A round-up of golf news in brief
Malahide CS win schools title
MALAHIDE Community School won the Irish Schools Matchplay Championship at Strandhill Golf Club with a 4-1 win over De La Salle, Waterford in the final.
After a comprehensive victory over Presentation Athenry in the semi-final, the Leinster champions got off to a flying start in the final when Paul McBride (The Island) defeated Garry Walsh 5 and 4 in the second match. Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) followed up with a 4 and 3 win over Ben Murray before Andrew Conlon secured the winning point, beating James Kavanagh 3 and 2.
The top match between Irish Boy’s Internationals Gavin Moynihan (The Island) and Robin Dawson (Faithlegg) finished all square having been tightly contested throughout while the bottom match between Darren Glennon (Seafield) and Dylan O’Connor (Faithlegg) was called in.
Meanwhile, Kinsale Community School laid claim to the inaugural staging of the Irish Schools Junior Championship. The team of Cathal Butler, Gary Ward and John Murphy shot rounds of 67, 71 and 77 respectively to win by five strokes from Ulster’s Rainey Endowed School. Presentation Athenry were third with Carnew’s Coláiste Bhride in fourth.
Boulden gets lift with Scottish victory
WELSH teenager Amy Boulden gave herself a huge boost in the build-up to her debut Curtis Cup appearance by staging a smash-and-grab run over the last few holes to score the biggest win yet of her career – the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Troon.
At seven under par with only four holes to play the 18-year-old from Llandudo birdied the 15th, the long 16th and the short 17th to leapfrog into the lead at 10 under par and a par at the last for 215 saw her home by one shot from French teenager Perrine Delacour 216 and two from England’s Pamela Pretswell.
Best of the Irish was Leona Maguire from the Slieve Russell, who tied for fourth after finishing on 220 with rounds of 68 75 and 77. Chloe Ryan from Castletroy finished on 225 with Jessica Carty (Holywood) on 227, Gillian O’Leary (Cork) on 229, Carla Reynolds (Seapoint) on 235 and Louise Mernagh (Woodenbridge) on 237.
Delaney up to scratch at Lahinch
CARLOW'S Karen Delaney won the fifth Scratch Cup of 2012 following a countback after Leinster team-mate Mary Dowling (New Ross) matched her 36 hole total at Lahinch on Saturday.
Trailing Dowling by two shots after the first 18 holes, Delaney turned the tables with an afternoon 73 while Dowling matched Delaneys 75 in the morning.
Leinster stalwart Deirdre Smith (Co Louth) finished third after rounds of 77 and 74 while Munsters Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) was one shot further back in fourth.
The previous week’s Woodbrook event was won by home favourite Sue Phillips after firing 77 and 75 to defeat Lahinchs Sinead Sexton on countback.
Trailing Sexton by two strokes at lunchtime, Phillips closed the gap for victory over the afternoon’s 18 holes while New Ross’s Mary Dowling leap frogged the field with a best-of-the-day 73 to finish joint third.
Delaney’s victory at Lahinch takes her 10 points clear on 124 points in the ILGU/Titleist Ladies Scratch Cup Circuit.
Co Louth’s Smith is second on 114 with Dowling on 104 points with just one event to play at Hermitage next weekend.
Also in the race for top spot are Carla Reynolds on 100 points, Gillian O’Leary on 98 and Sarah Cunningham with 94.
Mount Juliet set to host Irish PGA in October
ONE of Ireland’s best known golf resorts Mount Juliet will play host to this year’s Irish PGA Championship from October 11th-14th when it brings down the curtain on the year.
A 102-strong field will contest the championship which has more than 100 years of history and has been won by some of Ireland’s greatest players including Fred Daly, Harry Bradshaw, Christy O’Connor snr, Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth, Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Philip Walton.
Organisers are expecting another strong entry for the tournament, won last year by Simon Thornton who is playing on the European Tour.
Irish region secretary Michael McCumiskey said: “Mount Juliet is regarded as one of the best golf resorts in the world and we are delighted they are hosting the Irish PGA Championship in 2012.”
Mount Juliet boasts a rich tournament history and was the venue for the Irish Open from 1993 to 1995 and two World Golf Championships where Tiger Woods and Ernie Els triumphed.
McCumiskey added: “Mount Juliet always have the course in pristine condition . . . We look forward to staging another successful championship.”
Because of the numbers who wish to play in the event it is necessary to stage qualifying rounds, and they will be held at Mount Juliet on September 4th and 25th.
Hurley triumphs at Tenby GC
GARY HURLEY from West Waterford won the Golden Eagle Trophy at Tenby GC. Hurley had two rounds of 72 for a 144 total. Luke Thomas (Pontypridd) was second with Lee Jones (Conwy) in third, both with a combined gross score of 149. Also with a score of 149, but just losing out on countback, was Co Sligo’s Gary McDermott.
Other Irish scores were Steffan O’Hara (Co Sligo) 156, Ryan McKinstry (Cairndhu) 158, Stephen Walsh (Baltinglass) 159 and Patrick McCrudden (Royal Portrush) 160. Rounds three and four for the Trubshaw Cup set for Ashburnham GC on Sunday had to be cancelled due to severe weather conditions.
All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge
THE 13th annual All-Ireland GAA Golf Challenge will take place at Waterford Castle this September.
The event, launched by GAA president Liam O’Neill yesterday at Waterford City Hall, will see all profits raised this year going to the Waterford Hospice and the Alzheimers Society. The Challenge – which is still looking for a mainline sponsor and which was won by Galway club Sarsfields last year – is a two-day competition contest by four-person teams with GUI handicaps representing their GAA clubs on a fourball-betterball basis.
The event will be held at Waterford Castle GC from Thursday, September 13th to Saturday, September 15th.
Teams from Chicago, New York, the UK and Europe will compete this year. A new one-day singles competition has been added to the weekend. Open to men and women, details are available from Liam Daniels at gaagolf@eircom.net or on 087 2746271.
