworth.
The Morrisons shot a 66 better ball to win by two shots. Gordon had four birdies, while his father, who plays off a handicap of 14, had three nett birdies and one gross birdie. The Co Louth links is a particularly happy hunting ground for Gordon, who won the Irish Southern Professional Championship there in 1995.
The rest of the family are also golfing enthusiasts. Murdo's wife Jenny plays off 15 and has represented the club on many occasions. She is also a member of the club's management commitee. Their other son, Keith plays off five.
Incidentally, Gordon is having a particularly good run of form at the moment and has qualified for the final of the Glenmuir Club Professionals Championship at be played at Royal St David's, Harlech at the end of June.
The winner of the Ladies Left-Handed Golf Society outing at West Waterford recently was Gillian O'Leary, with a remarkable score of 50 stableford points. She has only been playing the game for the past 18 months, but has undoubtedly been helped by her boyfriend, who is a club professional. She is currently playing off a handicap of 34 and had four pars in her round on a course that is considered long and tough. Her only disappointment was that her score didn't warrant a cut in handicap as there was placing on the day in question.
This was the second outing of the Left-Handed Ladies Society which was formed last year. They have outings in Gort on June 13th and in Birr in September. Anyone interested in joining should contact Teresa at 067-31458.
A Top-Class entry has been received for next weekend's Senior Scratch Cup at West Waterford including South of Ireland champion, Pat Collier, last year's winner Lee Dalton and internationals Eddie Power, Arthur Pierse, Pat Murray and Tom Cleary.
The RBK and Fair and Murtagh team of Fergal Lynam, Pat O'Neill, Michael Curran and Derek McVeigh won the Midland Regional qualifying section of the Fullbright Ambassador's Cup in Glasson. They finished just ahead of the Heatmerchants team of Jim Casey, Jim Carey, Michael O'Brien and Michael Lucitt and the Group 4 Securetec quartet of Jim McCartan, Eamonn Hudson, Willie Prendergast and Ralph Rogers. The prizes were presented by her Excellency, the US Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith (right) and the winners go forward to the final in the K Club on June 18th with dinner afterwards at the ambassador's residence.
Cabra Castle Golf Club in Kingscourt, Co Cavan was the scene of some hot scores last weekend. A singles versus par competition for the Victor Sherlock Cup produced three excellent scores of 8 up. Martin Dolan claimed the top prize on the countback just ahead of Stephen Kells and Paul Henry.
The Three Brothers tournament held in Youghal and West Waterford last week was won by the O'Regans from West Cork. They just pipped the Cootes, well-known senior cup golfers from Clare, on the second card with a marvellous score of 156. The Colemans from Youghal were third on 152, with another three of the Coote brothers in fourth.
Royal Dublin's Marcus Malley won the Junior Scratch Cup at Rosslare on Sunday with a 36-hole total of 164. But, apart from the winner, all the remaining top prizes went to locals with Dave Spring one stroke behind in second place, and Ronan Cuddihy third on the same total.
John Holohan, off seven handicap, pipped another seven handicapper, Pat Roche, for the nett prize.
Kilkenny's Jim White won the Dungarvan Junior Scratch Cup with a three over par 75. He had just one shot to spare over second-placed Bob Loftus from West Waterford, with Dunmore's Bob Glasson in third place, beaten on the back six.
Local Michael Crowley (11) won the nett prize with 70 on the back nine from his clubmate, Roger O'Connor.
At the Curragh, the locals scooped the main prizes in their Junior Scratch Cup. Paul Judge was the winner with a 36-hole total of 152 and two of his club colleagues were just one shot behind, Brian Cunningham and FC Kenny.
Beech Park's John Kennedy, off a handicap of nine, took the nett prize with a score of 140.
It's nice to see one sport helping another and Skerries Golf Club is hosting a very worthy charity event on June 11th. The Drogheda Memorial Fund, which assists horse trainers and jockeys in financial difficulties, will be the beneficiary of a special golf classic at the north Dublin club.
It will be a four-person team event, and all starters will tee off simultaneously at two o'clock, with a shotgun start. Entries, which include a four course dinner, cost £250 per team.
Local man Anthony O'Brien won a thrilling Senior Scratch Cup at Charleville on Sunday. He finished the 36 holes with a score of 146, just one ahead of Castletroy's Johnny Kavanagh and Michael O'Kelly (Limerick).
Another local member, Carl McCarthy scooped the nett prize with 141.
