PADRAIG HARRINGTON will be hoping his good run continues. On Tuesday, he joined forces with Sam Torrance to win the Canon Shoot-Out and, yesterday, he led home the winning team in the Murphy's Irish Open Pro-Am at Druids Glen, pipping his sponsor's side in the process.
The 25-year-old Dubliner was joined by two publicans, Barra O'Dwyer, a 10 handicapper, from Charleville, and Jim O'Sullivan, another 10 handicapper from Nenagh, along with Padraig Fahy, the secretary/manager of Galway Golf Club, in producing a score of 123, 19 under par.
And 13 handicapper Fahy conjured up four birdies - at the first, where he chipped in, sixth, 12th and 14th - to make a substantial contribution to his side's effort. It represented a notable double, too, for O'Dwyer, who two years ago won the equivalent pro-am at the English Open in the Forest of Arden.
John Curran of MMI, who sponsor Harrington, was on a team headed by professional Retief Goosen and containing Dermot Desmond and Michael Cullen, which finished as runner-up, beating Raymond Burns's team of Noel Fox, Paddy Whelan and Noel O'Callaghan into third place on countback.
Goosen, however, got some consolation in sharing the top professional prize with Raymond Russell after shooting a four under par 67.
. Paul McGinley yesterday renewed an association with BUPA in rather more, pleasant circumstances than during his initial introduction some 10 years ago when he sustained a serious knee injury playing Gaelic football.
On that occasion, McGinley spent 10 days in the Blackrock
Clinic, in which BUPA have a majority shareholding, and the injury subsequently forced the Dubliner to concentrate on golf rather than football. However, yesterday, in its first move into golf sponsorship, the private health insurer signed up McGinley to represent the company in tournaments and specially arranged events.
"This is a nice way to stare off the week, said McGinley. My form hasn't been as good of late as, I, would like, but there is no better time than now for things to improve."
. Warrenpoint's Jim Carvills finished joint 10th in the British Professional tour event at Belton Woods in Lincolnshire. The 30-year.old former Irish international finished with rounds of 72 and 73 for a tournament aggregate of one over par 289, 14 shots behind the winner, Stephen Dodd of Wales.
