Short Game

A roundup of today's other golf news in brief

McVeigh leads Irish bid in Portugal

EIGHT Irish players are included in the field for the 80th Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Open Championship which begins at the Oceanico O’Connor Course, in the Algarve, Portugal, on Saturday.

This championship marks the start of the 2010 women’s international season in Europe and is sure to be tightly contested as many of the 2010 Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup panel will compete in a bid for selection on the team, which will be announced in late April.

Danielle McVeigh from Royal Co Down Ladies Golf Club, the 2009 Ladies British Open Amateur Strokeplay and Welsh Open Strokeplay champion will lead the Irish challenge and will be joined by Gillian O’Leary from Cork, who won the Portuguese title in 2004, Aedin Murphy, Sarah Cunningham, Louise Mernagh, Victoria Bradshaw, Maria Dunne and Ciara Butler.

THE chanceto take the first steps on the professional golfing ladder and participate on the PGA Europro Tour is now available.

The tour, which has seen a number of former players reach the European Tour, is now accepting online entries for the qualifying school by logging on to www.europrotour.com

There are three first-stage qualifying venues before the final stage takes place at Frillford Heath in Oxfordshire from April 7th to 9th.

Heritage to host Irish regional qualifier

THE Heritage Club in Killenard will host the Irish Regional qualifier for the PGA Professional Championship this year with the event scheduled to take place at the Co Laois course on Tuesday, May 4th.

As per usual, the prize on offer to this year’s Irish regional winner will be participation at the Oxfordshire Golf Club in England which will host the Glenmuir PGA Professional Championship in August.

It will host the UK and Ireland’s best PGA professionals as they battle it out for the much-coveted title from August 10th to 13th.

The defending Glenmuir champion will be Caerphilly’s James Lee. This year it is expected that more than 650 professional golfers will attempt to join him in the £78,000 final, via the eight regional qualifiers along the way, all hoping to eventually win the title.

The Oxfordshire, meanwhile, will also double up for the PGA South Region qualifier while, apart from the Heritage for the Irish qualifier, other confirmed regional qualifying venues to be used this year will be Abridge (East), Hesketh (North West), Scotscraig (Scotland), Moortown (North East), Little Aston (Midlands) and Saunton’s East Course (West).

This year’s WPGA final will also take place at the same time (August 12-13th) over 36 holes with a qualifier at Dunham Forest. Tracy Loveys (Bigbury) will be chasing a third successive ladies title.

Ladies’ Golf Union set for revamp

A unanimous vote in favour of restructuring the Ladies’ Golf Union and adopting new operational rules has paved the way for a more modern and effective approach to managing the organisation. The annual general meeting in Cardiff heard that these important changes would be implemented immediately following the agm.

CEO Shona Malcolm explained that in practice the changes would not impact on the LGU’s functions, but that the new business model leaves volunteer councillors better protected and the LGU itself in a stronger position to engage in commercial activities and contracts.

Guest speaker Clive Brown, a successful Walker Cup captain in 1995, gave an entertaining and interesting address, listened to intently by Curtis Cup captain Mary McKenna in the audience.

Chairperson Brigid McCaw wished McKenna and the team good luck in the event at the Essex County Club, Boston, from 11-13th.

Cassidy claims victory in USA

RACHEL CASSIDY, a student at Stirling University in Scotland, won the Second Flight Final at Doherty/Jones Challenge Cup women’s amateur matchplay tournament at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale last week.

Cassidy, a member of The Island Golf Club in Dublin, beat American Connie Isler, the number two seed, by 5 and 4. Rachel was the number four seed in this category.

Isler had beaten another Stirling student, Jordana Graham from Southerness, by 3 and 2 in the semi-final while Cassisy beat Elizabeth Breza 3 and 1.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Alexis Thompson from Coral Springs, Florida just keeps on winning.

The Junior Orange Bowl girls championship winner last month, Thompson successfully defended the Doherty/Jones Challenge Cup Championship flight.

Thompson repeated last year’s victory in the matchplay event by beating fellow American and former US college circuit player Taylor Collins by 3 and 1 in the final.

In the semi-finals, Thompson was pushed all the way to beat Martha Leach by one hole, while Collins beat Scotland’s under-21 champion for the past two years, Stirling University student Kelsey MacDonald from Nairn Dunbar.

ILGU retain key sponsorship

THE Irish Ladies Golf Union have announced the continued support of cosmetics giant Lancôme as sponsors of the ILGU/Lancôme National Greensomes Championship, in addition to the Lancôme Irish Women’s Close Championship and the Lancôme Irish Girls’ Close Championship.

The ILGU/Lancôme National Greensomes Championship, which to date has raised over € 2 million for Irish Charities, will consist of qualifying rounds held at 24 venues across the country with the National finals taking place on the October 3rd, 2010.

Qualifying venues and the venue for national final will be announced at a later date and published on http://www.ilgu.ie/ once confirmed.

The Lancôme Irish Womens Close will be held at Portstewart Golf Club, May 22nd to 26th, while the Lancôme Irish Girls Close will be played at Grange Golf Club, Dublin, from July 13th-16th.

THE Golf Coaches Association of America has appointed Chris Zambri to be coach of the United States team for this year’s transatlantic international students’ match for the Palmer Cup.

Zambri is head golf coach at the University of South Carolina. The Europe v United States match will be held at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Co Antrim from June 24th to 26th.

The Americans lost 13-11 last June at Cherry Hills CC, Denver, to a European students’ team coached by Dean Robertson.

The last time the Palmer Cup match was held on this side of the Atlantic, Europe won 14-10 at Glasgow Gailes.