The Short Game

Today's other stories in brief

Alliss receives vote of confidence

GARY Alliss has been given the chance to avenge defeat by the Americans after being reappointed captain of the Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team. The Belfry head professional will lead the team for the 24th staging of the matches against the US at The Carrick at The De Vere Deluxe Resort, Cameron House on the banks of Loch Lomond in September 2009.

Alliss, whose side came within half a point of making history with a first-ever victory in the United States last September, is only the fourth man to captain the team twice since the tournament's inception in 1973.

THE Lord Mayor's Cup, sponsored by AIB, will take place a Clontarf GC from Sunday, August 10th to Saturday, August 16th.

The qualifying round is 18 holes singles, played from a scratch handicap, with the top 64 qualifying for the matchplay, starting on Monday August 11th, with the final scheduled for Saturday, August 16th.

Open to players with a handicap between five and nine, the entry fee is €25 and times are available with Arthur Cahill at 01-8331892.

THE Squire Ennis Trophy for teams of three foursomes pairings under-20 takes place at Balbriggan GC on Wednesday, August 8th. For times phone 01-8412229.

Finn Harps hold annual fund-raiser

FINN HARPS are hosting their annual Golf Classic at the Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf Club on Bank Holiday Monday, August 4th.

The Golf Classic has proved to be a huge fund-raiser for the club in the past and the club are hoping for a large turnout of teams this year again. The format is the same as previous years, with teams of four and an entry fee of € 120 per team. Prizes will be awarded for the first six teams. A timesheet is in operation - contact the Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf Club on 074 9131093.

A stunning opening 18 holes score of 64 paved the way for Mary Dagg to win her first Lady Captain's Prize at Tullamore on Sunday. The 21-handicapper finished with a total of 107½ for the 27 holes, while Carmel Flynn (14) was second on 110, with Renee Harney (25) third on 112.5, while Catherine Carty (7) took the gross prize with a score of 126.

Maguires on Junior Ryder Cup team

THE Maguire twins from the Slieve Russell club have been rewarded for finishing first and second in the European Young Masters Championship at Chantilly, France by being selected on the European Junior Ryder Cup team for the match against the US at the Old Stone Golf Club, Kentucky on September 15th and 16th.

Lisa, the Irish Under-18 girls champion, got better every day at Chantilly with rounds of 74, 71 and 69 for a brilliant total of five-under-par 214. That closing round, in which she had six birdies, saw Lisa pass overnight leader Carly Booth and then leave the Scot and the others in her wake.

Lisa won by four shots from her sister Leona - the Irish Women's champion - and Anna Arrese from Spain. Leona had scores of 78, 70 and 70 including five birdies in a row from the 11th in her final round.

The teams will also play a nine-hole exhibition match over the Ryder Cup course at Valhalla,

The European team is: Lisa Maguire (Ireland), Leona Maguire (Ireland), Anna Arrese (Spain), Carly Booth (Scotland), Stanislas Gautier (France), Julien Brun (France), Moritz Lampert (Germany), Adrian Oategui (Spain), Kelly Tidy (England), Daisy Nielsen (Swede), Chris Lloyd (England), Matteo Manassero (Italy)

Top line-up bound for Mullingar

FIVE members of the Irish team that won the European Team Championship in Italy recently will tee-up in the Grant Thornton sponsored Mullingar Scratch Cup on Saturday and Sunday next.

Now in its 45th year since the great Joe Carr won the first staging of this 72-hole event back in 1963, the tournament has attracted all of Ireland's leading amateur golfers and many notables from overseas in years past.

This year's entries include Paul O'Hanlon from the Curragh, the Irish Close Champion and holder at Mullingar, West of Ireland and North of Ireland champion Shane Lowry from neighbours Esker Hills, Johnny Caldwell (Clandeboye), Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) and Paul Cutler (Portstewart).

Other notables include Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little), the East of Ireland champion, Irish Youths champion Séamus Power (West Waterford), Simon Ward (Co Louth), Dara Lernihan (Castle), Cathal O'Malley (Westport), Paul O'Kane (Moyola Park), Cian Curley (Newlands), Fergal Rafferty (Dungannon), Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint), Paddy Gribben (Warrenpoint) and two from California, including John Adams, who has returned to the amateur game after a period as a professional.

Adams was beaten in a play-off by Paul McGinley in 1991 and plays off plus two.

Austin Graham is also a plus-two college student. Both play out of the Pacific Golf and Country Clemente, California.

This event was won 14 years ago, in 1994, by our double British Open Champion, Pádraig Harrington.

Record entry for JB Carr Diamond

A RECORD number of 200 clubs from all over Ireland entered the JB Carr Diamond Trophy - a team event for the over 60s - this year.

The event, sponsored by Newbridge Silverware, and inaugurated by the Woodenbridge Golf Club in 1996, has flourished year on year into one of the largest inter-club competitions in the country.

The competition, won last year by Tuam, has now reached the county final stage, and the battle is on for the four places in the All-Ireland finals at Woodenbridge GC on weekend of September 13th and 14th.

Hume completes a memorable week

LAST week we featured one of the oldest winners of a captain's prize in Billy Branigan at Newlands.

At the other end of the scale, Rathsallagh GC in Co Wicklow can boast one of the youngest players ever to take a major prize in any club. For the first time Rathsallagh decided this year to allow junior members to play for captain Kieran Kelly's prize, provided they held a category one handicap.

And 14-year-old Jack Hume took advantage of the rule and got down to five the week before the first day of the captain's prize played on Sunday, July 13th.

He shot level par gross for a nett 67 to lead after the first day.

On the following day he shot another 72 gross in Ashbourne Golf Club to win the Leinster Boys Under-15 Championship.

And a week later on the final day of the captain's prize, with a total score of 140 nett for the two days, Hume secured the captain's prize and he is now playing off his new handicap of four - quite an achievement for a 14-year-old in the same week.