Last eight for Barton CupFrom an original entry of 126 teams the FBD-sponsored Barton Cup is down to the last eight with the holders Vartry Lakes still going strongly. In an all Wicklow quarter-final the Roundwood side take on the 1990 winners, Baltinglass. Callan and Enniscorthy meet in another Kilkenny v Wexford clash while in the other half Royal Tara meet St Margaret's and Kilcoole await the winners of Sutton and Malahide. Quarter-final matches are to be played by July 21st with the semi-finals on or before August 11th.
Lyons' record not enough
Joe Lyon's course record of 67 wasn't enough to give him first place in the captain's (Paddy O'Dowd) Prize qualifying at Courtown over the weekend. Four handicapper Lyons set a new mark of 67 but his nett 63 was only good enough for second place after Colm Barns, off 12, led the qualifiers home with a 61. On a low scoring day the top two were followed home by Mick Carty (12), Barry Symes (5), Kieran Kenny (14) and Mick O'Reilly (10) with 67s. Scores up to 74 qualified for next Saturday's final day.
Local knowledge paid off for Darragh Mulligan at Donabate on Saturday when he finished three shots clear in the Cotter Cup. Mulligan, off a 16 handicap, shot 64 to win from Joe Dignam on 67 with Michael Ryder next on 69. The gross went to Greg Flanagan with a 76.
Campbell targets hat-trick
Peggy Campbell will have her sights set on a third pitch and putt major in a row when she tees-up in the Lunch and Manning Ltd-sponsored All-Ireland Women's Strokeplay Championship at the RGSC this weekend. As holder of the matchplay final where she beat Bernadette Coffey in the final a few weeks ago, Campbell will be keen to retain the strokeplay title. Coffey will not be playing at the RGSC but Ann Hall, the 2001 runner-up, and Stella Sheridan, who placed third last year, will be looking for a better return.
Multiple Munster champion, Lakewood's Lily Carroll, will travel with high hopes along with Meath intercounty player Catherine McCreevy, Leinster champion Geraldine Ward and Mairead O'Toole (Poulaphouca), the national intermediate champion. Some of the likely contenders in the intermediate championship are Sarah Lee Carroll (Erry), Ann Thomas (Lucan), Deirbhile Ni Dhraighneain and Mags Horan (ESB).
O'Rourke begins journey
Pauric O'Rourke won the gross prize in the fourball with Damien Burke at Portumna GC on Sunday but it may be his last as an amateur. O'Rourke, who is serving an apprenticeship in Black Bush GC under the watchful eye of Eoin O'Grady plans to turn professional in September. This week O'Rourke is off to The Belfry to start his introduction to the paid ranks. Joe Slattery and Matt Donoghue won the open fourball event on a countback from Pat Looney and Mike Lydon after both finished on 44 points. Meanwhile, Castlewarden will take part in their first All-Ireland finals when they represent Leinster in the Pierce Purcell Shield in Galway in September. In the Leinter finals at Glen of the Downs on Saturday Castlewarden beat Abbeyleix in the semi-final and then accounted for Clontarf, winners over Ardee, in the final.
Langan's on tour for worthy cause
Lahinch in Co Clare will be the latest port of call this afternoon for a group of golfers from across the Atlantic, who are here for the second successive year. Organised by owners Des O'Brien and John Mahon, the group of 20 from Langan's Bar and Restaurant in New York are in Ireland hoping to raise as much money as possible for charity. Sixteen made the trip 12 months ago and held a Ryder Cup style tournament at the Old Head of Kinsale course. This year corporate sponsorship has been brought in with Anheuser Busch, Marsh and McLennan, UST Inc among the US companies involved. All money raised - and the target is a minimum of $10,000 - will be donated to charity with the World Trade Centre Fund the most likely recipient. Many of those here this week have competed in the fundraiser Langan's held last October for the local firehouse (who lost 13 at the World Trade Centre) in which $40,000 was raised for the victims' families.
A number of the group are staying in Ireland next week and will take part in a fundraiser for the Boys Hope/Girls Hope event at the K Club next Tuesday. Having played Portmarnock Links, The European Club and Druids Glen since their arrival in Dublin last Saturday, they will tackle Waterville, Ballybunion and the Old Head of Kinsale before departing next Sunday.
History repeats for Aherne
They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but for Ann Aherne it certainly has in more ways than one. Last Saturday the 15-handicapper won Ann Quinlan's Lady Captain's Prize in Waterville with a score of 36 points, a score that by chance wasn't the best of the day. That honour went to Mary Shanahan (26) who recorded 39 points, but having played just two qualifying events, she wasn't eligible to claim the Captain's Prize and had to settle for runners-up spot, thus leaving Aherne as the winner.
By a strange coincidence, Saturday's victory was the second time Aherne had claimed victory in such a way. Nine years ago, back in 1993, Ahern had won the then Lady Captain Abina Quirke's prize in similar fashion, as Nancy Dee had a better score on the day, but again hadn't the required number of returned cards to win. Certainly a quirky double success for Aherne, who will no doubt hope to make it a hat-trick in the years ahead.
Monaghan weathers storm
The conditions may not have been conducive to good golf, but that didn't prevent Declan Monaghan and two-handicapper David Scully providing a thrilling final to the prestigious Costello Cup at Galway on Sunday. The matchplay final had been postponed from the previous Sunday because of horrendous conditions, yet Sunday's final went ahead in equally poor weather. However, both players produced some excellent golf as the final went all the way to the wire before 15-handicapper Monaghan eventually triumphed on the 18th green to finally see off the brave challenge of Scully.
Meanwhile, it was equally close in the matchplay tournament for the Galway club's seniors with the ever-consistent Mick Dowd (5) claiming the Hartmann Cup beating Serge Bruzzi with a birdie on the 19th hole.
