A round-up of today's other news in brief
Meadow Europe's top 2011 amateur
IRELAND’S Stephanie Meadow and Leona Maguire have won LEAR Gold and Silver medals as the top-ranked players in the Ladies’ European Amateur Rankings (LEAR) at the end of 2011. Final results for 2011 (as of January 8th, 2012) were: 1st Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush) 1588.68 pts, 2nd Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 1531.37 pts 3rd Charley Hull (Woburn) 1452.17 pts
Meadow, a student at Alabama University, won the Puerto Rico Classic and followed up by winning the Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. She reeled-off another three top-four US finishes before winning the NCAA East Regional Championship.
Back in Europe, she took the second place in both the Irish Open Stokeplay and the International European Ladies’ Amateur.
Maguire won the Portuguese Ladies’ Amateur Open. In June, she won the Irish Open Strokeplay. Two months later, she took the British Ladies’ Open Strokeplay at the Royal Ashdown Forest course in England.
Third-placed Hull’s season highlights included first place in the Welsh Ladies’ Open Strokeplay and runner-up in the English Ladies’ Amateur.
She also won the English Women’s Strokeplay at Alwoodley GC by four shots.
Green rings in the new year with success in Florida
GARLAND Green sure knows how to close out a tournament, but maybe that’s to be expected from one of a select few to have recorded a 59. The recent Virginia Tech graduate saved his best for last to win the 86th New Year’s Invitational at St Petersburg Country Club in Florida. Green birdied the final three holes of regulation play to get into a three-man play-off with Germany’s Stephan Jaegar and Jim Liu, a former United States junior champion.
Rounds of 72, 66, 69 and 71 helped Garland to a 10-under-par total of 278. He left with the trophy after six play-off holes. Garland took the tile when Jaeger bogeyed the sixth extra hole.
Green, who in 2010 set a course record 59 at Fincastle Country Club in Bluefield, Virginia, moves up 110 places on this week’s World Amateur Golf Ranking to 197.
Munich native Jaeger moves inside the world top 50, improving his ranking 13 spots to 40th. The University of Tennessee player also further established his status as the world’s highest ranked German male amateur. Liu moves up 41 places to 137th.
Australia’s Cameron Smith is the only player to break into this week’s top 20. The Queensland native takes his rightful place after a successful 2011 season. He won the Victoria Junior Masters, the Australian Junior Championship, the Nomura Cup and the Australian Men’s Stroke Play.
Jutangarns see off Hull and Clyburn
ENGLAND’S leading Curtis Cup team contenders, 15-year-old Charley Hull from Woburn and Holly Clyburn from Woodhall Spa, finished third and ninth respectively behind the talented Thailand sisters, Moriya and Ariya Jutangarn in the South Atlantic women’s amateur golf championship, the second event of the Orange Blossom Tour, at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach in Florida.
Hull, up to number six in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings after victory from the Bangkok teenage sisters, Ariya (16) and Moriya (17), in the Harder Hall Invitational, found herself finishing behind the Thai pair in this one, in which the trio were the only players to finish under the par of 288.
Moriya, ranked 23, won with a 12-under-par total of 276, three ahead of Ariya, ranked 10, with Hull third on 280. Moriya, after an opening round of 75. covered the last 54 holes in 15-under-par, with scores of 66, 65 and 70.
Nobody keeps up with this Jones
PETER Jones from Coollattin GC took the gross honours at the Rosslare Alliance outing, after returning an impressive four-under-par 40 points at Rosslare GC.
Jones finished four points clear of Mark Mullen from Wexford, who carded 36.
The best net was won by Wexford eight-handicapper Daragh Bates, who shot 41 points to win by one from Rosslare’s Dermot Walsh.
The next outing of the Alliance will take place at Rosslare GC on Monday, February 6th.
For time sheet and information call Johnny Young at 053-9132032.
Laytown first up for Hilary Society
THE Hilary Golf Society gets their 2012 season underway in Laytown/Bettystown on Sunday, February 5th.
Confined to golfers with a handicap of six or less, the Hilary celebrates its 59th birthday this year.
RaboDirect will once again sponsor the 2012 series, hosted on some of the finest links courses on the east coast. This year the Hilary will visit Laytown and Bettystown; Portmarnock Links; Co Louth; Seapoint; Portmarnock; Royal Dublin, with the series finale in Sutton. Membership is limited but there may be a few vacancies; see www.hilarygolf.com or email the Hilary at Hilarygolf@gmail.com
Last year’s Gold Medal winner – Gerard Kelly (Co Louth) and Silver Medal winner – Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little) will be keen to defend their respective titles and they will be joined by a host of Irish internationals and professionals eager to test their early season form.
Dunluce and Mount Juliet voted top
THE Dunluce course at Royal Portrush and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Mount Juliet have been voted Ireland’s top links and parkland courses respectively by a panel of 55 experienced golfers in Backspin magazine’s third biennial Course Rankings poll.
The Dunluce course, venue for the 1951 British Open and this year’s Irish Open, was placed third in Backspin’s two previous links polls (2008 and 2010) but rises above Portmarnock and Royal County Down in the 2012 poll.
The Dunluce course attracted 12 top votes, 11 second and third preferences and eight fourth preferences from a voting panel that embraces players with Ryder Cup, Walker Cup and Curtis Cup experience, Irish PGA members, distinguished amateurs, prominent administrators, media figures and other respected personalities in Irish golf.
Royal Co Down moves from first in 2008 and second in 2010 to third, The European Cub retains fourth spot for a third time, while Waterville, Lahinch, Ballybunion, Baltray, Rosses Point and The Island all retain their elite top-10 status.
Mount Juliet retains top spot for a third time in the parkland category and by a convincing margin once again over The K Club (Palmer) and Adare. Mount Juliet attracted 17 first preference and 13 second preference votes on this occasion.
