The dramatic Irish advance in seniors golf during the last 12 months is reflected in the forthcoming Praia D'el Rey European Cup in Portugal on November 13th to 15th. From a position of having no representative in the inaugural event last year, Ireland will have four players in this year's line-up.
Tommy Horton and Marie Laure de Lorenzi captain the teams for the match between the European Seniors' Tour and the ELPGA (the women's tour), which the men won by 13-7 last year. This time around, Eddie Polland, David Jones, Denis O'Sullivan and Christy O'Connor Jnr are in the seniors' team.
The first three earned selection through their Order of Merit positions while O'Connor, who qualified for senior ranks on his 50th birthday in August, is chosen as a wild card. The wild cards in the women's line-up are Karen Lunn of Australia and former Scottish Curtis Cup player Mhairi McKay.
The format is five foursomes, five four-balls and 10 singles. After achieving a clean sweep of the four-balls last year, the seniors needed only three points from the last day's singles to secure victory on the spectacular Praia D'el Rey links at Obidos, 50 miles north of Lisbon. But it was not until Jose-Maria Canizares, at number seven in the order, beat Joanne Morley that the winning point was secured.
As would be expected, the women's team is dominated by Swedes, including Sophie Gustafson who won the Donegal Irish Women's Open at Ballyliffin last month.
Meanwhile, in the final seniors' order of merit after last weekend's Tournament of Champions, leading Irish positions were: 3, Eddie Polland £92,145; 4, David Jones £74,133; 9, Denis O'Sullivan £54,990; 17, Paul Leonard £44,976; 25, Joe McDermott £36,689; 26, Liam Higgins £36,074.
Teams For Portugal: European Seniors - Tommy Horton, captain, Neil Coles, Brian Waites, Jim Rhodes (all England), Brian Huggett (Wales), Eddie Polland, David Jones, Denis O'Sullivan, Christy O'Connor Jnr (all Ireland), Bobby Verwey (South Africa). ELPGA - Marie-Laure de Lorenzi (France) captain, Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth, Cartin Nilsmark (all Sweden), Trish Johnson, Alison Nicholas, Lora Fairclough (all England), Cartiona Matthew, Mhairi McKay (both Scotland), Karen Lunn (Australia).
Lloyd Mangrum, winner of 36 professional tournaments including the 1946 US Open, won election to the World Golf Hall of Fame, the World Golf Foundation announced yesterday.
Mangrum, who died in 1973 at the age of 59, was mentioned on the required 75 per cent of ballots returned by the voting body. Mangrum and Seve Ballesteros, who won the international ballot, will become the 74th and 75th members of the Hall of Fame.
