A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Powerscourt host Etihad Pro-Am
POWERSCOURT GC will host the Etihad Pro-Am on Sunday next. The event will be played over the East and West courses with 56 teams in a shotgun start at 2pm.
As an added bonus to the amateur prizes, one competitor will be drawn from the field of 168 for an all-expenses-paid trip and a place in the Etihad Airways PGA Irish Region ProAm, which will take place in Abu Dhabi from October 17th to 21st 2011.
Golf Manager Bernard Gibbons said “Both courses are in excellent condition and the Pro-Am will give the professionals a good look at what to expect before the RSA Insurance Southern Championship on August 29th and 30th.”
BRITISH Open champion Darren Clarke is set to get an early Christmas gift as the next high-profile recipient of the PGA Recognition Award. The Ulsterman, who triumphed at Royal St George’s, will receive the award at the PGA’s annual luncheon on December 16th at the Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
Brennan records a notable treble
BRIAN BRENNAN, the Competition Secretary at Navan Golf Club, achieved a rare distinction recently when at his home club he won the Captain’s Prize for the third time.
The current 13 handicapper achieved his first win in 2002 when he shot a 138 total over the two days. He won the competition again in 2007 when he shot a 140.
For his latest win he went into the second day of competition having achieved a brilliant 64 on the first day. Two double bogeys on the first and second holes, however, did not affect Brian’s concentration and he went on to shoot a total of 136 for the two days’ golf, to eventually win by a single shot.
Meanwhile, Doris O’Hanrahan of Greenore in County Louth has just made it back-to-back Lady Captain’s Prize wins. This year she won Jane Savage’s prize, playing off a handicap of 26 with a score of 141. Last year she was also victorious in winning Pat Cluskey’s prize.
Morrissey makes his mark again
IN 2008, James Morrissey, a member of St Helen’s Bay in Wexford won his third Captain’s Prize in a row. Now he is on course to do it again.
Having been beaten into runners-up spot in the premier club competition in 2009 by Dermot Cahill, Morrissey refocused and went on to win the Captain’s Prize competitions in 2010 and again recently when he added Captain Tom McConalogue’s 2011 prize to his expanding trophy cabinet.
And it is all being done off a handicap of four. Morrissey shot a two-round total of 141 to win by two strokes from 12 handicapper Pat Burke, with Kevin Masterson (8) third on 144.
Beaverstown juniors prove best
THE FINGAL Juniors Team Trophy, sponsored by McGuirks Golf, again proved a great success this year with the outcome still in the balance until the final day, when Beaverstown held off all challengers to win the trophy for the fourth time and the first time since 2002.
The competition came down to the two last groups at Forrest Little with Beaverstown beating Balbriggan into second place with The Island finishing third.
Over 160 players competed for the 16 clubs over the eight weeks. The Beaverstown team of Gary Lawlor, Rob McMullen, Stephen McCarry, Liam Bohan, Darragh Brady, Sean Dowling and Conor Feeley were accompanied by junior organiser Pat MacCallion when they received the trophy and pennant. Balbriggan Captain John Scully, former Lady Captain, Barbara Kenny accepted the runners-up trophy with junior organiser Pat McGrath and team of Kean Gilbert, Jake Vickers, Stephen Sharpe, Cian Mulvaney, Tommy Doran, Dean McGarry, Wayne Lamb, Stephen Tracey and Karl Vickers.
Tony Sheridan, junior convenor at The Island accepted the third place plaque with a team of Sean Caldwell, Andrew O’Reilly, Shane Brennan, Robert Farrell, Alex Crowley and Jonathan Quinn.
Dowling's emphatic win in New Ross
MARY DOWLING and Mark Shanahan led the respective fields home at the New Ross Scratch Cups last week.
Local knowledge proved vital as Dowling set the target with an opening round of 71 and then added a 75 in heavy rain for a 146 total and what turned out to be a comfortable victory as if left Deirdre Smith from County Louth ten shots back on 156 in second place. Mary Kavanagh was next on 160.
Meanwhile, in the men’s event West Waterford’s Mark Shanahan was also into his stride early with an opening two-under-par round of 68. He then added an impressive round of 74 in the difficult conditions for a 142 total which was good enough for a one-shot winning margin over Mark Mullen from Wexford and Paul O’Hara from Kilkenny. Alan Furness from the host club New Ross won the nett with 146.
MARTIN and Daniel Connolly from the Olympic Club in San Francisco, won the World Invitational Father and Son Tournament at Waterville GC recently.
The USA pair won convincingly from previous champions Robert and Rudy Butler from Adare Golf Club in Limerick. Bruce and Conor Qvale (USA) won the Plate, in a play-off from Gene and Joe Pizzolato (USA) in an event which attracted 80 teams from seven different countries.
Hood makes name for himself in Boys' Close
THE NAME Jordan Hood may not be well known in Irish golfing circles, but the Galgorm Castle youngster has sprung to the forefront following his convincing win in the Irish Boys’ Close Championship at Ardee GC last week.
Hood started with a round of 70 but slipped back with a second round of 76 to leave him seven shots adrift of the halfway leader Peter McKeever of Castle GC.
However, on the final day, his morning round of 68 was the best of the 51 qualifiers and he followed with an excellent one-over-par 72 in blustery conditions for a 286 total to win by one from Clandeboye’s William Russell and Dermot McElroy from Ballymena.
CARTON HOUSE won their first green pennant when they defeated Co Sligo 5½-1½ in the final of the PGA Southern Branch-sponsored Fred Daly Championship at Ardee Golf Club.
Carton House got off to a flying start with Keith Egan scoring a 5 and 4 win over Declan Reidy before Irish boys international Conor Glynn added a second point with a one hole win over Seán Flanagan.
Harry Coyne brought the Leinster champions’ tally to three with a one hole win over Alan Gaynor and Seán O’Connor beat David Brady 2 and 1 to add the decisive point and secure the trophy.
In the semi-finals Carton House beat Balmoral 5-2, while Sligo beat Mallow by the same margin.
