Cork’s John Hickey emerged from the pack with a final round 66 to take the men’s title at the Irish Intervarsity Championships at Lahinch last week as Chloe Ryan secured the women’s crown with four shots to spare.
Hickey was in danger of missing the cut after opening with 73 but he played his way into contention and followed 68 with 66 to reach nine under for the tournament. Overnight leader Jack McDonnell birdied the last but his closing 72 left him stuck at eight under and one shy of the winner.
Meanwhile the dates and venues for the remaining five events of the Irish Students Series have been confirmed. The new Student Championships, which have replaced the Golfing Union of Ireland’s Youth Championships, cater for college students of any age as well as youth golfers between the ages of 18 and 21 and who are not in full-time third-level education.
Woodbrook will host the Irish Colleges Matchplay Sprint in early March, a new nine-hole team matchplay event, and the Series then moves to Cork for the Munster Students Amateur Open Championship from March 20th-22nd.
Following the Leinster Students at Newlands in mid-June and the Ulster Students at Kirkistown Castle in early August, the Series concludes with the Irish Students Open at Bray from 30 August 30th to September 1st
One of the significant features of the Series is a new nine-hole team match play tournament. Hosted by Woodbrook in early March, the Irish Colleges Match Play Sprint will consist of 27 holes of teammatch play per day in nine-hole aggregate formats (akin to the GUI’s Barton Shield format). Teams will consist of four players (any combination of male and female) playing in two foursomes pairs.
“The R&A’s recent endorsement of nine-hole golf as a legitimate competitive format is really our basis for this new event,” explained Mark Wehrly, Championships Manager of the GUI. “We’ve held our match play tournament in Woodbrook for the last two years and the players have really enjoyed it.
“Many people think nine-hole golf will be a good way to attract new people into the game, which is a massive selling point for it. But we also want to show that it can also facilitate a substantial tournament at a time of limited daylight. We think it will be very competitive because in a sprint match like this - particularly with the Barton Shield format - anything can happen and matches can turn around really quickly. It should be a lot of fun to watch - very competitive and very exciting.”
Scotland and Germany in a tie in Lisbon
The Co Sligo Golf Club Senior cup team of TJ Ford, David Brady and Ruairi O’Connor finished 16th behind the winners St Germain en Laye from France, in the European Men’s Club Trophy championship over 54 holes at Aroreira Golf Club, near Lisbon, Portugal.
Scotland’s Chris Maclean tied with Germany’s Nicolai Von Dellingshause for first place in the individual standings. Both men finished on eight-under-par 208. A team’s lowest two individual scores counted each round and St Germain en Laye scored 137, 135 and 145 for 417. Germany’s Hubbelrath finished third on 421. Co Sligo finished on 447.
England’s Hayling Golf Club (442) finished 13th Radyr (Wales) finished 19th with a 449 total in a field of 23 teams. The Sligo scores were 226 Ford 75 71 80, O’Connor 76 74 76 (T35) and 232 Brady 77 80 75 (33rd).
Youth and experience mix on Irish panel
Chasing a fourth successive win at the Home Internationals next year, Ireland captain Tony Goode has named a 17-man panel for the 2017 season. Stuart Grehan (Tullamore/MU) and Paul McBride (The Island), members of Ireland’s bronze medal winning team at the World Amateur Team Championship, are now the highest ranked Irish players at 58 and 124 respectively on the World Amateur Golf Rankings.
Together with Castle’s Alex Gleeson, who won the AIG Irish Close Championship in August, Warrenpoint’s Colm Campbell, the reigning Flogas Irish Amateur Champion, and Whitehead’s John-Ross Galbraith, beaten finalist at the Close, they will provide a wealth of experience.
Conor O’Rourke (Naas) made his Ireland debut at the European Amateur Team Championship in July on the back of his breakthrough win at the St Andrews Links Trophy and he has since added the Nassau Invitational title.
South of Ireland champion Conor Purcell (Portmarnock) retains his place in the squad, as do Robin Dawson (Tramore/MU), who captured the World Universities Championship this season, and West of Ireland winner Jonathan Yates (Naas) .
North of Ireland champion Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo/MU) has been promoted from last year’s Development Panel. Reigning Irish Boys Champion Mark Power is one of four new additions. 16-year-old Power joins the senior panel after a phenomenal season that saw him win the Irish Boys Championship as well as the prestigious Peter McEvoy Trophy. The Kilkenny teenager joins Castle’s Daniel Holland, Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle/MU) and The Island’s Kevin Le Blanc on the Ireland panel in 2017.
Massereene’s Tiarnan McLarnon was beaten finalist at this year’s North while Rowan Lester (Hermitage) was second to Purcell at the South. Retaining the Raymond Trophy at the Home Internationals will be top of the agenda for team captain Tony Goode as Ireland bid for a fourth successive title in 2017.
The promotion of Mark Power to the men’s panel at the tender age of 16 comes after a season of success at home and abroad. In addition to his victories at the Irish Boys and the Peter McEvoy, Power was chosen alongside Kevin Le Blanc on the Great Britain & Ireland team for the Jacques Leglise Trophy.
In all, 11 players remain from last year’s senior panel including Knock’s Colin Fairweather who came onto the panel for the first time last season. Next year’s Development Panel will include seven senior players. Kinsale’s John Murphy has been promoted from this year’s Boys’ Panel while Jake Whelan (Newlands) and Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) have been recognised for their performances in 2016.
GUI National Panel 2016-17: Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Robin Dawson (Tramore/MU), Colin Fairweather (Knock), John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead), Alex Gleeson (Castle), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore/MU), Rowan Lester (Hermitage), Paul McBride (The Island), Tiarnán McLarnon (Massereene), Conor O’Rourke (Naas), Conor Purcell (Portmarnock), Jonathan Yates (Naas), Sean Flanagan (Co Sligo/MU), Jordan Hood (Galgorm Castle/MU), Daniel Holland (Castle), Mark Power (Kilkenny), Kevin Le Blanc (The Island/MU).
GUI Development Panel 2016-17: Cathal Butler (Kinsale/MU), Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush), Neil McKinstry (Cairndhu), Ronan Mullarney (Galway/MU), John Murphy (Kinsale/MU), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk), Jake Whelan (Newlands).
Duke struggle without Leona Maguire
Ireland Lisa Maguire from Duke University finished well down the field at the Tar Heels’ Invitational at the University of North Carolina’s Finley course at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Maguire carded rounds of 78, 77 and 83 for 238 in an event won by Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest) who scored 67, 68 and 68 for 203 and a six-shot win from runner-up Laura Stephenson (Alabama), 68 70 69 for 207. Former Scottish Under-21 girls open champion India Clyburn, currently a student at North Carolina State, finished tied sixth in a field of 96 players with rounds of 69, 72 and 72 for 213. ma), 68 70 69 for 207. Wake Forest on 854 won the team event from Alabama (859) and Arkansas (860). Duke, missing Leona Maguire’s contribution, finished 10th of 17 on 886.
McGrane holds strong on gusty day at Portmarnock
Damien McGrane continued his excellent from this season with a win the first outing of the Tuesday Series at Portmarnock Links last week. McGrane shot a three under par 69 to win the nett from Seapoint’s Graham Callaghan on 71. The gross was won by Andrew Hogan from Edmondstown with 71 – one clear of Philip Duff from Black Bush.
Farrell shines in Majorca
The 19th Annual Victor Ludini golf tournament took place over four days in Majorca with a stunning display by John Farrell (Cahir Golf Club) who , in addition to claiming the coveted green jacket and trophy , also had his first ever hole in one at Alcanada Golf Club. Farrell hit a glorious fade shot to the 190 yard par three and one bounce and a roll later it fell into the hole to scenes of great joy. Brendan O’Hare led a challenging cycle on the rest day which was enjoyed by all. John Farrell, Paul Trueick, Brendan O’Hare and Derek Forde claimed the day prizes on beautiful but challenging courses.
GAA and golf link up in Tipperary
Dundrum House Hotel Golf and Leisure Resort in Tipperary raised over €9,000 as part of a fundraising golf event with proceeds going to the Tipp Senior Hurlers Players Fund, the Dublin Players Training Fund and Tallaght Community Arts (TCA).
After a highly competitive event with 27 participating teams, the eventual winners were a team led by Michael Ryan with Libby Ryan, Michael Hayes and Isobel Hayes. The team with Richard Horgan, Alan Horgan, Aoghaon Hourigan, and Niall Cadden took second place, and the team that came third comprised of Ronan Power, Darren Gleeson, Noel Quirke and Michael Butler.
The Sam Maguire and Liam McCarthy Cups made a rare appearance at the event and the golfing enthusiasts were able to purchase tickets in a raffle to win prizes including signed Dublin and Tipperary jerseys.
Golfers on the day included Tipperary All-Ireland winners Darren Gleeson, Seamus Callinan, Bubbles O’Dwyer, Brendan Maher and Noel McGrath, Dublin’s Bernard Brogan and entertainment star Keith Duffy.
