Maybin out of luckFormer Irish amateur international Gareth Maybin failed by just one shot to qualify for the final stages of the US PGA Tour Final Qualifying School on Saturday.
Competing in the stage two eliminator at Hombre Golf Club, Panama City Beach, in Florida, Maybin shot rounds of 69, 76, 73 and 70 for a total of 288 - one outside the cut for the 20 places available at 287.
Skip Kendall led the qualifiers for the final qualifying at Winter Garden, Florida, from November 30th to December 5th, with a 275 total after rounds of 68, 67, 71 and 69. Others to make it through were former US Masters champion Larry Mize (279), Philip Price of Wales (281) and Scotland's Joe Hendry, who fired a six-under-par 66 in the final round to make the top 20 at 282. Hendry, based at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, birdied the first, fourth, seventh, ninth, 13th, 16th and 17th. He had a bogey at the second.
Duo are US bound
Two of Ireland's young stars, Niall Kearney from Royal Dublin and Séamus Power from West Waterford, will join the US collegiate circuit next season. The pair, who have represented Ireland at boys and youth level, have both signed letters of intent to play for East Tennessee State University next season, where Limerick's Cian McNamara is already a student.
Power won the Irish Youths title this year and finished fourth in the Irish Open Strokeplay Championship, which qualified him for a place among the professionals in the Irish Open at Carton House. Kearney won the Boys Championship.
Made to measure
The United States Golf Association (USGA) will not adopt the new local rule allowing the use of distance-measuring devices at its championships or qualifying rounds in 2006. However, the association will review the matter annually. Even though the USGA will not adopt this local rule in its championships, it recognises state and local associations, tournament committees and individual courses may choose to adopt it.
This local rule allowing the use of distance-measuring devices will be available for use by committees beginning next January 1st. Decision 14-3/0.5 Local Rule Permitting Use of Distance-Measuring Device allows a Committee to establish a local rule permitting players to use devices that measure distance only.
Northern lights
Donegal's Dara McGowan and Down teenager Danielle McVeigh were honoured at last week's ILGU Northern District agm at Shandon Park. McVeigh (Kilkeel and Royal Co Down Ladies) was presented with the Irish Junior Golfer of the Year trophy and also the Ulster award, after a highly successful season at home and abroad.
Among the trophies she collected in 2005 were the Irish Girls' Championship and the Ulster Girls' Championship awards. She finished sixth in the Young German Masters and reached the latter stages of the British Girls' Championship.
It was her consistency that landed McGowan the Order of Merit title. Playing out of Ballybofey/Stranorlar, she had high finishes in the Irish Close Championship and both the Zara Bolton Scratch Cup at Royal Portrush and the Royal County Down Ladies Silver Salver. Ulster champion Gemma Hegarty from Greencastle finished second with Maura Diamond (Royal Portrush) third.
Dwyer delivers
Ashbourne professional John Dwyer made an excellent start to the Boyne Links Alliance season when he scooped the top award at Laytown and Bettystown last week. Dwyer fired a five-under-par 67 to win the professional prize by two shots from Leslie Walker (Dundalk), with Finian Dwyer (Celbridge DR) 70 and John Dignam (Slade Valley) 71, taking the other prizes.
Locals Ronan Laverty and Jason Somers filled the top places in the amateur section. Laverty fired 38 points to win the nett, while teenager Somers shot level par for 36 points. Another Laytown and Bettystown member, George Durnian, was second in the nett with Gerry Carney (Beech Park) third. Greg Bowden (Hermitage) lost out to Somers on a countback for the gross prize. The team award went to Finian Dwyer with Mark Cooney and Liam Hanlon (Carton House) with 48 points.
Meanwhile, scoring was excellent in the Christy O'Connor Junior Oyster Society outing to Castlebar. The top-five players all shot 39 points with victory, on the countback, going to Co Sligo's Jim McGill. Michael Dunleavy (Galway) took second place from another Galway member, Gerry Purcell. John Freeman (Ballaghaderreen) won the gross with 29 points. Strandhill's scratch golfer Adrian Wynne took the visitor's prize with 36 points.
The society's annual Christmas outing takes place at Connemara GC, Ballyconneely on December 1st. Places on the timesheet are available from David O'Donnell on 091-529609.
Turner leads way in US
Niall Turner of Muskerry is making waves in the US. Only recently the University of Minnesota student finished ninth in the Landfall Tradition Tournament collegiate event in Wilmington with rounds of 67, 79 and 74. In September, at the Duke Classic in Raleigh, North Carolina, he finished 25th with rounds of 72, 72 and 74, while at the Big Ten/Pacific Ten Challenge in Chicago he finished 14th (75, 69, 73). This season he has won the Gopher Invitational with rounds of 73, 70 and 72. In the collegiate statistics in the US he is ranked 39th and is the leading Irish student in America.
Clarkes are in control
Darren Clarke wasn't just winning in Japan over the weekend, but also many miles away at Elmgreen GC in Castleknock. Confused? Well, while the Ryder Cup star was successfully defending his Taiheiyo Masters title there was another Darren Clarke winning the 14-hole singles competition at Elmgreen on Sunday. The two-handicapper shot 28 points to win on a countback over the last seven holes. The four class winners were Frank Boyne (9) with 28 points, Peter Burns (11) with 26 points, Ray O'Kelly (14) with 27 points and Robert Pierce (17) with 28 points.
Agm reminder
A reminder to all golf societies that the agm of Dugsa takes place on Monday, November 28th, at Clontarf GC (8pm).
Murphy makes mark
Arklow's incoming Lady Captain Siobhan Murphy is not letting the prospect of her term in office for 2006 stand in the way of good golf. Last week in the seniors competition at the Co Wicklow club this year's lady vice-captain made light of the wet and windy conditions to fire 33 points and take the top prize by two points from Denise Byrne, Monica Sandilands and Marie Rogan. Meanwhile, after a tough season of competition, Ann Hoey was winner of the singles matchplay title for 2005.
skeenan@irish-times.ie
