Short Game

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

O'Donoghue's book hits a spot

BBC golf interviewer Shane O’Donoghue’s book Legends in their Spare Time has been re-released for Christmas, with the added bonus of a free CD. The book catalogues the life and sporting times of nine of Ireland’s finest amateur golfers, including Joe Carr, Jimmy Bruen and Philomena Garvey.

“The interviews are what formed the basis of the book. So it was good to be able to bring the voices behind many of the quotes and stories in the book to life in this way,” said O’Donogue.

“Many of those interviewed have passed away, so the CD is a nostalgic reminder of some of the incredible characters who have inspired not only today’s star players, but contributed hugely to the development of the game in Ireland,” added O’Donoghue.

Of the nine golfers featured in this first volume, ODonoghue interviewed eight of them and clips of those interviews can now be heard for the first time along with contributions from such well-known names as Pádraig Harrington, Peter Alliss, Christy O’Connor Senior, John Jacobs and Paul McGinley.

Legends in their Spare Time, which is a hardback publication, is in Easons and all good book shops nationwide for €25.

Giles and McGovern enjoy rare victory in Texas

THERE was Irish success recently at The Colonial Club in Texas when Robert Giles and Brendan McGovern were victorious in the TGI Golf/Nike Oven Fourball Championship. The Irish pair made the trip to the US to compete in the event organised by Nike Golf and TGI Golf, Europe’s leading buying group for golf professionals.

And they beat off the challenges from England and Scotland to take the spoils.

McGovern, from Headfort GC in Kells, and Giles, from Greenore Golf Club in Co Louth, scored an impressive 42 points to win the competition and claim a single-point victory over England’s Bryn Morris (Kibworth) and Mick Taylor (Shirley Park).

Scotland’s Stuart Syme (Dumfries and County) and Gary McFarlane (Clober) finished third with 38 points.

McGovern was naturally delighted to win: “The Colonial was a great course and to win there is a great feeling,” he said.

During their four-day visit to the United States, as well as playing the final, the competitors enjoyed a two-day tour of The Oven, Nike Golf’s research and development facility which is based in Fort Worth Texas.

It was a worthwhile exercise as the group were able to test out the latest equipment and see how clubs were manufactured, an insight all the professionals will hope to bring back to their own club members.

Bandon GC receive special award

BANDON GC received a special award at the annual Munster delegates meeting in Mallow for their success in the Irish Senior Cup in Castlebar.

Founded in 1909, Bandon Golf Club’s only previous success at senior level was in 1978 when they won the Munster section of the Barton Shield in Thurles. The Green Pennant eluded them on that occasion and they had to wait 32 years to reach the final stages again. This time, however, as well as being Munster champions in the Barton Shield, they had bagged the Senior Cup as well, in a unique double only done a handful of times by a select few clubs before. The deciding match in the Cork area final of the Senior Cup played at Monkstown went all the way to the ninth tie-hole.

They went on to beat Co Sligo in the semi-final and Lurgan in the final at Castlebar GC.

Gary Hurley from West Waterford was named Junior Golfer 2010, while Killarney GC won the Club of the Year award.

O'Herlihy rewarded in Spain

HILARY O’Herlihy, incoming president of Foxrock Golf Club, has returned from a rewarding trip to Spain.

O’Herlihy, who will be inaugurated as Foxrock’s president this month, was one of a team of four Irish golfers who won the recent Desert Springs Women’s Classic. The Irish Team, which included Susan Kenny (Co Louth), Kay Dunphy (Woodbrook) and Maura Gillen (Edenderry), won the five-day event by four points from a field which included golfers from all over Europe. Jersey were second and an English team third.

Desert Springs, in the south east of Spain, is the only desert-style course in Europe and was designed by former Walker Cup Captain Peter McEvoy.

THE Links Golf Society will return to the fairways on Thursday next, December 16th at Co Louth GC Baltray with a shot-gun star at 10.0am. The outing was twice postponed because of recent snow.

No joy for Irish trio in Portugal

THERE was no joy for the Irish team competing in the recent PGAs of Europe International Team Championship in Portugal.

St Margaret’s John Kelly and Eamonn Brady from Clontarf – who had won the title in 2008 – were this year joined by Glen Robinson of St Helen’s Bay in what became a 54-hole event because of poor weather conditions.

And despite improving with each round the Irish had to settle for fourth place (six under) of the 26 competing nations.

England took the title on 14-under par, with France and Scotland tied for second on 10-under par.

Song has two-shot victory over Korda

AREE Song won the LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament on Sunday, shooting a one-over-par 73 for a two-shot victory over 17-year-old Jessica Korda. Song, from South Korea, finished on six-under-par 354 at LPGA International to earn one of 20 full 2011 tour exemptions.

Korda, the daughter of former tennis star Petr Korda, closed with a 77. After playing the tournament as an amateur, Korda said after the round that she was turning pro. She will be 18 on February 27th. Top European was Dewi-Claire Schreefel from the Netherlands who has played almost all her golf in America over the past few years, starting with the US college circuit. She tied for fourth place. In joint eighth place came Spain’s Belen Mozo, another who has acquired a taste for American golf conditions through the US college circuit. Belen won both the British girls’ open amateur championship and the British women’s open amateur championship – both played in Northern Ireland – in the same year (2006).

Rookie pro Jodi Ewart, a Curtis Cup player in the 2008 St Andrews match, just failed to make the top 30, being bracketed with another player from the 2008 Curtis Cup match, Galway-born American Alison Walshe. Jodi and Alison have Category 20 membership of the LPGA Tour.