SHORT GAME:IRISH international, Paul Cutler, from Portstewart, battled through the pain barrier to win the Lytham Trophy at Royal Lytham and St Annes over the weekend.
The East of Ireland champion was suffering from tendinitis in his left elbow but dug deep to close with a one-over-par 71 for a four-over-par total of 284 and a three-shot winning margin over Scotland’s Kris Nicol.
Cutler became the first Irish winner of the event since Martin Sludds from The Island won in 1982.
After opening rounds of 74 and an excellent four-under-par 66, Cutler carded a third round 73 to go into the final round tied for the lead on 213 with Germany’s Alexis Szappanos. Cutler played the front nine in one over par but birdies at the 10th, 11th and 14th saw him beat the conditions made even tougher by a blustery wind for the last two rounds.
Andrew Hogan from Newlands was next best of the Irish on 293 after rounds of 70, 74, 76 and 73, while Moyola Park’s Luke Lennox and Nicky Grant from Knock finished on 302. Lennox had rounds of 74, 72, 77 and 79 while Grant shot 70, 74, 80 and 78.
Blackrock College student Paul Dunne, from Greystones, finished on 305 after rounds of 74, 72, 79 and 80, the same mark as Dara Lernihan from the Castle, who carded 74, 72, 79 and 80.
Legendary Kitty MacCann passes away, aged 88
THE death has occurred of the legendary Kitty MacCann (nee Smye) aged 88 years, past Irish Champion, British Champion and Irish International.
Born in Clonmel, Co Tipperary in 1922, MacCann became the first Irish winner of the British Ladies Amateur Championship, at Broadstone in 1951, since May Hezlet in 1907 bridging a gap of 44 years. She won two national titles in 1949 and 1961 and was selected for the 1952 Curtis Cup team but didn’t play because of illness.
MacCann played in the Home Internationals 16 times between 1947 and 1965 and won the Midland Senior Championship on four occasions and the Leinster Championship in 1948 and 1958 and the Munster Championship in 1958.
Kitty was born into a golfing family, her father was a scratch player, who played in the South of Ireland championship, while two of her brothers Gerry and Willie played off three handicap.
The Irish Ladies Championship in 1947 at Royal Portrush was to be her first of three finals against Philomena Garvey, all of which she eventually lost. Two years later she defeated Mrs J Beck in the final at Co Louth and as the years moved on she proved to be one of only two people to loosen Garvey’s stranglehold on the championship.
She also served on the ILGU Midland Executive in the 1960s and later as an Irish selector in the ’70s.
Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.
Munster elite Tralee-bound
THE cream of Munster Ladies golfers takes to the Links of Barrow at Tralee Golf Club next Saturday and Sunday in search of a place in the Irish Senior Cup National Finals which will take place at Cork Golf Club on August 13 and 14.
The matchplay event will commence early on Saturday morning with top-seeded Douglas taking on Youghal at 7.0am followed by Killarney v Nenagh, Cork v Mallow, Castletroy v last year’s runners-up Muskerry, Ennis v Munster title winners in 2009 Bandon, Mitchelstown v East Cork, Lahinch v Tralee and finally in the morning Ballybunion v Limerick.
European Club hosts open foursomes
HOW friendly are you with your favourite golfing partner? Play foursomes and find out! This is the challenge inherent in an interesting new event which gets underway next week with the launch of the Irish Scotch Foursomes, open to men and women, at The European Club.
The new event is a true open concept just like the East of Ireland Matchplay (singles) and Irish Matchplay Fourball which are extremely popular at The European Club. Teams can be formed by two men or two women. Players may be amateur or professional. The only requirement is that the amateurs must have official GUI or ILGU handicaps of not higher than 18 or be willing to play off 18.
The first round will be 18-holes stableford and can be played any weekday from next Monday through to Friday, June 25th. after which the 16 best scorers will qualify for the matchplay. The entry fee is € 100 per pair, details from 0404-47415.
Young Yang wins Welsh title
JULIE Yang, a 14-year-old student at Loretto College, Mussleburgh, Scotland but originally from South Korea, won the Welsh Women’s Open Strokeplay at the first play-off hole against England’s Nikki Foster, after both players tied on a six-under-par 216 at Southerndown GC.
Aedin Murphy from Carlow, was best of the Irish after rounds of 77, 75 and 76 were good enough for a top-15 finish in the high quality field. Bangor’s Victoria Bradshaw finished a further 11 shots back on 239 while Karen O’Neill from Douglas finished on 251.
BALLYLIFFIN GCwill again host Europe's largest Pro-Am with 104 teams playing both links over two days, July 24th and 25th.
The event is strongly supported by Ireland’s leading club professionals and has become one of the premier events on the Irish Pro Am Circuit.
In October Ballyliffin will again host the Great North Links Challenge in association with neighbours Royal Portrush and Portstewart.
The event was a tremendous success in its first year with teams entering from all round the world and is set to be extended to 100 teams this year. Contact Ballyliffin for entry forms 074 9376119.
Smith returns to winning ways
DEIRDRE Smith from Co Louth made a return to winning ways with victory at the Hermitage Scratch Cup on Sunday.
The former Irish Close Champion signed for rounds of 76 and 76 to claim the title on a countback from Ciara Butler from Newlands, Sue Phillips from Woodbrook and Sinead Bennedetti from Roscommon, after all three finished on 152. Amy Farrell (Moate) Pat Doran (Donabate) and Niamh Giblin (Dun Laoghaire) were next on 153.
DEFENDINGchampion Andrew Stracey will defend his Irish Seniors title at Castletroy Golf Club later this month on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 26th, 27th and 28th of May.
The field will play 18 holes on each of the first two days, with the top 51 players qualifying for the third and final round on day three, with the proviso that there are four players in the over 60’s category, three players in the over 65’s category and two players in the over 70’s category included.
