The Short Game: The late Joe Carr is one of six new members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez will be among other Hall of Fame members, golf dignitaries, family and friends to welcome the new members at its annual induction ceremony on November 12th in the World Golf Village in historic St Augustine, Florida.
The 2007 inductees - Carr, Hubert Green, Charles Blair Macdonald, Kel Nagle, Se Ri Pak and Curtis Strange - will bring the total number of Hall of Fame members to 120.
Nicklaus will speak on behalf of Carr. He was paired with Carr in the 1967 Masters and has enjoyed a friendship with the Carr family for many years. Carr was selected in the Lifetime Achievement Category and will become the first Irishman in the Hall of Fame.
European Club event
The opportunity to play competitive matchplay golf on linksland in winter is the lure being offered by the European Club with the launch of its East of Ireland Matchplay Open. The event is modelled on the legendary San Francisco City Matchplay Championship which attracted thousands of entries in its heyday and won by stars like Ken Venturi, Juli Inkster and George Archer as well as local notables.
It is open to all golfers, amateur or professional, men and women, with an official club handicap but with a maximum allowance of 18 strokes, one per hole, with play being off the medal tees for all players.
Professionals will play off scratch as will any amateur with an official handicap lower than scratch.
Players may enter for a first-round match any Monday, Tuesday or Thursday in November and the draw for round two will be made on December 1st with the survivors from round one dictating the spread of the event over the succeeding months.
Entry to the new event involves a once off entrance fee of €60. Pre-booking is advised and this may be done by telephone to 0404-47415.
Ryan lands hat-trick
Pat Ryan, a 12-handicapper from Cahir Park, completed a historic hat-trick at The K Club last week when he defeated Slieve Russell member Jerry Fahy, who plays off 22, in the final of the PGA Patrons' Matchplay competition on the Palmer Course. It's the third year in a row that Ryan carried off the Cavan Crystal Trophy and, ironically, the second time in three years he defeated Fahy in the decider. The pair also met in 2005.
Ryan, a 2 and 1 winner, had to fight hard for his victory. He was two up after five holes but Fahy hit back with wins at the sixth and seventh to level the contest. Again, the winner edged two holes ahead with wins at the ninth and 10th but then lost the 11th and 13th to his opponent who was receiving 10 shots.
It stayed square until the 16th hole which the champion won. At 17, he was in to 10 feet with a drive and seven iron while Fahy was over the back of the green in three blows. When he failed to get up and down he conceded the birdie putt to Ryan as the Tipperary man completed his hat-trick.
Dalton second in US
Ann Marie Dalton, from Carlow, finished runner-up in the Starmount Fall Classic women's college tournament over a par-71, 6,265 yard course at Starmount Forest Golf Club, Greensboro in North Carolina this week.
Ann Marie, a fourth year student at High Point University, North Carolina, scored 73 and 69 for a total of 142 - one behind the winner, Emelie Lind (East Carolina) who fired 70 and 71 in a field of 68 players.
East Carolina, on 583, won the team event from North Carolina-Greensboro 591 with Elon and Florida International sharing third place on 600. High Point finished on 638.
Gould recaptures form
Lucy Gould from Bargoed, Welsh girls' matchplay champion in 2002 and 2003, has recaptured her best form which seemed to desert her for most of last year's US women's college golf circuit. A junior (third year) student at East Tennessee State, Lucy finished sixth in a field of 104 players this week at the Aztec Fall Classic at Salt Creek GC, Chula Vista in California.
Over a par 71 course of 7,412 yards, Lucy scored 75 and 74 for 149. Her second round included a double bogey seven at the 12th hole. She had birdied the fifth and the eighth but dropped shots at the 14th and 16th.
Team-mate Sinead O'Sullivan from Galway finished joint seventh with 74 and 76 for 150. She birdied the second and sixth but had six bogeys in her second round. Patty Chawalitmetha (UC Irvine) was the individual winner by three strokes with 70 and 72 for 142. UC Irvine (593) also won the team event from East Tennessee State and Hawaii, joint second on 603, in a field of 19 college teams.
O'Hare shines
The 10th annual golf trip for the Victor Ludini and BudKev trophies took place over three days in the Algarve with all 18 members again making the trip. Brendan O'Hare played immaculately on the first day in San Lorenzo and duly took the daily prize. Vale de Lobo was the venue for the second day's play and the thoroughly deserving winner was the ever-improving Mark Skehan. The final day took place in Monte Rei GC with Alf Nicholson claiming first place. The overall winner was Con Timon who, despite a lowered handicap, played superbly over the three days. The BudKev Trophy was won by Terry Higgins and, after a titanic struggle, the Victor Ludini trophy was shared between Paul Sullivan, Gerry Sullivan and Timon.
Death of Pat Turvey
The death has taken place of Pat Turvey, past secretary of the ILGU 1984-2000. Following the retirement of Kathleen Callaghan in 1983, Turvey picked up the union's administrative reigns in 1984, a post she held for almost 16 years. In addition to orchestrating the union's centenary celebrations in 1993, she oversaw the move to new headquarters to Clonskeagh Square early in her appointment. A native of Clontarf, she will be fondly remembered by the union membership as a role model in the advancement of efficient administration and will be missed by her many golfing friends.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.
Higgins makes history
Alan Higgins made a little piece of history when winning the golfer of the year in Royal Dublin this year, his third time to lift the accolade having previously won in 2001 and 2006.
Higgins, a four-handicapper who was unbeaten in all of his matches in Royal Dublin's Barton Cup win last year, continued his rich vein of form this season to become only the second player to successfully defend the golfer of the year competition and the first to win it for a third time. Included in his list of honours in 2007 were capturing the club foursomes matchplay and the members' prize fourball matchplay with Greg Fogarty (13), son of former international and East of Ireland champion Noel.
