A round-up of other golf news in brief
Ireland end eight-year wait
THE Mary McKenna Trophy is back in Irish hands after the defeat of Scotland in the annual seniors challenge at Portmarnock Links last Thursday.
In what was the 10th staging of the event – the first was back in 2000 at Royal Portrush – Ireland won four and a half points in the singles to defeat the Scots on the second and final day of competition. The two sides had halved the foursomes, two matches apiece, on the opening day of play on Wednesday.
It was a close contest throughout with the final scoreline 6½ to 5½ in Ireland’s favour. In Thursday’s action seven of the eight singles matches were actually decided on the final green, but Ireland prevailed in the singles by 4½ to 3½ to regain possession of the trophy.
Ireland had waited a while to win the trophy as their last victory was back in 2002. The friendly match was due to be played last April, but had to be postponed due to the volcanic ash crisis.
The eight members of the victorious Irish team were Rhona Brennan (Bandon), Pat Doran (Donabate), Valerie Hassett (Ennis), Marilyn Henderson (Castlerock), Helen Jones (Strabane), Sheena McElroy (Grange), Violet McBride (Belvoir Park) and Phil O’Gorman (Laytown and Bettystown), while captaining the successful side was Larne’s Roma English.
Seniors face challenge of four rounds in two days
IRELAND’S senior golfers are being challenged to play four rounds of matchplay in two days in pursuit of the inaugural Irish Seniors’ Matchplay title at The European Club on September 27th-28th.
Two rounds in a day will be but a receding memory for a lot of the over-55 brigade and certainly it would be a daunting thought to play two rounds on each of two successive days were it not for the fact that tournament promoter Pat Ruddy has promised free use of ride-on golf cars to those who reach the matchplay.
“This is a way to give these boys the thrill of the intensity of competition they experienced when playing championship golf years ago . . . and get them home alive!” says Ruddy. “Besides, if anyone wishes to walk he can do so.”
The qualifying rounds are to be held weeks earlier on Monday, September 6th and 13th.
“That will give the qualifiers an opportunity to regroup and prepare for matchplay. Hopefully, they won’t overdo the training!” says Ruddy.
The tournament is to be played in two handicap flights.
Players up to eight handicap will be in Flight One and those with handicaps of nine to 18 will form Flight Two.
Eight will qualify for the matchplay from each division on each day. GUI handicaps are mandatory and the entrance fee is €50 to info@theeuropeanclub.com or telephone 0404-47415.
Trip of lifetime for McCarthy
JULIE McCARTHY will be Ireland’s representative at the US Kids’ World Golf Championship at Pinehurst, North Carolina next week.
Julie (11), from Pope John Paul II National School in Malahide, plays out of Forrest Little Golf Club in Dublin.
Julie, with a 14 handicap, qualified for the championships by winning regional and national qualifiers at the Slieve Russell and then finishing second in the European Championships at St Andrews, Scotland.
The championship, which attracts players from 30 countries, is the world’s largest golf tournament for kids aged between four and 12.
Corrstown to host DUGSA challenge
THE annual DUGSA Challenge Cup will take place at Corrstown Golf Club this year. Qualifying rounds will be held on August 30th and 31st, with the final for qualifying teams on Monday, September 6th.
Each Society team will consist of three pairs and the format will be foursomes strokes. Competitors must hold GUI handicaps.
Eugene Fitzsimons of Aerosport Golfing Society is the 2010 president of DUGSA. Jack Nolan of Thursdays GS is patron.
Eircom Engineers Golfing Society will be defending the title they won at Hollystown GC in 2009.
The Challenge Cup is one of the oldest trophies in Irish Golf, having being competed for every year since 1922.
The first winners of the Cup were “The Motorcycle and Allied Trades GS.”
All queries to John Fagan, honorary secretary, at 087 987 2613. More details are at www.DUGSA.com
McGinley urges youngsters
RYDER CUP star Paul McGinley is encouraging young golfers to follow in his footsteps by playing in the Allianz-sponsored Grange Dublin Boys’ golf championship, on the course where he learned his golf.
The popular 36-hole annual event takes place this year on Friday, August 13th, for 16-handicappers and under, with an entrance fee of € 15. Entries close on Friday, July 30th.
The 18th staging of the event is one of the highlights of this year’s Grange club’s centenary year celebrations and McGinley, who has maintained his strong ties with the Grange club, said: “I am delighted to be associated with the event as it is crucial that golf is supported at underage level and I commend my sponsors Allianz and my club Grange for their on-going commitment to this championship.”
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RATHSALLAGH’S Jack Hume is on course to complete the Boys’ Grand Slam this week. The 16-year-old recently won the Leinster, Ulster and Connacht Championships and today he tees up at Muskerry GC in the Munster Boys’ with the prospect of completing the slam.
During the past week, Hume has helped the Leinster boys’ team win the Boys’ Interprovincials for Leinster in Ballinrobe Golf Club, in which he contributed four points.
Morrissey's amazing four-timer
TO WIN your club’s Captain’s Prize once is always an achievement, but to do so on more than one occasion is remarkable. Yet in St Helen’s Bay in Co Wexford there is one man who is making the event his own with a remarkable four victories.
That man is James Morrissey, who won Frank O’Kennedy’s Captain’s Prize recently with a 36-hole total of 140 and a one-stroke winning margin over Mike Donavan, with Seán Moore back in third on 143.
FOLLOWING the recent success of the 50th year of the Father and Son, Castle Golf Club have just launched the 2010 Mother and Daughter competition.
The Mother and Daughter Foursomes, sponsored by Ciarán Nevin Hair and Beauty, will be held at the Castle GC on Monday, August 16th.
The timesheet is now live and can be accessed by visiting the club website at www.castlegc.ie or by calling the club at (01) 4904207.
