Compiled by Shay Keenan and Kevin McKenna
St Aidan's best of the west
St Aidan's GAA Club, Co Roscommon, will be the Connacht representatives in the All-Ireland final of the FBD Golf Challenge at Faithlegg Golf Club in September.
The team of Frank Grehan (father of Roscommon footballer Francie), Tom Grehan, Noel Lawler and Rodger Hynes were in excellent form in the final at Claremorris GC last week when posting an impressive 80 points to edge out Claremorris by a point. Third on 78 points were St Brendan's, Loughrea, led by Peter Murphy, the former Galway goalkeeper. Fourth place went to Hollymount, for whom Steven Healy, the youngest competitor at 14, played brilliantly off a four handicap.
St Aidan's will compete in the All-Ireland final of the Challenge at Faithlegg Hotel and Golf Club, Waterford, on September 18th and 19th.
Following in divots of greats
Golfers as young as seven will converge on Laytown and Bettystown Golf Club today and tomorrow for the annual Coca-Cola-sponsored Open Juvenile Championships.
Some 250 boys and girls under the age of 21 will compete for the Pee Wee (under-8), Bettystown (boys under-19) and Drogheda Independent (girls under-21) trophies, among others, over the two days.
Started in the early 1960s,the championships have attracted some of Ireland's greatest players, including Des Smyth, Philip Walton, John O'Leary, Carol and Philomena Wickham and Tracy Eakin.
Today - 8.30: Boys U-12 Traders Cup; 10.30: Boys U-14, Becton Dickenson Trophy; 12.30: Girls U-13, Laytown and Bettystown Trophy; 1.15: Girls U-16, Monahan Cup; 2.30: Boys/Girls U-8, Pee Wee Trophy, 3.30: Boys/Girls U-10, O'Kelly Trophy. Tomorrow - 8.30: Boys U-15, Joe Carr Trophy; 8.30: Boys U-19, Bettystown Trophy; 2.0: Girls U-21, Drogheda Independent Trophy.
Tipperary rooting for Little
Members of Co Tipperary Golf and Country Club at Dundrum House will be paying especial attention to their television sets this week to track the fortunes of Euan Little, writes John O'Sullivan.
The Stranraer native will tee it up in the British Open at Troon, having qualified superbly at Sunningdale. Little recently confirmed a deal with the owners of Dundrum House, the Crowe family, to represent the Tipperary venue while on tour.
It comes just a week after Dundrum House received lavish praise from the PGA of Ireland as a venue for the well-attended Philip Walton Pro-Am, in which 53 teams teed it up. Waterville's David Higgins won the professionals prize with a six-under total over 36 holes while John O'Reilly (Newcastle West), Mick O'Connor (Charleville) and Eamon Hayes (Newcastle West) - their pro was David Ryan - produced a brilliant total of 185 stableford points to take the amateur honours.
Pitcher puts Island on map
While The Island Golf Club was hosting the European Youths Championship last week, junior convenor Willie O'Rourke was busy with his charges in Ballinasloe Golf Club at the Orlimar Golf-sponsored Connacht Boys Championship. In a changed format, from 72 holes strokeplay to matchplay, four Island players qualified for the knockout stages and The Island's Andrew Pitcher went all the way with a 3 and 2 victory over Jason Somers (Laytown and Bettystown) in the final. Pitcher saw off clubmate Ronan O'Connor in the semi-final while Somers beat Simon Gallivan (Killarney) in the second semi-final.
John Glover: doyen of the game
Former Irish international John Glover, one of the world's leading authorities on the rules of golf, has died in hospital in Aberdeen. He was 71. An Irishman, Glover was appointed rules secretary of the R&A in 1981 and remained in the post until his retirement in 1995, when he was elected a life member of the R&A.
An Ireland amateur international player for 20 years from 1950, he had worked since his retirement as chief referee on the Asian Tour. In 2001 he was nominated to the St Andrews Links management committee. He played a leading part in the organisation of the R&A's 250th birthday celebrations. Glover was also a member of the St Andrews New and The Duke's golf clubs and was first captain at The Duke's. He was made an MBE in 1997 for his services to golf.
Killarney retain Southern title
Killarney Golf Club retained their ILGU Senior Cup Southern title with a 3-2 win over host club Cork. Despite losing the top two matches, where Mary Sheehy lost to Curtis Cup player Claire Coughlan and Miriam Abernethy beat Ann Ladd, Killarney came through in the last three. Deirdre Prendergast took Killarney's first points with a 7 and 6 win over Geraldine Walley. Margaret Hayes squared the match with a 2 and 1 win over Suzanne Lynch and Joanne Cronin clinched the winning points with a one-hole win over Anne Crowley.
In the semi-finals Cork beat Ennis 3-2 while Killarney had a 3½-1½ win over Bandon. Killarney now go on to the All-Ireland final of the Suzuki-sponsored event in Athlone in September.
Callaly improving with age
Age was no barrier to Liam Callaly during St Anne's GC open week. In last Wednesday's open singles 82-year-old Callaly left the rest of the field trailing as he used his vast experience to thread a careful path around the Dollymount links.
In between the squalls, Callaly returned a magnificent 39 points off his 25 handicap to win by one point from, ironically, the youngest player in the field, Richard Behan, a 16-year-old who plays to a four handicap.
Great celebrations ensued when it was announced Callaly's handicap had been cut by three shots to 22.
Flurry of aces in Glen
Lucky number seven could certainly be the term used to describe the Glen of the Downs par-three seventh hole during the month of June. Although the shortest hole at the picturesque County Wicklow course, measuring just 105 yards, it can be testing as the small pond bordering the green has caught many a golfer out. But despite the perils that lie in wait for anything bar an accurate shot, it provided a hole-in-one bonanza for three lady members last month. Anne Lyons aced it on June 1st, June Mulcahy on June 19th and Joan Kennedy on June 29th.
Murphy makes unique double
When it comes to the major prizes at Old Conna golf club in Bray, Susan Murphy is proving a winner. Back on June 27th she was the overall winner of Joan O'Leary's Lady Captain's Prize, with a combined score of 149. On Tuesday last, competing in Deirdre O'Brien's Lady Vice-Captain's Prize, the 16 handicapper completed a remarkable double. A score of 68 gave her a two-shot winning margin over Maura Duggan (28) with Miriam Duffy (28) back in third after also firing a nett 70. Ann Madigan (30) was fourth after a 71, while nine-handicapper Anne Coyle took the gross prize with a 79.
It was the first time the Lady Captain and Vice-Captain's prizes had been won by the same player. For good measure, Murphy also saw a shot shaved off her handicap and is now off 15.
Headfort keep heads and win
Down but certainly not out. That was the belief of Headfort's Ladies Townsend Cup team last Saturday. Going into the match over their home course against The Island, they were three matches and 12 holes down from the away leg. But they managed to turn it right around, winning the home leg 3-0 and by 15 holes. Pauline Walsh and Orla Foley won 6 & 4, Maria O'Reilly and Hilary Collins won 3 & 2, and Maura Daly and Ciara Walsh - daughter of Pauline - were 6 & 5 winners.
