Golf

Shay’s Short Game: Tiarnan McLarnon targets another Close call in Ballyliffin

Cork take Barton Shield in Munster; Damien McGrane in top form; The Island look to defend crown

Tiarnan McLarnon begins the defence of his AIG Irish Amateur Close title at Ballyliffin on Tuesday.
Tiarnan McLarnon begins the defence of his AIG Irish Amateur Close title at Ballyliffin on Tuesday.
Shay Keenan
Mon Aug 15 2016 - 19:19

Tiarnan McLarnon begins the defence of his AIG Irish Amateur Close title at Ballyliffin on Tuesday as the final major of the season gets underway on the Glashedy Links. McLarnon won at Tramore last year, beating Alex Gleeson in the final, but he is not the only champion in the field this week. Whitehead international John Ross Galbraith, winner in 2014 at Seapoint, is bidding for a second Close title.

In all, six of the current Ireland team are competing at Ballyliffin. Last year's beaten finalist Gleeson is the highest ranked player in a field that also includes Irish Amateur Open champion Colm Campbell, St Andrews Links Trophy winner Conor O'Rourke and World Universities Champion Robin Dawson.With so many proven winners in action, there are sure to be some fascinating matchplay duels when the knockout stages begin on Thursday after two rounds of strokeplay qualifying.

Cork GC take Munster section of Barton Shield

Cork Golf Club added to their proud legacy when they won the AIG Barton Shield Munster final in style with two great performances on their home course that saw them beat Limerick and Tramore.

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Cork saw off the challenge from 2015 winners Limerick in the semi-final and then defeated Tramore by seven holes in the final with Mark Ford and Brian Kelleher beating Declan King and Paul Flynn by four holes and Gary O’Flaherty and John Hickey winning by three holes against Chris Butler and John Mitchell.

Monkstown won the Munster Senior Cup title for the first time in over half a century, beating Castletroy in an exciting final. Martin Poucher and Eoghan Long took the first two wins for Monkstown but Andrew McCormack and Mark Campbell squared the match at 2-2.

Seán Desmond secured victory for Monkstown with a one-hole win over Cian O’Donnell.

Tralee put on a display of great golf on their way to winning their first Munster Junior Cup title in over 65 years with a 3½-1½ win over Tipperary in the final.

Leona Maguire to lead Ireland team down Mexico way

Leona Maguire, Olivia Mehaffey and Annabel Wilson will represent Ireland in next month's World Amateur Team Championships for the Espirito Santo Trophy in Mexico.

Slieve Russell's Maguire, a three time Curtis Cup player, has represented Ireland on two previous occasions at the WATC; 2010 in Argentina alongside Danielle McVeigh and twin sister Lisa Maguire and 2012 in Turkey with team-mates Stephanie Meadow and Paula Grant. She is due to compete at the Olympic Games starting on Wednesday alongside Meadow.

Damien McGrane makes it two wins in the week

Damien McGrane grabbed his second victory in a week at the Ruby Walsh Crumlin Hospital Research Pro-Am. The 45-year-old was forced to share first place with Denis O’Sullivan on Monday at the Cork Pro-Am but no-one could match him at Athy on Friday.

His six-under-par round off 66 saw him ease to a comfortable five shot win ahead of Andy Hogan (Edmondstown) and Wayne O’Callaghan (Fernhill).

Germany’s Falko Hanisch takes British Boys Amateur

Falko Hanisch came out on top after a closely fought 36-hole final of the British Boys Amateur Championship at Muirfield. The 16-year-old German defeated Spain’s Alejandro Aguilera on the 37th hole to seal the biggest win of his young career.

He has earned a place in The 122nd British Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s and Prince’s next year and an exemption into final qualifying for the 146th British Open at Royal Birkdale.

Ireland's Thomas Mulligan bowed out 3 and 1 to England's Danny Daniels in the last 32. The Co Louth star was one of three Irish players to make the matchplay but Marc McKinstry and Mark Power fell in the first and second rounds respectively. Mulligan had come through the second round with an impressive 4 and 3 win against India's John Rayhan Thomas.

The Island target double in ILGU Senior Cup

All Ireland champions, The Island GC, will be bidding for a double in the ILGU Senior Cup when the 2016 All-Ireland finals bet under way at Greystones on Friday.

The East Leinster winners will take on Clandeboye in the quarter-final while the other games sees Royal Portrush against Milltown; Ballinasloe play Cork; and The Heath against Kilkenny.

Byrne a clear winner of Leinster Boys U13 title

Joseph Byrne won the Leinster Boys under-13 Series Final sponsored by Titleist Footjoy Ireland at Kilcock GC, where 40 players took to the field to compete for the trophy.

Byrne, who plays out of Baltinglass, qualified for the final at Swords Golf Club and took home the trophy with a superb gross score of 33 points.

Byrne is one of many Leinster Elite Golf Panel members that took part in the Series and was also a member of the recent under-14 Leinster interprovincial team.

James Quinn of Castle finished in second place with a score of 27 points, followed by Oisin Reilly of Newlands GC on 26. The nett was won Aaron Murray (Roganstown GC) with 44 points from Tadhg Finlay (Dun Laoghaire GC) on 38.