Shay's Short Game: Stefan Greenberg takes Irish Students Amateur Open

Ulster man Greenberg wins in photo finish

Ulster University’s Stefan Greenberg blitzed the back nine to clinch his first championship, the Irish Students Amateur Open in Bray, by a single stroke. Home in a four-under 32, Greenberg with rounds of 68, 69 and 67 for 214 edged past a spirited challenge from Maynooth’s Ronan Mullarney who signed for 68, 70 and 67.

When the Galway man rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a closing 67 to post a five-under clubhouse target of 205, he led Greenberg by one, but the Tandragee man replied with an eagle three at the 15th to take a one-shot lead.

A par four at the 17th left Greenberg needing a par five at the last, and he duly delivered, finding the putting surface in three and two-putting, holing a nerve-testing three-footer to secure victory.

Maynooth’s Mary Doyle with rounds of 74, 72 and 70 for 216 raced home in the Women’s event, five shots clear of her college team-mate Ciara Casey (73, 77, 71 for 221), while Maynooth Scholars (b) clinched the team title by one shot on 413 from Maynooth Scholars (a).

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Europe best in Jacques Léglise Trophy

The Continent of Europe won the Jacques Léglise Trophy for a second successive year by defeating Britain and Ireland 15½-9½ at Ballybunion Golf Club. It is the 12th time The Continent of Europe has won the Jacques Léglise Trophy since the boys international match between the two teams was rejuvenated in 1977. B and I have won the Jacques Léglise Trophy on 28 occasions.

Leading their opponents 6½-5½ at the start of the second day, the morning foursomes were tied 2-2 to give the Continent of Europe a single point advantage at 8½-7½ going into this afternoon’s singles matches.

2017 Boys Amateur champion Pedro Lencart Silva extended the visitors’ lead to two points after securing an impressive 5 and 4 victory over B and I captain Mark Power from Kilkenny. A superb eagle three on the par five fifth gave the 2016 Junior Open winner a one hole advantage which he extended on the sixth with a birdie to go two up.

Despite bogeying the seventh, the Portuguese won a third consecutive hole after Power could only make double bogey and he was four up by the turn after winning the eighth.

Lencart Silva picked up another hole on the 13th to move five up and he closed out the match on the 14th after matching Power’s par to halve the hole.

Eduard Rousaud Sabate chalked up another notable win for the Continent of Europe with a 6 and 4 victory against Luke Harries. Sabate’s compatriot Alejandro Aguilera edged the Continent of Europe to within a point of retaining the trophy at 11½-7½ after defeating Darren Howie from Peebles by 6 and 5.

Debutant Robin Williams collected B and I’s first point of the singles after the 15-year-old secured a two hole win against Sweden’s David Nyfjall to reduce the deficit to 11½-8½.

However, the joy was short-lived for the home side and Norwegian Markus Braadlie ensured the Continent of Europe would retain the Jacques Léglise Trophy after beating Thomas Plumb 4 and 3 to reach the vital 12½ point mark.

The outright win was confirmed shortly after by Matias Honkala after the Finn put the Continent of Europe 13½-8½ up courtesy of an excellent 3 and 2 win against Alex Fitzpatrick.

Rasmus Hojgaard notched up the Continent of Europe’s sixth point of the afternoon singles to nudge his side further ahead at 14½-8½. The Dane produced a two holes triumph in his match against Ben Jones after winning the 17th and 18th.

The 2016 Boys Amateur champion Falko Hanisch defeated Toby Briggs 3 and 2 to increase the Continent of Europe’s lead to 15½-8½. The German won three holes in a row from the 13th and the match finished on the 16th after both players made birdie to halve the hole.

Charlie Strickland salvaged some pride for B and I by beating Adrien Dumont de Chassart 3 and 1 to make the final score 15½-9½ in favour of the Continentals.

Athenry win Fred Daly Trophy

David Kitt might have lost the AIG Irish Amateur Close final the previous week but he was smiling again last week when he helped Athenry win the All Ireland Fred Daly Trophy at Bray Golf Club.

The 17-year-old had a 7 and 6 win over Muskerry’s Sean Geary in Athenry’s 4½-½ semi-final win. And while he lost his match in the final, falling by one hole to Kyle Patton, the Galway side beat Lisburn 3½-1½ to lift the trophy.

Aaron Marshall, Patton and Jack Shellard all won comfortably as Lisburn cruised to a 4-1 over Leinster champions Dundalk in their semi-final.

But Athenry were worthy winners in the final. While Kitt lost, Alan Hill beat Marshall and Cillian Lawless beat Joshua Robinson to make it 2-1 before anchor man Sean O'Connell clinched the winning point with a 4 and 3 win over Mark Stewart.

Tour School for 17 Irish

Amateurs Stuart Grehan, Conor O’Rourke, John Ross Galbraith, Colin Fairweather and Robin Dawson are among the 17 Irish golfers entered for the First Stage of the European Tour Qualifying School.

Dawson is entered at three venues - Ribagolfe in Portugal, Golf Club Bogogno in Italy and Golf d’Hardelot in France - as he awaits his final designation. Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney is at Flesensee from September 12th-15th with Galbraith at the Roxburghe in Scotland with Mark Whelan and Headfort’s Joe Dillon.

O’Rourke, who is first reserve for the Walker Cup and will turn professional immediately afterwards, goes at Frilford Heath from October 3rd-6th with Grehan, Fairweather, Kevin LeBlanc, Brian McElhinney, Dermot McElroy and Chris Selfridge.

Brian Casey and Peter Williamson are at Stoke by Nayland from September 19th-22nd while Mount Juliet’s Kevin Phelan, Narin and Portnoo’s Brendan McCarroll and David Carey at Ribagolfe in Portugal from September 26th-29th.

Limerick’s Tim Rice and Monkstown’s Cian McNamara are entered at Golf d’Hardelot in France from September 26-29. Mount Juliet’s Stephen Grant is also entered at both the French and Italian venues.

Smith claims Under-16 title

Adam Smith made it a week to remember at Rockmount as the Mullingar teenager won the Irish Under-16 Boys Championship with two shots to spare.

Smith completed a sweet success with rounds of 69, 74 and 73 to finish the tournament on level par, two clear of Slieve Russell’s Odhran Maguire. Joseph Byrne (Baltinglass) and Max Kennedy (The Royal Dublin) were tied for third on four over with Byrne clinching the prize for leading under-15 player.

However, the week belonged to Smith. Level with Maguire going into the final round, the pair began the day at minus one but Smith put down a marker early with four birdies in his first six holes.

Both players began with a birdie but Maguire could not keep pace with Smith on the front nine, who raced to the turn in 34 (-3). A run of three successive bogeys threatened to derail his title charge, and with six holes remaining Smith and Maguire were locked together at the top of the leaderboard.

Just as Maguire started to stumble, Smith regained his composure, making four straight pars, which eased his concerns. And even when his drive went awry at the last, Smith produced the shot of a champion, and sent a stunning iron shot soaring over the trees and onto the putting surface for a two-putt par that sealed the victory.

Cork pair win the Australian Spoons

Despite wet and heavy conditions the Cork pairing of Claire Coughlan Ryan and Oonagh Barry were a model of consistency with 19 points on both the front and extremely tricky back nine at Co Longford Golf Club in a round that had birdies at the par three eighth and par four 15th.

In second place on 36 points were Cristina Rush (19) and Hannah Grant (20) from Claremorris with Caroline Delaney (21) and Mary Dolan (30) from Mountbellew taking third place from Carmel Mullan (33) and Maura Ryan (25) from Elm Park after both pairs finished on 35 points. Last year’s winners Helen Jones and Vivienne Houston (Royal Portrush) won the best gross with 30 points.

Killeen bring home the Metropolitan Trophy for the second time

In the second leg of the Metropolitan Trophy Final at Hollystown Golf Club Killeen Golf Club defeated Hollystown to bring the trophy back to the club.

This was Killeen’s second Leinster Pennant in two years in the Metropolitan Trophy following their victory over Clontarf in 2016. Hollystown, no strangers to victory, had previously taken the title in 2015.

With the upper hand following a 6-3 lead after the first leg, Killeen quickly got a point on the board when Paul Magee won the top match by 2 and 1 against Keith Coffey. Hollystown fought back with wins in the second and third matches but Killeen were too strong, eventually winning by 5½ -3½ for an overall score of 11½ - 6½.

McGeady makes it two wins in a row at Cairndhu Pro-Am

Michael McGeady made it back-to-back successes on the PGA in Ireland circuit with victory in the 36-hole Cairndhu Pro-Am. Trailing by two shots as the final round got underway, McGeady fired a three under par 67 to top the leaderboard on five under par 135 at the Co. Antrim venue. Overnight leader Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance) shot rounds of 66 and 70 and David Higgins (Waterville Links) with scores of 70 and 66 shared second place on 136.

The team event was won by Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge) and his amateur partners, Paul Steinson, Stephen Watts and Hugh Logue with 175 points.

Mountbellew chase All-Ireland treble

Mountbellew are in line for an All-Ireland treble at Malone GC later this month after winning the Connacht finals of the Intermediate, Minor and Challenge Cups over the weekend, Shandon Park won two of the six Ulster titles - making it through in the Intermediate and Junior Foursomes.

Killarney will be hoping to add to their first All-Ireland Senior Cup title after they qualified for the Senior Foursomes decider.

Qualifiers: Junior Cup: Athenry, Stackstown, Royal Curragh, Limerick and Lurgan. Intermediate Cup: Mountbellew, Carton House, Wicklow Cahir Park and Shadon Park. Minor Cup: Mountbellew, Headfort, Wexford, Lee Valley and Donaghadee. Challenge Cup: Mountbellew, Malahide, Courtown, Doneraile and Royal Belfast. Senior Foursomes: Roscommon, Lucan, Carlow, Killarney and Lurgan. Junior Foursomes: Portumna, Woodbrook, The Heath, Ballykisteen and Shandon Park.