There is no stopping the record breakers at Kilrush Golf Club. Last week, Ann Brennan set a new mark in the women's President's Prize and this week it was the turn of Tom Clarke as he established a new record for the best nett score ever recorded at the Club, on his way to victory in the Captain's (Liam Maher) prize.
Tom, a 21 handicapper, scored a fabulous 56 nett, 14-under-par in the qualifying round. His score left him seven shots ahead of second-placed Pat St Ledger. However, in the 10-hole play-off, Pat reduced the deficit to just one, but Tom coolly sank a three-footer on the last green for a two-shot win. Fifty-eight-year-old Tom only took up golf four years ago when he moved from Dublin to Kilrush.
Four previous winners, Sutton, Ballybofey & Stranorlar, Kilkeel and Cahir Park, from a record entry of 286 have reached the concluding stages of the BMW Irish Mixed Foursomes championship. In Leinster, Sutton will take on Greenore while Kilternan face neighbours Woodbrook in the semi-finals at the Curragh on August 15th. Athenry will face Boyle in the Connacht decider at Athlone Golf Club on August 8th. The semi-final line-up in Ulster is Ballyclare v Ballybofey/Stranorlar or Strabane and Massereene v Kilkeel or Portsalon. Dooks, Bandon and Adare Manor have already qualified in Munster and they await the winners of the East region between Cahir Park and West Waterford, which will be played tomorrow.
Alan Harty is a busy golfer these days. The West Waterford player achieved his ambition recently, when he was selected for the Irish Boys' team for the Home Internationals at St Andrew's. Last week he helped West Waterford to second place in the Munster finals of the Irish Youths' Team championship, reached the quarter-finals of the Munster Boys' in Shannon and then dashed back to captain the Fred Daly team to victory over Carrick-on-Suir in the Munster semi-final.
The McDonnell Cup final, second leg, between Corrstown and The Island finished in high drama at The Island last week. Down 5-2 after the first leg, the Island made a great fightback to square the overall score at 6 1/2 points each with one match still on the course. In the fading light, Fergus Ledwith holed from 15 feet on the 18th green, only to be followed in by Michael Timmons from 12 feet to square at seven matches each. So it's back to the Island in two weeks' time when Fergus Ledwith and George Munnelly will play Michael Timmons and Martin McIvor over 18 holes.
Michelle Henigan is a promising young junior golfer from Ballybunion. In midweek, she won the singles competition for women with 36 points off a handicap of 19, pipping her mother Sighle in the process. Then, on Sunday, she had the best score again when she scored 40 points on the Old course. But, as a junior, she wasn't eligible for the main prize, so she had to be satisfied with second place.
Open week at Athenry produced some notable performances. Margaret Lavelle, playing off eight, had a magnificent treble. She won the Saturday four-ball with Marie Carr (11) with 43 points, took the gross prize in the singles on Monday with 27 points and then linked up with six handicapper Pat Duane to win the gross prize in Thursday's mixed foursomes.
Her four-ball partner Marie was also in form throughout the week and won the gross in the singles on both Sunday and Thursday.
Margaret Ruane (17), who won the Wednesday singles, also finished second in Sunday's singles competition and third in the mixed foursomes with Joe Lavelle.
