Short game

By SHAY KEENAN

Meadow triumphs in North Carolina

STEPHANIE MEADOW from Jordanstown won the highly-ranked American Junior Golf Association tournament (AJGA), The Cliffs Championship, at Walnot Cove, North Carolina, on Sunday.

Meadow, a former Irish Girls champion who is a student at the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, won by six strokes from a field of 24 top juniors with rounds of one-under-par 70 and a women’s course-record four-under-par 67 for a five-under-par total of 137.

The AJGA is the largest association of its kind with an annual junior membership of over 5,000 junior golfers (boys and girls).

In second place on 143 after rounds of 72 and 71 was Haley Stephens from South Carolina, with Mariah Stackhouse from Georgia, who shot 74 and 70, tied with Ri Hyang Park from South Carolina, who carded 71 and 73, for third place.

Sligo Grammar land double

SLIGO GRAMMAR recorded a schools double at Kirkistown Castle last week when they captured both the matchplay and strokeplay championships.

The Sligo team was led by Irish Boys International, Michael Durcan, who recorded a 3 and 2 win over Boyne’s Ciarán Boggan in the semi-final, before accounting for Aidan Walsh from CBS Dungarvan in the final.

Strandhill’s Darragh Higgins added Sligo Grammar’s second point before Durcan’s Rosses Point team-mate Barry Anderson secured the title with a 3 and 1 win over Philip Spratt.

The hero of the day in the strokeplay win was Anderson who fired a remarkable 71 in the bitterly cold, wet and windy conditions.

The impressive boys from Rosses Point posted a 228 total, with Boy international Durcan carding 78.

One shot behind was Stephen Brady.

Charleville’s Andrew Kelly shot a noteworthy 74 to ensure the runners-up spot for CBS on 241, ahead of Our Lady and St Patrick’s from Knock, Belfast, who totalled 247, while a weakened Blackrock College team finished fourth, in the absence of their star player, Irish Boys champion Paul Dunne from Greystones.

Bridges sets record at Mount Temple

RICHARD BRIDGES from Stackstown GC set a 36-hole record of 142 when winning the Mount Temple Senior Scratch Cup on Sunday. Bridges had an opening 69 and followed with a 73 to win by six shots from local Daniel Watts, who carded two rounds of 74. Another Mount Temple member, Thomas Fox, with 72 and 77 took third place on 149 from Shaun Carter of Stackstown. The nett went to Castleblayney’s Robert Hogan with 143.

ARIANA COYLE DIEZ from Elm Park will be the youngest player to tee-up in the Heatons/Sports World-sponsored Hermitage Women’s Scratch Cup on Sunday next. The 12-year-old has just returned from a three-week training session in Spain and will be keen to test her skills against some of the top players in the country.

Deirdre Smith heads a list of internationals that also include Karen O’Neill, Catherine Tucker, Karen Delaney and Mary Dowling.

Faithlegg welcomes back PGA EuroPro Tour in May

PGA EuroPro Tour regulars will be keen to triumph at Faithlegg – given the past two winners have gone on to win the Order of Merit crown.

The Irish course, which saw victories for Graeme Clark in 2007 and Noel Fox last year, is back on the schedule as the second tournament of the campaign having retained its May slot.

The tournament will run from May 13th to 15th and will be preceded by a pro-am and practice day.

The tour organisers are looking forward to going back to Faithlegg, given the success of previous visits to the course. Danny Nickless, operations manager of the PGA EuroPro Tour, said: “It’s great that Faithlegg are welcoming the Tour back to Waterford. The event has been fantastically well run in the last two years and I know the players love the course and we’re looking forward to returning to Ireland.”

Competitors will be hoping victory there will lead to further success in the season, like that enjoyed by Clark and Fox.

The Ronnie Whelan Charity Golf Classic in aid of the Myasthenia Gravis Association and the Marie Keating Foundation will take place on Friday, May 8th, at Palmerstown GC, Kildare.

Some team tee-times are available. Contact Karen Clancy at: karen.clancy@mga-charity.ie or phone 065-6838270/087-4160385.

Irish team named for New York event

THE IRISH team to compete for the Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Cup against the Metropolitan Golf Association of New York at the Portmarnock Links, on May 5th-6th is: Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Paul Dunne (Greystones), Andrew Hogan (Newlands), Dara Lernihan (Castle) and Rory McNamara (Headfort).

The first day will see the teams play foursomes in the morning and fourball matches in the afternoon, with eight singles on the second day.

The Irish team is defending the trophy which it retained following a 6-6 draw at the Trump National, Westchester in 2007.

HOME Farm Football Club are staging a Golf Classic on Friday, June 19th, at Hollywood Lakes. The purpose of the event is to raise capital for the annual up-keep and maintenance to their pitches, the cost of which is around €45,000 a year.

The club have two full-size pitches, one at Whitehall and one at Mobhi Road, plus two seven-a-side pitches at Whitehall to accommodate their 22 teams.

The cost for the golf classic is €300 per team of four. Further details from Eamon Mahon on 087-2584930 or Des Daly at 086-8058244, while openings are also available for sponsorship of holes or tees.

Lowry targets Lytham Trophy

ORDER OF MERIT leader and finalist in the West of Ireland championship, Shane Lowry, will be among the favourites for the Lytham Trophy which gets under way at Royal Lytham and St Annes on Friday.

Lowry, from Esker Hills GC, who finished third in last year’s event to England’s Matthew Haines, will be joined by Cian Curley (Newlands), Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin), Dara Lernihan (Castle) and Andrew Hogan (Newlands).

Another who should feature is Gavin Dear, of Murrayshall, who won the first event of the Scottish Order of Merit season, the Craigmillar Park Open.