SHORT GAME:AN elite field will represent no fewer than eight countries at the Irish Amateur Open, which takes place at the Royal Dublin Golf Club from May 11th-13th.
With the cut falling at +0.4, players from Australia, USA, Germany, The Netherlands and France will be among those seeking to lay claim to the title. Scotland’s James White, who plays off +4.6, holds the lowest handicap in the field, while Walker Cup star Alan Dunbar (Rathmore) is the lowest Irish player in the field, off +3.1.
First played in 1892 and held every year with the exception of the war years up to 1959, and revived in 1995, the Irish Amateur Open can boast a strong history of producing great champions.
* THE six players selected by the GUI to compete in the Trubshaw Cup at Tenby and Ashburnham Golf Clubs from 28-29 April 28th-29th are: Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Patrick McCrudden (Royal Portrush), Gary McDermott (Co Sligo), Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu), Steffan O’Hara (Co Sligo) and Stephen Walsh (Baltinglass).
* MICHAEL COOTE from Tralee finished second in the Portuguese Seniors Amateur Open at Estoril GC in Portugal, just one shot behind the winner Glynn Rees.
Coote had rounds of 71, 76 and 71 for a total of 218. Hugh Smyth was in fifth place on 222, Mervyn Eager from Lucan sixth on 223, with Maurice Kelly and Adrian Morrow on 225.
Lupo keeps it local at Hilary outing
THE final RaboDirect-sponsored Hilary Golf Society outing was held at Sutton GC on Friday. Despite the conditions scoring was excellent, with the winner being local member Bruno Lupo Junior, who recorded a gross 65 off a handicap of three.
His card included four birdies and an eagle two on the par-four 346-yard 11th, which he drove. Lupo’s score is a course record. Runner-up was Dara Curran of St Anne’s, playing off five, with a nett 69, while third was six-handicapper Jim Toal, also from St Anne’s, with a nett 70.
Best gross was from Sutton scratch player Derek Downie with 69, this despite a triple bogey seven on the ninth. The team prize was won by Lupo, Simon Clarke (Royal Dublin) and Alan Kiernan (Forest Little) with a nett 59. The gold medal for the best overall nett scores was won by Paul Behan (St Anne’s), while the Niall O’Brien silver medal for the best overall gross score was won by Downie.
Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) won the Irish Girls Open Strokeplay Championship by an impressive eight-shot margin from France’s Manon Molle and Mathilda Cappeliez at Roganstown Golf Club over the weekend.
Maguire was delighted to be the first Irish winner of this event and after her twin sister Lisa joined her on the bag on the 11th she duly birdied the 13th and 14th and finished one-under par.
Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry) aced at the par-three, 129-yard 17th with a nine-iron to return a level-par round of 72, which also included birdies at the par-five fourth hole and par-four 15th.
Lester wins Faldo Series by two shots
ROWAN LESTER won the fifth Faldo Series Ireland Championship by two shots after rounds of 71 and 70 at Lough Erne Resort, Co Fermanagh. The 16-year-old Ireland squad member beat 120 players, the largest ever field for the event.
Lester, from Hermitage GC in Dublin, will be joined at the Grand Final by Boys’ Under-18 winner, Corrstown’s Craig Melvin, who fired a second-round 68 before winning a three-way play-off to qualify for the 54-hole world amateur golf ranking event, hosted by Nick Faldo.
Joint overnight leader Ryan McCullough (Massereene) won the boys under-21 category after following his opening 70 with a 77.
Olivia Mehaffey, from Royal Co Down claimed the Girls’ division with rounds of 76 and 78.
Golfers from NUI Maynooth were to the fore at the recent Dublin scratch foursomes over 35 holes at Grange.
Barry Anderson (+2, Co Sligo) and Gary Hurley (+2, West Waterford) shot an aggregate level-par 142 to beat their fellow students and first-round leaders, Johnny Yates (scr, Naas) and Ryan ODwyer (scr, Callan) by two shots.
The winners delivered a sparkling three-under par 68, including five birdies, for their second round to clinch the title. Daniel Holland (+1, Castle) and Ronan Burke (scr, Castle) were a further shot behind to take third place.
Irish Ladies senior team triumph
THE Irish Ladies senior international team, captained by Terry Sexton from Dún Laoghaire, won the Mary McKenna Trophy for the third year in a row with a dominating performance in the singles for a 9½-2½ victory over Scotland in the senior women’s match at Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club.
WILLIAM RUSSELL from Clandeboye, with full points from three matches, and Paul McBride from The Island, with 2½ points helped Ireland defeat Wales by 13 matches to 7 in the Boys International at Cardigan Golf Club, Wales last week.
After losing the foursomes 2½-1½ Ireland took command with a 5½-2½ win in the singles and went on to take six of the eight singles on day two. The other members of the victorious side were David Byrne (Greystones), Robin Dawson (Faithlegg), Liam Harnett (Milltown), Tim Jordan (Dungannon), Matthew Kane (Whitehead) and Kieran Lynch (Skibbereen).
Moynihan claims a first at Copt Heath
IRELAND’S Gavin Moynihan became the first Irish player to win the Peter McEvoy Trophy at Copt Heath last week, with an impressive five-shot winning margin over Max Orrin and Nick Marsh, both from England.
The Tom Montgomery Order of Merit winner in 2011 fired impressive rounds of 68, 68, 69 and 70, which were enough for a comfortable victory. The Island’s young star joins Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Justin Rose as winners of the event.
This is Moynihan’s second major win on the international stage, having captured the under-18s title at the Faldo Series in 2011. This great start to the season continues on from his impressive finish at the Junior Players Championship in September, where he finished tied third at the famous Sawgrass venue.
John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead) finished 15th at Copt Heath, with Irish Boys Champion Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle) back in 34th.
THE Friends of Dublin Hurling Golf Classic will take place on Thursday, May 24th, in Castlewarden GC. You can book your place on the timesheet at www.fodh.ieor phone 087 2331983. The cost for entry to the Classic is €400 per team and it is open to clubs and societies from all counties.
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