SHORT GAME:ULSTER bridged a 21-year gap when they won the ILGU Interprovincials by the narrowest of margins after Ulster, Leinster and Munster tied on two points at The Island GC last week.
On a countback Ulster got home by just one match – recording 15 wins over the three days to 14 by the defending champions, Leinster, who edged out Munster by three holes, so tight was the final outcome.
It was unfortunate for Leinster that halved matches do not count in the event of a tie. Had they been taking into consideration they would have recorded a seventh win in a row.
Ulster got off to a good start with a 5-4 win over Leinster on the opening day. After taking a 2-1 lead in the foursomes they shared the singles at three matches each, while Munster beat Connacht 7-2.
Munster moved into contention on day two with a 5-4 win over Ulster, while Leinster got back on track with a 7½-1½ win over Connacht.
So it all rested on the final day and Ulster got the better of Connacht 6½-2½, while Leinster were 5½-3½ winners over Munster.
Victoria Bradshaw was the main points winner for Ulster, taking five points from the six matches played over the three days.
Getting a grip on prostate cancer
IN the time it takes to play a round of 18 holes, 14 men will lose their battle with prostate cancer. Lamkin, one of the leading makers of golf club grips, is working with the Prostate Cancer Foundation to fight back.
“Grips for Life” is a program created with the legendary Arnold Palmer that delivers a portion of all proceeds from Lamkin-branded grip sales to help fund research into treatments and eventual cure.
Last year Lamkin’s “Grips for Life” programme surpassed the €500,000 mark in donations to the Prostate Cancer Foundation and is committed to raising €1 million through the programme.
Carty finishes best of Irish at Scottish under-16 event
HOLYWOOD’S Jessica Carty earned a highly-creditable top 10 placing at the Scottish Under-16 Girls Championships played at Strathmore last week to be the best of a large contingent of Irish golfers.
Following an opening round of level-par 72 in the 36-hole event, which had left her fourth overnight, she recorded a one-over par 73 in round two.
That was good enough for a ninth-place finish on 145, just five strokes off the eventual winner.
Next best of the Irish contingent was Laura Fekkes from Larne on 159 following rounds of 81 and 78 and in a tie for 41st, while Muskerry’s Jean O’Driscoll finished on 160, Emma Murphy (Wexford) was on 163, Ariana Coyle Diaz (Elm Park) 164 and Colette McNicholl (Royal Portrush) 166.
A stunning six-under par final round of 66 from Emily Taylor saw her land the title in some style.
Having opened with a 74 which had left her in 11th place, the Royal Lytham and St Annes player played some superb golf during the second round and blitzed through the field with not surprisingly the best score of the two days of competition, a wonderful score of six under par 66 – which included an eagle three on the par five 12th, five birdies and just the one bogey.
That left Taylor on four under par and she won by a stroke from Ashley Cramond (The Warwickshire) who had rounds of 73 and 68, to finish on three under par.
Grange centenary scratch foursomes
THE Grange centenary scratch foursomes is being held next Sunday, with a shotgun start at 8.30am and 2pm, for the elite field of 50 pairs.
The lowest handicap pairs are led by Dara Lernihan (Castle) and Des Morgan (Mullingar) off +5 combined and Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint) and Conor Doran (Banbridge) also off +5 combined. The cut-off for handicaps was eight.
The competition will be played over the par 72 championship course of 6,800 yards and a stern test awaits the golfers on greens which are in super condition.
THEREwas a home club winner of the Woodbrook Ladies Scratch Cup on Sunday. The 36-hole event was won by one-handicapper Sue Phillips who finished on 151, four strokes clear of Anna Courtney (5) from St Anne's, with Louise Mernagh (1) from Woodenbridge third a further stroke back.
Next best was five-handicapper Lily Owens from Malahide on 164, just edging out Royal Portrush’s Maura Diamond (4). The under-21 gross winner was Wexford’s Tara Dunne (7) on 166, while Sheena McIlroy (4) from Grange on 164 was the senior gross winner.
Elmgreen's new deal with Corballis
ELMGREEN GC in west Dublin, with 500 men and nearly 200 women members has recently agreed a new deal with Fingal County Council allowing members to play both Elmgreen and Corballis Golf Links in Donabate for the same low rates.
Members paying €850 annual subscription now have the full facilities of a both a parkland and a links course, covering all golf seven days a week at Elmgreen and all golf at Corballis outside members’ competition times. There is also a lower subscription rate of €450 allowing members to play both courses at a reduced green fee, unchanged for the last five years at €11.
Meanwhile, the Dave O’Rourke Memorial Bridge was unveiled on the course on the day of the Captain’s Drive-in, attended by Dave’s widow, Lynn and his children Andrew (18) and Stephen (11) and a huge number of members. Popular member O’Rourke was Competitions Secretary at the time of his death and dedicated himself to the task with great enthusiasm and good humour. There will also be an annual competition for the Dave O’Rourke Perpetual Trophy.
O'Malley claims Hilary Society prize
BRENDAN O’MALLEY rolled back the years to capture the top prize in the sixth Hilary Golf Society outing of the series at the European Club. The three-handicapper from Royal Dublin recovered from three bogies in his opening four holes to cover the remain 14 holes in just two over par to record a 73 nett.
O’Malley finished four shots clear of Greenore’s one-handicapper Alan McGrath.
A shot further back was Gus Fitzpatrick, off four, from Naas with 78 and the best gross was won by Ryan Callan from Moyvalley also with 78.
The professional prize was won by Greenore’s Robert Giles with 72 which has launched him up the leaderboard to tie with Gary Cullen (Beaverstown) in the race for the overall award for the series.
Sutton Golf Club will play host to the final outing on Friday next where Cullen and Giles will go head to head to decide who wins the much-coveted Dave Pelz Gold Medal.
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