Short game

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Hannons go top of the class

SEÁN HANNON, a 14-handicapper from Forest Little attended the Pelz Short Game School at Killeen Castle in August. The following week he practised for three hours each day. During the following two weeks he played in two four-man team events and had two birdies and eight pars in one, and nine pars in the other. However, the best was yet to come, in early September he won the monthly medal with a nett 67, level par from the eighth to 18th, and Hannon is now off 12. Not to be outdone, his wife Mai, having seen her husband’s improvement, attended a one-day Pelz School on September 10th and two days later won the Club’s Mixed Matchplay Championship.

** ENGLAND’s Mark Smith won the 2010 Disabled British Open at East Sussex National Golf Resort Spa by just one shot last week.

Smith, a five-handicapper, from Littlestone GC, shot 159 (79 and 80) to take the title, one shot ahead of Scotland’s Alasdair Berry.

William West, from Derbyshire, who plays off 12, won class one. Gareth Williams, from Woodlakes Park, Cwmbran, won class two, where Mark Gibson from Ballinahinch finished sixth, and Paul Cunningham, of Thames Ditton Esher GC, was victorious in class three.

Seventy two disabled athletes – ages ranging from 16 to 71 – competed over two days.

Corrstown off to Turkey after last-hole victory

CORRSTOWN captain Pat Comerford and club professional Patrick Gittens birdied the last hole to win the Irish qualifier of the BMW-supported PGA International Pro-Captain Challenge played recently at Roganstown.

The pair fired a seven-under par 64 to secure a one-stroke victory and with it a place in the grand final, which takes place over 36 holes at the PGA Sultan Course at Turkey’s Antalya Golf Club from December 7th-8th.

PGA professional Gittens and Comerford triumphed after surviving a late challenge from the Curragh’s Gerard Burke and Niall Crimmins.

The Corrstown pair’s birdie on the 18th hole proved enough to send them to the final whereas a tie would have seen them pipped to the post on countback.

Gittens has come close to winning this event on previous years, but fallen just short. However, he will now travel to Turkey with Comerford, who plays off a handicap of three.

The final in Turkey will be contested by just eight clubs – one from each of the PGA’s seven regions, plus an international qualifier.

As an added bonus the professionals will compete for a €8,816 prize fund, while all the competitors will enjoy a luxury stay at the five-star Sirene Beach and Hotel Resort on the shores of the Turkish Mediterranean.

Irish quartet in B&I squad

FOUR Irish internationals are included in a squad of 16 for the 2011 Britain and Ireland team to compete in the Astor and Vagliano Trophies next summer.

They are Curtis Cup stars Danielle McVeigh, from Royal County Down Ladies’, Leona and Lisa Maguire from Slieve Russell, and junior international Stephanie Meadow from Royal Portrush.

Tegwen Matthews from Wales will captain the team for both events.

The 2011 Astor Trophy will take place at Fairhaven Golf Club from June 15th-19th, and the 2011 Vagliano Trophy will be played at Royal Porthcawl Golf Club on June 24th-25th.

Make some Ryder Cup predictions  

FOR an interest in this week’s Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor, Fore Insurance, in association with Thornton and Partners, is inviting entries for the Ryder Cup competition with a prize of a € 500 voucher from McGuirks Golf on offer to the winner.

To enter this competition, go to www.chartisdirect.ie/golfcompetition and make the relevant predictions. The closing deadline is Thursday next (September 30th) at midnight.

** SOUTHERN District champions Thurles emerged victorious over Milltown in the recent Miele All-Ireland Ladies Interclub Fourball finals at Glasson. Having beaten Rockmount in the semi-finals only on countback, Thurles went on to secure the win in the final on the 20th hole when Fionnuala Corcoran sank the winning putt.

The Heath finished in third place in another close finish, winning on the 19th to claim a 3-1 victory over Rockmount.

Asian pair win Faldo finals

JAPAN’S Masamichi Ito and Chinese Taipei’s Yi-Chen Liu rewrote the record books when they won the boys’ and girls’ titles at the 14th Faldo Series Europe Grand Final played over the Faldo Course at the Lough Erne Resort in Fermanagh last week

Ito carded a closing round of two-over par 74 for a two-under-par total of 214 to finish four shots ahead of fellow Asian Yi-Chen Liu. Ito’s victory meant he became the first golfer to claim both the Europe and Asia titles and he superseded European Tour star Nick Dougherty as the youngest golfer to claim the Faldo Series Europe title at the age of 15 years and 46 days.

Liu claimed a comprehensive five-shot victory in the girls’ event with a closing 69 that included three birdie twos for 218 (75-74-69).

It was disappointing for the four-strong Irish contingent. The 2010 Faldo Series Ireland champion Conor Glynn (Carton House) finished 10th overall with a fine closing 71, while Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen West Carberry) tied 14th and Patrick Small (Bangor) was 26th, while 16-year-old Chloe Ryan (Castleroy) posted a final-round 80 and suffered the anguish of finishing second, one shot behind England’s Abi Laker in the girls’ under-16 category.

Europe team does the business

EUROPE came out on top in the bi-annual American Chamber of Commerce Ryder Cup Classic, in association with Delta Airlines, at Powerscourt last week.

With two teams of 48 players each – all scores counting – Europe, under the captaincy of Christy O’Connor junior, won for the fourth time over the Eamonn D’Arcy-led US team by 1,565 points to 1,525.

Leading the Europeans home were Niall Bolger, Dan McCarthy and John Coman, who each scored 38 points, over the testing East Course at Powerscourt.

For the US Karl Davis and Mathew Blyth each scored 37 points, while Austin McCabe and Brian Daly carded 35.

** Joe Crangle from Fortwilliam won the recent Connacht Mid-Amateur Championship at Roscommon with a three-round total of 213 after rounds of 69, 72 and 72. Eamon Haugh from Castletroy was four shots back in second place, with Greystones’ Alan Condren third on 218.