Galbraith reaches semis in Argentina
Ireland’s John Ross Galbraith reached the semi-final of the Argentinian Amateur Championship in Buenos Aires last week but lost out to the eventual winner Herik Machado de Oliveira from Brazil.
The winner of this year’s Faldo Series South America Championship, Machado de Oliviera won 3 and 1 and then won the title with a two holes victory over Argentina’s Andrés Schonbaum in the final of the world’s sixth oldest amateur championship at Estancias Club de Golf.
The Brazilian won the first two holes in par and the sixth in birdie to go three up. And while he lost the par-three seventh to Galbraith’s birdie two, he won the ninth and 12th in par to go four up.
A par-birdie-birdie run from the 13th saw the Whitehead golfer cut the deficit to one but Machado de Oliviera birdied the 16th and 17th to complete the win. Schonbaum was an estimated four under par as he beat Uruguay’s Juan Alvarez 3 and 2 in the other semi-final.
Castle and UCD’s Alex Gleeson beat the leading qualifier and top-seed Kyle McLatchie in the first round and then accounted for Sebastian Johan Bulla Lopez but lost in the last 16 to Andres Gallegos.
Royal County Down will host the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in 2017
After a successful 10-year stint at Royal Dublin, Ireland’s premier strokeplay championship is heading north for a two-year sojurn at Royal County Down.
The world-renowned links of Newcastle will be home to the Flogas Irish Amateur in 2017 and 2018. Colm Campbell will defend his title close to home as the Warrenpoint man goes in search of a rare double. Next year’s Flogas Irish Amateur runs from May 11th-14th.
Galway Golf Club in Salthill will be home to the AIG Irish Close from August 22nd-26th. The Close has not visited the western city since 1957 when the legendary Joe Carr won the second of his six titles. Castle’s Alex Gleeson is the reigning champion.
The domestic season begins in earnest at the West of Ireland, which returns to Co Sligo from April 12th-18th. Following the Irish Amateur at Royal County Down, the players move south along the coast for the East of Ireland at Co Louth from June 3rd-5th.
Royal Portrush will host the North of Ireland from July 10th-14th and the focus then switches to Lahinch for the South of Ireland from July 26th-30th.
Hosts Leinster are bidding for three-in-a-row at next year’s Interprovincial Championship. Carlow is the venue for the men’s interpros from July 3rd-5th while Blarney will host the boys interpros from 25-27 July 25th-27th.
The Old Course at Ballybunion will stage the Jacques Leglise Trophy from September 1st-2nd. The Continent of Europe defend the trophy against Britain & Ireland.
The Golfing Union of Ireland will host their American visitors from the Metropolitan Golf Association in May for the biennial Carey Cup. An Ireland representative team will face the travelling MGA side for the Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Trophy at Galway Bay from May 17th-18th. Ireland won the Carey Cup at Metedeconk in 2015.
Castletroy will stage the Irish Boys Amateur Open from June 27th-30th.
Ireland’s Luttrellstown Castle Resort to stage 2017 Titleist and FootJoy PGA Professional Championship
The Castleknock venue will host the event for the leading PGA pros from June 13th-16th. It’s the first time the 72-hole tournament has been held in Ireland since 2001 but Irish players have enjoyed considerable success in the intervening years. David Higgins is the defending champion while David Mortimer and John Dwyer lifted the title in 2010 and 2007 respectively.
A total prize fund of €100,000, including nine regional qualifiers, is at stake while an added bonus for the leading finishers at Luttrellstown will be qualification for the 2017 Britain and Ireland PGA Cup team to face the United States at Foxhills Club and Resort in September 2017.
It promises to be an exciting addition to the golfing calendar as Luttrellstown’s newly appointed director of golf, Peter Lawrie, confirmed. “We’re delighted it is coming back to Ireland - it’s been a long time,” said Lawrie who is enjoying a new role in golf, having previously been a longstanding member of the European Tour.
“It’s great for me having been recently appointed director of golf to have the tournament at Luttrellstown - it’s a nice synergy. I know all about tournament golf so to get an event like the Titleist and FootJoy PGA Professional Championship is superb.
“I know the course is well able to stand up to the challenge of really good players playing it - it is a championship golf course. I think the membership will come and support it and the players will enjoy the challenge.”
Barry wins second event in Munster Winter Series
Douglas’ Davey Barry fired a fine, level par 72 to win the second event of the Titleist sponsored Munster Winter Series by a shot from Danny Sugrue at Killarney’s Killeen Course. Barry won by a shot from Dan Sugrue and Diarmuid Frazer with John Dooley and Patrick Sheehy next on 75.
Killeen’s Shane McCabe took the nett and Irish Professional champion Damien McGrane the best gross in the Tuesday Winter Series outing as 41 turned out to play at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links. McCabe posted a one over 72 off scratch to win the nett on a count back from Luttrellstown Castle three-handicapper Kevin Canavan with former West of Ireland champion Michael McDermott, now a PGA professional, third with a 73.
Former Volvo China Open winner McGrane shot a one over 72 to win the gross by one from Castle’s Robert Moran and Portmarnock’s Shane McGlynn.
Zurich Classic to become team event in 2017
The US PGA Tour’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans will switch to a two-man team format in 2017, becoming the Tour’s first team event in nearly 40 years.
The event will feature 80 teams of two. Both members of the winning team will receive the two-year Tour exemption that typically accompanies a victory in an official event, and each winning player will receive 400 FedEx Cup points. A regular tournament offers 500 points to the winner and 300 to the runner-up.
The top 80 qualifiers will be allowed to choose their own team-mates, with the caveat that their partner must have at least some US PGA Tour status this season. If not, the selection will require the use of a sponsor invite. Play will include one round of foursomes and one round of fourballs betterball before the 36-hole cut.
The change will mark the overhaul of an event that sometimes struggles to draw an elite field and often battles inclement weather delays during its late spring slot on the schedule. This year it took until Monday to complete 54 holes at TPC Louisiana, where the truncated event was won by Brian Stuard in a play-off over Jamie Lovemark and Byeong-Hun An. Next year’s event will be held April 27th-30th.
The most recent official team event on Tour was the Walt Disney World National Team Championship, which featured a two-man format from 1974-81 before reverting to individual strokeplay in 1982.
Arnold Palmer Cup heading to Arkansas
In 2019 the Arnold Palmer Cup will head to the Tom Fazio designed The Alotian Club in Roland, Arkansas, USA. The event will be played from June 7th-9th.
“For generations, Arnold Palmer exemplified and embodied the spirit of golf and its guiding principles. The Alotian Club is honored to continue his legacy by hosting the Arnold Palmer Cup in 2019,” said Club Chairman Warren Stephens. “Since our inception, The Alotian Club has supported young golfers. We look forward to welcoming collegiate players from the United States and around the world to our course and our great state.”
Ranked as one of the top courses in the United States, the track plays at 7,480 yards from the championship tees and has previously hosted such events as the 2013 Western Amateur.
“Many of the alumni of the Arnold Palmer Cup have become prominent professional golfers and have earned numerous victories around the world, including several of golf’s major championships.” said Kevin Bingham, CEO of Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation.
The annual Ryder Cup-style competition features top collegiate players from the United States against their counterparts from Europe. Each team will now be comprised of 10 players. The event will continue to feature 24 matches with every player required to compete twice. Players must participate in either the four-ball or foursomes matches and in one of the two rounds of singles matches.
