Battle of sexes

Forty pairs will go to the first tee in the National Pitch and Putt Mixed Foursomes championship at Cloghogue on Sunday when the home pair of Marina O'Rourke and Paul O'Hagan will start favourites to lift the title. However, a Limerick pairing has been sweeping all before them in mixed events this year and Ann Breen and Joe Ring from Bruff and their clubmates Phil McNamara and Joe O'Connor will have a big say in the outcome. Others who are confident of doing well are leading Cork qualifiers Maureen O'Connor and Jerry Quirke; Dublin County Board chairman Christy Broe and his wife Irene and Dublin qualifiers John O'Keeffe and his daughter Sonia.