Short game

ISC give ILGU €204,316 grant: THE Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU) has received €204,316 as part of the Irish Sports Council's (ISC) National Governing Body Grants, announced by ISC chairman Kieran Mulvey last week.

The ISC High Performance Grant of €118,000, same as in 2010, will help top women golfers compete on a world stage, while an Administration Grant of €46,316 will support the core activities of the Union. The Women in Sport Grant of €40,000, will continue to support the very successful ISC programme, which encourages women and girls of all ages to take up the game.

While the grants will aid the ILGU high performance programme and the day-to-day workings of the Union, they will also support the game’s development at grassroots level. The ILGU will continue to develop the country’s underage players, a programme that sees 500 promising juniors receive regular coaching. The successful Women in Golf initiative, which has already enrolled over a thousand beginners, is also set to go from strength to strength as a result of the grant.

The funding package for 2011 totals €25.6 million, which will be invested in 57 national governing bodies of sport, including 18 high performance sports and 32 local sports partnerships.

Pepperrell pips Verselin in Portugal

EDDIE Pepperrell was a one-shot winner of the Portuguese Amateur Open Championship at Montado Golf Club. The England international had rounds of 68, 69 and 72 for a three-round total of seven-under-par 209 to win by one from Jean-Pierre Verselin of France, whose final round of 67 left him just one short on 210.

Italy’s Domenico Geminiani, Daan Huizing from the Netherlands and Edouard Espana from France shared third place on 211. Espana shot a best of the tournament 64 in the final round. Best of the Irish were Paul Cutler and Dermot McElroy in 24th place on two-over-par 218.

Cutler had rounds of 73, 73 and 72 while McElroy shot 72, 72 and 74. Reeve Whitson was a shot further back on 219 after rounds of 70, 78 and 71.

Alan Dunbar finished on 221 after carding 72, 77 and 72, Wayne Telford had rounds of 78, 70 and 77 for 225, while Eddie McCormack after opening with 76 and 74 fired a final round of 81.

GUI allows distance-measure devices

THE Golfing Union of Ireland has allowed Distance-Measuring Devices (DMD) to be used in all competitions this year, including provincial and national championships and all cup and shield events, both at provincial and national level.

When a GUI event is held at a golf club – the GUI Local Rules and Tournament Conditions take precedence over the Club Local Rules.

If a golf club wishes to permit Distance-Measuring Devices in their own competitions, it must adopt a local rule that permits their use.

A Distance-Measuring Device must only measure distance. if a player uses a device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play, the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, regardless of whether any such function is used.

The full wording is below, as it appears in GUI Tournament Conditions for all events.

“A player may obtain distance information by using a device that measures distance only. If during a stipulated round, a player uses a distance-measuring device that is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect his play (e.g. gradient, wind speed, temperature etc.) the player is in breach of Rule 14-3, for which the penalty is disqualification, regardless of whether any such additional function is actually used.”

Radical overhaul for PGA play-offs and overseas first

THE end of season PGA play-offs – which determine the number one ranked player in the PGA – has undergone a radical overhaul.

Now in its sixth year, the showpiece event has had a triple boost as it has received new sponsorship from Titleist, been expanded to 54 holes, and will be staged overseas for the first time, on the PGA Sultan Course at Antalya Golf Club in Turkey.

The tournament, which offers the leading finishers entry to a handful of the European Tour’s blue chip events, including the BMW PGA Championship, will be staged from November 22nd to 24th.

The top three ranked players from each of the PGA’s seven regional Order of Merit circuits will qualify for the €17,800 event.

THE death occurred last week of Desmond Rea O’Kelly, past president and honorary secretary of the Golfing Union of Ireland.

President for the GUI’s centenary in 1991, Rea O’Kelly served for 17 years as an officer of the Union, having also held the post of honorary secretary from 1975–1989.

Prior to his presidency, Rea O’Kelly devoted 33 years to golf administration for his club Howth, the Leinster Branch and Central Council.

He continued to be involved in all aspects of union life and attended annual general meetings until 2010. A successful architect, his best known work includes Dublin’s landmark building Liberty Hall.

Clubs sign up to promote Solheim

THE Club Ambassador Programme for the forthcoming Solheim Cup has proved successful with over 100 clubs registering on line to be involved. The role of the ambassador is to promote the event in their club and to communicate with members on how to attend the event. All club ambassadors are now being invited to attend information meetings about the Solheim Cup. The first of those meetings – which will be staged over the coming weeks – takes place tomorrow in Killeen Castle, which will, of course, host the Solheim Cup in September.

Details and list of ambassador meetings: www.ilgu.ie.

Gleeson takes latest Hilary honours

ON a testing day at Portmarnock Links, the Castle’s Alex Gleeson emerged the winner with a nett 71, off a one handicap, in the second RaboDirect-sponsored Hilary Golf Society outing of 2011.

Gleeson had just one shot to spare over Fergal O’Connell, a six-handicapper from Forrest Little, on 72, while third was Jim Toal (6) from St Anne’s with a 73, winning on the back nine.

The best gross of the day again was Forrest Little’s plus-two handicapper Eoin Arthurs with 72, this despite a double bogey on the 17th hole.

The professional prize was won by Robert Giles of Greenore with a 71, while the team prize was won by Giles, Clem Walshe from Dundalk and Joe Hutton from Corrstown with an eight-under-par 64.

The next outing for the society is on Sunday, March 6th in Seapoint GC and the timesheet will be open during the week by application to hilarygolf@gmail.com.