SHORT GAME

GOLF:News form around Ireland compiled by Shay Keenan.

Landers leads Lismore to win

FORMER Waterford senior hurling goalkeeper Brendan Landers led his Lismore team to victory in the Munster final of the FBD GAA Golf Challenge at the Dundrum Golf and Country Club last week.

The Lismore team of Landers (14), John Whelan (10), PJ Coughlan (13) and Ritchie Ormonde (10) scored a total of 85 points, pipping Cork clubs Midleton and Mitchelstown by two points in a fiercely competitive day of golf.

Landers and Whelan scored 44 points, with the Ormonde - Coughlan combination returning a creditable 41 points.

Kilkenny reach ILGU quarter-finals

KILKENNY completed the line-up for the Suzuki-sponsored ILGU Irish Senior Cup with a 3½-1½ win over Carlow in the Midlands final at the Curragh.

In the top match, Eileen Rose Power got a vital point for Kilkenny with a 1 hole victory over Karen Delaney, while Kilkenny's other points came from Mary Dowling, a 2 and 1 winner over Aedin Murphy, and Mary Leahy-Browne, who beat Catherine Delaney.

Evelyn Crotty and Madeline Brennan halved their match, and Carmel Roche took the last match for Carlow with a 4 and 3 win over Rebecca Mulholland.

Kilkenny's reward for the victory is a meeting with Ennis in the quarter-finals at Galway GC on August 29th-30th, while Douglas, Slieve Russell and Woodbrook take the three wild-card places in the All-Ireland finals.

The quarter-final pairings are: Roscommon v Douglas; The Island v Slieve Russell; Kilkenny v Ennis; Royal Portrush v Woodbrook.

• RITA Grealish from Galway GC won the Connacht Seniors at Ballina GC. Grealish won on a countback from Tubbercurry's Mary Clarke after both finished on 33 points. Julie Loftus from Swinford won the gross.

Battle set for Bob Charles Trophy

WITH the focus this week on the British Open, it's appropriate to mention that this is the 45th anniversary of the only victory by a left-hander in the oldest major. Bob Charles, now 72, claimed the title at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1963, and this November the New Zealander will become the first lefty to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Ireland's leftys will again be competing for the coveted Bob Charles Trophy when they stage their 17th National Championships at Glasson Golf Club on Saturday, August 30th (10.30am-2pm). That prize goes to the best gross score, the National Trophy is awarded to the best nett, while the seniors (over 55) compete for the Quinlan Trophy.

Entry to the championships is first come first served. The fee for paid-up members of the association is €70, for left-handers who are not members but wish to compete it is €80, while the fee for guests - including right-handers, who are always welcome - is just €60.

The entry form can be downloaded at left-handed-golfers.com, or contact association secretary Jerry Bradley at jrbradley@eircom.net.

• HE has done it again! Greystones GC member Billie Bradshaw scored his 16th Hole in One last Friday. Is this a world record? Portmarnock member Victor Livingstone has 14 aces, as does an English golfer.

Bradshaw's latest success was at the 151-metre 11th at Greystones. His latest ace was achieved with the same club - a Titliest driver he bought from club pro Karl Holmes - which he used to score his 15th ace. This was at the 155-yard fourth at Royal County Down earlier this year.

Carnalea's Winter leads all the way 

SARAH Louise Winter from Carnalea in Antrim was an all-the- way winner of the Leinster Girls' Championship at Beaverstown GC last week.

Leading qualifier Winter, who won on a countback from Dungannon's Caoimh Quinn after they finished on 79, beat Quinn 3 and 1 in the final played in wind and rain.

In the semi-finals Winter had to go to the second tie hole to see off the challenge of Carlow's Patrice Delaney, while Quinn was a 2 and 1 winner over Warrenpoint's Tara Cribben.

The Plate final saw four- handicapper Laura McCarthy from the Muskerry club in Cork beat 12-year-old Ariana Coyle Diaz from Elm Park.

Much interest centred on the Trophy competition for handicappers 21-35. Olivia Mehaffy, a 10-year-old from Tandragee, led the qualifiers and went on to beat 12-year-old Laura Doherty from Howth by 2 and 1 in the final.

It shows Ulster golf in a healthy stated that, even without the Maguire twins, Ulster clubs had three of the six finalists.

Wicklow Boys at Greystones

GREYSTONES is the venue for the Wicklow Boys Championship on August 11th and 12th.

Begun in 1986, the event has attracted players from all four provinces as well as entries from France and Spain. Former winners include now professionals Keith Nolan and Peter Lawrie.

The club is grateful to Greystones member Jim Wood Jnr for his continued sponsorship, which means the entry fee can be maintained at €20 which includes all meals.

Entry forms are available from the Greystones GC 01-287-4136.

Moynihan, Lambe go low at LB 

LEINSTER BOYS (Interprovincials at Cork GC on July 22nd-24th): Stephen Barry (Navan), Brian Casey (Headfort), Graham Donohue (Enniscorthy), Iarlaith Keane (Malahide), Kevin Metcalfe (Mullingar), Daniel Murphy (Portarlington), Richard O'Donovan (Lucan). Non-travelling reserve: Chris Drumm (Rosslare). Captain: Joe McNamara (The Heath). Manager: John Long (Rosslare).

SOME 230 boys and girls from all parts of Ireland, ranging in age from five to 20, braved the elements for the 46th East of Ireland Junior Championship at the testing Laytown and Bettystown GC last week.

To break 80 was an achievement in the wind and rain on Tuesday and Wednesday, but Gavin Moynihan from Donabate, winner of the Becton Dickenson Cup for boys under-14, and Mark Lambe from Mannan Castle in the Bettystown Trophy for boys under-19, got under the mark with 76s.

Moynihan won by a shot from Eavan Farrell from Ardee, and by two from Balbriggan's Kean Gilbert.

Lambe won by two shots from Graham Callaghan from Seapoint (79) and Eoin Cullen of Westmanstown.

Local knowledge was vital as home players Kerry Cahill, Aveen Rooney and Sorcha Hughes filled the top places in the Drogheda Independent Cup (girls under 21).

Other winners included Eoghan Collins in the under-12 Traders Cup, Aoife Phillips in the girls under-13 LB Trophy, Cian Cummins in the under-10 O'Kelly Cup and Niall Worth from Balcarrick in the Joe Carr Trophy, while the Pee Wee Trophy (for under-8) was won by Colm Phillips from Seán Heeran and Jonathan Cummins.