LILLIAN BEHAN may have decided not to join the Irish invasion for the British Women's Championship (an event she won in 1985) which starts at Cruden Bay today, but the former Curtis Cup player showed she still retains the winning touch when claiming the Curragh Scratch Cup, sponsored by Irish Pride, last weekend.
Behan had a 36-hole aggregate of 150, four shots clear of her Irish international colleague, Sinead Keane, who used the event as a final warm-up for her participation in the British. Grange's Miriam Abernethy beat Denise McCarthy (Woodenbridge) on countback to take third place, both players finishing on 155.
Incidentally, Keane will be joined at the British championship - which commences today with the first round of strokeplay qualifying - by Eileen Rose Power, Hazel Kavanagh, Michelle McGreevy, Barbara Hackett, Yvonne Cassidy, Lillian O'Brien, Irene Murphy and Elaine Dowdall. Paddy McNulty may have won the coveted Open Cup, the finale to Ballybofey and Stranorlar Golf Club's successful open week - but former international Enda McMenamin marched away with most of the prizes.
McMenamin won the gross prize in FIVE different competitions, producing a week's best 66 - two outside the course record he set in 1992 - in one strokeplay event.
Not to be outdone, Kay Stewart took the honours on the ladies side, winning twice. She had a fine nett 63 on her own and brought home husband Ivan in the mixed with a nett 61. Kay, claiming her fourth win of recent weeks, has seen her handicap cut from 31 to 26.
Former Lions scrum-half Colin Patterson has announced his sponsorship of former Irish amateur champion Gary McNeill, who is competing on the Irish Region PGA Tour. McNeill will carry the Strangford Arms Hotel banner on his bag.
Ian Stewart recently shot a round that many a professional would have cherished. The three handicapper went around the Curragh in a nett 63, setting a new amateur record.
