The short game

A brief look at the world of golf today

Ryan getting back to business

JEAN RYAN has been enjoying the past 12 months or so off the course, having been Lady Captain of Adare Manor. However, she had success recently on the course when she won the weekly singles competition, shooting 30 points in the 15-hole competition off a handicap of 20, for a two-point win over Nell Madden (33).

And another Lady Captain in good form was Stackstown's Muriel O'Shea, who last week, playing off 23, won the weekly singles competition with a fine score of 38 points, two better than Joan O'Brien (19), with Mary Grogan (20) third on 34 points.

Today is the closing date for Connacht clubs to enter the 2009 Provincial and National Cups and Shields.

The draws for the events will be made live in the McWilliam Park Hotel, Claremorris, Co Mayo, on November 7th at 7.30pm.

Golf Trust ready for applications

THE Team Ireland Golf Trust scheme, which was established to assist Irish professional golfers in the early stages of their careers, is inviting applications for funding for 2009. The scheme, administered by the Irish Sports Council, provides financial and non-financial support to professional tour golfers, both male and female, wishing to achieve success at an International level.

Application forms and details of the scheme are available from: Team Ireland Golf Trust at 01-8608800 extn: 8813 or 8812. Fax: 01 860 8880 Email: info@irishsportscouncil.ie. The closing date is November 14th.

McGreal makes knowledge count

THE Leinster Alliance held their first outing of the season at the new Dun Laoghaire GC, with Tony Frew from the Grange taking over as captain. All members were very impressed by the course and the facilities. And this was reflected in the scoring of the Tipperary Crystal- sponsored event.

Out of a field of 109 players, local knowledge proved decisive as John McGreal, off a nine handicap, returned an excellent 36 points to pip Andy Kershaw (8) from Carrickmines, with Ger Hutchinson (5) from Old Conna next on 34. Mick Furlong from Arklow edged out Denis McCormack from Delgany for fourth place on the back nine after both finished on 33 points.

Mark Clifford (3) from Lucan won the gross with 33 points from David Round (Dun Laoghaire) on 32 and Mark Ryan (Ashbourne) on 31.

The Alliance's next outing is at Portmarnock Links on November 9th. Contact: Michael Neary at 01-2827287 or m@irishgolfbooks.com

Lee the world's top amateur in 2008

NEW ZEALAND'S Danny Lee was presented with the Mark H McCormack Medal during the World Amateur Team Championships to commemorate his achievement in finishing the season as the world's top-ranked amateur.

Lee's extraordinary season has left him well clear at the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and earns him exemptions to next year's British Open Championship, US Open and a likely invitation to the US Masters.

The 18-year-old, who was born in Korea but moved to Rotorua when he was nine, started his climb up the rankings early in 2008 with a series of victories in New Zealand and Australia. As the Northern Hemisphere summer began, Lee went to the US to play in several tournaments and won both the Western Amateur and the US Amateur Championships, the two biggest prizes in amateur golf there.

In between, Lee played in the Wyndham Championship on the PGA Tour, where he shot four rounds in the 60s to end up tied 20th.

Ireland's Shane Lowry finished just outside the top-10 in 11th place, with Walker Cup players Jonathan Caldwell 20th, Paul Cutler 107th, Séamus Power 149th and Niall Kearney 175th.

Lee, will remain an amateur for the foreseeable future, not least to be able to enjoy the exemptions to three Major championships.

In-form Park returns to action with a vengeance

WHAT is it they say about being cautious of the injured golfer? Well, maybe the members of Royal Tara should have been wary of Gail Park, who has been blazing a trail in recent months around the Co Meath course.

Having spent five months out injured, she returned to action in March. Starting the year off 21 and after a couple of category finishes in the Captain's Prize to Ladies and the June medal, she then won the Australian spoons foursomes event in June with Margaret Brady, followed by the big one in July when she won Liz Hurley's Lady Captain's Prize. She recorded a 69 in round one - despite having a 10 at the third - to drop down to 19, then a 70 in round two (this time with a nine on the third) to see another shot shaved off her handicap.

Another shot went when she finished second in the August medal, while in September she won the Fourball hamper (with Lil Hennelly), was first in her class in the Lady Presidents, won the medal - to drop another shot - and then won the singles matchplay to drop another shot to her present handicap of 13.5.

Each province will hold their annual general delegates meetings on November 25th at 7.30 pm.

The Leinster Branch will meet at Westmanstown Sports Centre; the Munster Branch at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow; Ulster at Shandon Park GC, and Connacht at the Abbey Hotel, Roscommon. Today is the closing date for clubs wishing to put forward motions to the meetings.

Meadow making a major impact

STEPHANIE MEADOW, the US-based Irish girls champion of 2006, scored her second big junior tournament success in America within a matter of weeks at the weekend.

The 16-year-old from Jordanstown, a resident student at the International Junior Golf Academy, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, led throughout to win the Golfweek Invitational girls championship over three rounds at Little River Golf Club, Carthage, in North Carolina.

Meadow had rounds of 67, 70 and 74 for a five-under-par total of 211 over the 5,888-yard, par-72 course. She had 14 birdies over the 54 holes, including title-clinching efforts at the short 16th and long 17th in the final round when she was coming under pressure from the American Junior Ryder Cup player, 16-year-old Sarah Brown, the New Jersey women's champion.

Brown finished with rounds of 70, 72 and 71 for 213, two shots short of catching Meadow, who also won on the International Junior Golf Tour in Florida at the end of September.

Meadow moved to South Carolina with her parents at the end of 2006 so that she could have ideal conditions, summer and winter, to improve her golf.

The move is paying off.