Short Game

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Maguire wins Vagliano singles

LEONA MAGUIRE and Scotland’s Pamela Pretswell were the only home players to win the singles matches as the Continent of Europe team won the Vagliano Trophy 15½-8½ for the third time in a row in the biennial women’s amateur international golf match over two days at Royal Porthcawl’s windswept links in South Wales.

It was the biggest victory margin achieved by the Continent of Europe in the history of the event, which was first played in 1959.

Britain and Ireland’s previous lowest points total was in 2007 at Fairmont St Andrews where the Continent of Europe won 15-9. Maguire also teamed up with Danielle McVeigh to win their fouromes match.

The Continent of Europe also won the inaugural under-16 girls’ match by 13 points to five.

- Record-breaking US Open champion Rory McIlroy will return to the Killarney GC for this year’s Irish Open, offering golf fans the thrill of a lifetime – to play alongside him in the tournament pro-am.

Ticket purchasers for this year’s event, to be played over the August Bank Holiday weekend, from July 28th-31st, can enter a competition to win a place in golf’s newest and most exciting Major Champion’s Pro-Am Team on Wednesday, July 27th.

Moynihan impresses in Kent

THE ISLAND’S Gavin Moynihan, who previously played his golf in Donabate, finished in joint second place in the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters at Nizels Golf Club in Hildenborough, Kent, last week.

The youngster shot rounds of 70, 69, 70 and 70 to finish the 72-hole tournament on a very impressive nine-under-par total of 279.

Sadly, he narrowly missed out on victory, finishing just a shot adrift of the winner, who was Toby Tree from Worthing, with Moynihan second alongside South Africa’s Haydn Porteous.

Of the rest of the Irish competing at the event, Rathsallagh’s Jack Hume finished on 283 in a tie for seventh place after rounds of 68, 72, 70 and 73, while Elm Park’s Keagan Cummins was on 292 after rounds of 75, 70, 75 and 72.

The three other Irish in the field – Jamie Richardson from Royal Portrush, Liam Harnett from Milltown and Alex Gleeson from the Castle missed the cut.

Giles and Mortimer to face US

TWO Irish professional players have been selected by Britain and Ireland PGA Cup captain Russell Weir as part of the 10-man team to tackle their United States counterparts in September’s three-day event.

Greenore’s Robert Giles and David Mortimer from Galway are part of the team.

This year’s PGA Cup match – which is for the Llandudno Trophy – takes place at the CordeValle Resort in California from September 16th to 18th.

Weir will be aiming to become the first man in the history of the event to mastermind a PGA Cup victory on American soil since the club professionals’ equivalent of the Ryder Cup was first played in 1973 at Pinehurst.

The British and Irish team came close to ending that run during their last visit to the States in 2007 when they lost 13½ to 12½ at Reynolds Plantation in Georgia.

The US were also victorious when the event was played in 2009 at Loch Lomond.

The full British and Irish team is: Robert Giles (Greenore), Craig Goodfellow (Carlisle DR), Gary Brown (Ganton), Simon Edwards (Windermere), Christopher Gill (Exeter), David Mortimer (Galway), David Shacklady (Mossock Hall), Stuart Little (Minchinhampton), Matt Morris (Walmley) and John Wells (Cherry Burton).

Jones likely to pose threat to McElroy’s title defence

DEFENDING Champion Sheena McElroy, fresh from her success in winning the lady captain’s prize at the Grange, will seek her second title in three years when competitors tee-up at the ILGU’s Senior Women’s Close Championship, which gets under way at Adare Manor Golf Club today.

Past International Helen Jones (Strabane) looks the most likely to pose a threat to McElroy’s title defence having won the Irish Senior’s Open Strokeplay and finished second at the European Senior Championships last year.

Jones is in impressive form on the women’s amateur circuit and is odds-on to capture the title on Thursday afternoon. Fellow past internationals Mary McKenna (Donabate) and Rhona Brennan (Bandon) will join Mary Madden (Ballinasloe), Violet McBride (Belvoir Park), Pat Doran (Donabate), Valerie Hassett (Ennis) and Pauline Walsh (Headfort) as the most likely to feature on the final day.

In a revised format, competitors will play 18 holes over the parkland layout at Adare Manor today and tomorrow with the top eight qualifying for matchplay that afternoon. Two more matchplay rounds will see the Champion crowned on Thursday afternoon, while a Plate will be run for a further eight qualifiers.

An additional incentive for the field this year will be the valuable Order of Merit points on offer.

Irish team selections

THE team to represent Ireland in the European Boys’ Amateur Team Championship to be held at Zbraslav Golf Club, Prague from July 5th-9th is: Alex Gleeson (Castle), Liam Harnett (Milltown), Jack Hume (Rathsallagh), Gary Hurley (West Waterford), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena) and Gavin Moynihan (The Island). The team captain is Liam Martin.

The team to represent Ireland in the European Amateur Team Championship at Oceanico Victoria Golf Club, Portugal on July 5th-9th is: Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little), Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Paul Dunne (Greystones), Pat Murray (Limerick), Kevin Phelan (Waterford Castle). The team captain is Dr Kevin Flanagan.

McCormack triumphs on home track

LOCAL knowledge proved vital as Eddie McCormack led the field home in last week’s Galway Scratch Cup. The plus-two handicapper McCormack hit a 143 total for the 36-hole event – four clear of Dromoland’s Tony Cleary. Keith Crowley finished on 148, with Damien Coyne on 150 and Declan Reidy on 153.

The nett prize went to four-handicapper Ronan Mullarney on 144, while the best 18s went to Denis Melia and Mike Burke in the nett, and Tom Nolan and John Neary gross.

THE inaugural Portmarnock Golf Club Boys Invitation Trophy will take place on Tuesday, July 5th.

The event is an 18-hole competition over the championship course for boys under-18 years of age with a handicap of 12 or less.

Some 28 clubs from all four province, with two representatives each, will take part, and the timesheet runs from 9am until 12pm.