Four years ago a 16-year-old Australian, Rebecca Coakley, arrived at Abbeyleix open week to play in the women's singles. Her handicap was six and true to form Coakley played to her handicap to win the gross prize. Last week, the now Carlow-based plus two handicapper returned to play the new 18-hole layout for the first time and again took the gross with a score of 38 points. Her verdict on the Mel Flanagan layout: "A super course and within a few years it should prove to be one of the best courses in the midlands."
Coakley's success at Abbeyleix was only a warm-up for her trip to The Curragh where she blitzed the field for a second year in winning the Curragh Scratch Cup. Two rounds of 67 gave her a winning margin over Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) with Yvonne Cassidy next on 141 followed by Paula Delaney on 145. Jill Leo of Kilkenny took the nett with 135.
Full steam ahead at Clontarf again
Last week Clontarf golf club got the all clear from their consultant agronomist that they could resume play on the five fairways that have been closed for remedial work since April. For the last three months play was restricted to 13 holes as the five fairways had to be re-seeded following treatment last February for worm cast control.
Club captain, Seβn O'Dea praised the patience of the members and also paid tribute to SIRI agronomist Ian McClements and Mark Harris of Harris Turf Improvements Ltd, who successfully undertook the remedial work. He also paid tribute to course superintendent Darragh O'Malley and his staff for the excellent work in bringing the new fairways on stream over a relatively short period.
Rewriting the record books
Cheered on by an enthusiastic home gallery, Glenville pitch and putt favourite Peggy Campbell finally landed the Lynch and Manning-sponsored All-Ireland Strokeplay Championship at her home club last week. Her fantastic total of 134 shots for the 54-hole event eclipsed the previous low aggregate for the event by an incredible nine shots. After a slow start Campbell fired 11 birdies in the last 13 holes for an opening 43. Another bogey-free second 18 saw her head the 12 qualifiers for the final round on 88 (another record).
Campbell never put a foot wrong in the final 18 to win by 13 shots from Ann Hall (Royal Meath). Hall was home in 22 with three birdies in the last five holes for a 147 total to claim her second runners-up spot of the year having been beaten in the final of Matchplay Championship earlier in the year. Another local, Stella Sheridan shot a final round of 49 to finish third with Maria Byrne (St Brigid's) next.
A blistering last round saw MairΘad O'Toole (Poulaphouca) improve from seventh place to win the Intermediate Championship with an aggregate of 166 from Anne Kelly (Collinstown) and Skryne's Kathleen Geraghty.
Walton on song
A better back nine gave Brendan Walton (The Island) victory in the under-15 Joe Carr Trophy at Laytown and Bettystown last week. The nephew of Philip Walton returned a 78 off a 12 handicap to win from Donal Heron (Clontarf) with Seβn Ryan (Black Bush) third on 80. The Bettystown Cup for boys under-18 went to Karl Roche. The Balbriggan eight handicapper shot a 75 to win by five from Stephen Dwyer (Newlands) on 80 and Ciarβn Dunphy (Royal Tara). Local player Barbara Cooney took the Drogheda Independent Cup for under-21 women. Cooney had two shots to spare over Dearbhla Behan (Balbriggan) and Vivien Brannigan (Laytown and Bettystown).
Tyrone club to the fore
Dromragh Sarsfields of Tyrone will be the Ulster representatives in the FBD All-Ireland GAA Club Golf Challenge finals at Faithlegg golf club in Waterford on August 4th and 5th. The Tyrone club, with a score of 99 points, held off the challenge of Silverbridge Harps from Armagh, and Four Masters of Donegal, who both finished on 96 points in the Ulster play-offs at the Slieve Russell Hotel golf and country club.
Dromragh Sarsfields will be joined in the finals by Munster champions, Knockavilla Kickhams, Leinster champions Seneschalstown and the Connacht winners Michael Breathnach.
The professional approach
After a lapse of 10 years professional golf will return to Tullamore golf club on August 9th and 10th when the club hosts a . Tullamore professional Donagh McArdle is the main organiser of the event which is sponsored by local businesses - Tullamore Court Hotel and the Bridge House Hotel, Condron Concrete and Tullamore Hardware (Heitons) have put together a prize fund of £15,000. The event is an Irish order of merit event and will attract 44 of the Irish PGA professionals to the picturesque Offaly venue.
Some team vacancies are still available on the time sheet. Those interested should contact Donagh McArdle at 056-51757/21439 or 086-2510009.
Neighbours love Malahide
They didn't have to travel too far for their success, but it was still very sweet for Margaret O'Halloran and David O'Halloran, who won the recent All-Ireland Mother and Son foursomes medal competition at Malahide. The Sutton duo, however, had a tough battle before taking the top honours. With Margaret O'Halloran playing off 36 and son David off 15, they shot 65.5 nett, but took the top prize from the Ashbourne pairing of Lily Conaty (26) and her son Cathal Conaty (1), who shot the same score. The Forrest Little duo of Frances Arthurs and Eoin Arthurs were third with 67.
However, there was some glory for the home club as Trish Ryan and Paul Ryan took fourth spot, while the gross prize also went to two Malahide members, Claire Irwin and John Irwin, who went around in 77 gross. John Irwin also took the longest drive prize at the 17th.
Flood of success
She may have seen her handicap reduced, but it still didn't stop her ending up in the winners' circle at Seapoint. Eilis Flood Carroll was victorious in the weekly singles competition when she shot a highly impressive 41 points off 18. Her victory resulted in her losing a shot. But it proved no hindrance to her winning ways. Two days later and now playing off her new handicap of 17 she still ended up taking top spot. This time her victory came in the July Medal competition where her score of 68 was good enough for a three-shot victory over Pauline Butterly - who finished second to Flood Carroll in both events.
