Short game

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

Strong interest in 2015 Solheim Cup

NINE parties have expressed their desire to host the 2015 Solheim Cup when the event takes place in Europe. Next year’s event will take place at Killeen Castle from September 23rd to 25th, but when it returns to this side of the Atlantic there are a number interested candidates.

Six venues have announced their intentions to host the bi-annual transatlantic women’s matchplay tournament – Prosper Golf Resort in Celadna, Czech Republic; Gut Kaden Golf und Land Club, Hamburg, Germany; Sport SPA Resort A-ROSA, Scharmützelsee, Sporting Club Berlin, Germany; La Manga Club, Región de Murcia, Spain; and Q Hotels Forest Pines Resort, North Lincolnshire in England.

Additionally, there is a bid by Costa Del Sol in Spain, which would allow the Ladies European Tour to select the most suitable venue in the region, as well as three other bids by interested parties who wish at this stage to remain anonymous.

Tour officials are thrilled at the interest shown. “Obviously the Ladies European Tour is thoroughly delighted with the level of interest these parties have expressed in the 2015 Solheim Cup, showing the strength and stature of the tournament and popularity of women’s golf,” said Mark Casey, director of operations and the Solheim Cup for the Ladies European Tour.

Sutton's 'unique place in Irish golf' is published

A Unique Place in Irish Golfis a new history of Sutton Golf Club which documents the life and times of the nine-hole club that has left an indelible mark on Irish golf for more than 100 years.

The book, which is written by club member Roddy Guiney, tells the story of a remarkable club in words and pictures. The book is available for purchase from Sutton Golf Club.

The story begins in 1890 when Lord Howth gave permission to a Mr McAdam, for him and his friends to play golf at Cush Point. Little did anyone know back then that those lands would eventually become famous all over the golfing world as the home of Sutton Golf Club. That they did is undoubtedly down to the golfing exploits of the legendary Joe Carr, or JB as he was more affectionately known.

But JB is only part of the Sutton story, a story that now goes back well over 100 years. Willie Gill, another Sutton international, and Michael Fitzpatrick, a member of so many great Sutton teams, both went on to become presidents of the Golfing Union of Ireland. Catherine Booth became president of the Ladies Golf Union.

Then there were those great Sutton teams of the 1940s and 1950s that dominated club golf with a string of senior club titles and with three members of the team playing for Ireland at the same time. Life has never been dull at Sutton – most definitely “a unique place in Irish golf”.

Irish duo enter pre-qualifier

TWO Irish players – one amateur and one professionals – have signed up for the Ladies European Tour Qualifying School pre-qualifying tournament over the South Course at La Manga Club, Murcia, in south-east Spain from November 29th to December 2nd.

Amateur Danielle McVeigh, a member of the 2010 Curtis Cup team, will join professional Tara Delaney in the field at La Manga. There is a huge entry of 171 players, including former English amateur champion Charlie Douglas and current Welsh champion Tara Davies.

The LET Final Qualifying School is also at La Manga, starting on December 15th.

Flattery claims one-point victory

LAYTOWN and Bettystown was the venue last Tuesday as the annual Irish Golf Club and Club Managers Association hamper competition took place.

And taking the plaudits on a day of good scoring was Athenry’s Pádraig Flattery, although it was a close-run thing.

The 12-handicapper had the best score of the members as he fired 33 points. That was good enough for a one-point winning margin over 20 handicapper Gerry Coleman of Woodenbridge.

Seán O’Neill, playing off a handicap of 15 and from Mount Juliet, was third on 31 points, with Ennis’ Pat McCarthy (17) third on 30 points, while Hugh Keegan from Killiney was fifth on 29 points.

In the visitors section the scoring was a little higher, with the 36 points from Mallow’s Michael Higgins enough to edge out Tom Dwyer (15) from Beaverstown, with Michael Flattery (15) from Athenry a further point back in third.

Errity secures senior tour card

IRISH amateur Pat Errity of the European Club secured one of the six places at the European Senior Tour Qualifying School final stage in Portugal last week, earning playing rights for the 2011 season finishing in a tie for second – five shots behind American Tim Thelen – after carding a five-under-par final round of 66.

“I’m delighted to get my card as it has been a target of mine for a few years now,” said Errity. “I hit the ball out of bounds on the eighth hole but then holed from 140 yards with my next shot. The crowd thought it was an eagle! That kept my round going and I played well after that.”

Errity will turn professional before he joins the senior tour in March when he celebrates his 50 birthday.

Thelen fired a closing-round 65 to lead the 16 graduates who gained cards for the 2011 European Senior Tour – five strokes clear of Errity and Swede Peter Dahlberg.

Thelen, who had led the qualifiers from first stage at Gramacho, gains full playing rights along with Errity, Dahlberg, Chilean Angel Fernandez, Scotland’s Fraser Mann and Spain’s Manuel Moreno. While the leading six players gain full cards for for 2011, a further 10 players, including Northern Ireland’s Jimmy Hegarty, secured alternate cards.

Donabate GC honour McKenna

DONABATE GC, the home club of Mary McKenna, honoured the Irish golfing legend at a special function in the clubhouse on Saturday.

The presentation was made by Minister for Sport Mary Hanafin to mark McKenna’s distinguished career in world golf.

One of Ireland’s leading female amateurs, the Donabate player won eight Irish Close Championships between 1969 and 1989, and participated in nine successive Curtis Cup matches between 1970 and 1986 and 10 Vagliano Trophies before taking on the role of captain of the Vagliano Trophy team in 1995 and 2009, and the Curtis Cup in 2008 and 2010, as well as the captaincy of the Junior European team in 2006.

McKenna, who played in the home internationals from 1968 to 1991 and again in 1993, lists amongst her many other achievements victories in the British Seniors Open back in 2001 and the Spanish Seniors Open in 2006.