SHORT GAME:SERGEANT Kieran Kennedy won the fifth World Military Golf Championship at Hylands Golf Club, Ottawa, Canada, last week. This is the first time a member of the Irish Defence Forces won this championship.
Coming from three behind after 10 holes, Kennedy shot a final round of one-under-par 71 for a total of 289 to win by two shots from Mike Batten and Al Jensen of the US.
Competing against over 100 competitors from 15 nations, Sgt Kennedy, from Thurles Golf Club, with a handicap of plus one, was also part of the eight-strong Defence Forces team that finished fifth overall.
The US were victorious in the team competition followed by South Africa and Canada.
• THE St Anne's Senior Scratch Cup, postponed from July, has been rescheduled for Saturday week, September 6th.
The event, sponsored by Capel Developments, is over 36 holes and has shotgun starts in the morning and afternoon.
The entry fee is €40 and the prize fund is €1,700. For time-sheets phone 01-8336471.
• THE qualifying round for the fifth running of the Sutton Mixed Matchplay, sponsored by Joe Duffy Motors, will take place at Sutton GC on Sunday next, with 16 pairs to qualify for the matchplay starting on Thursday week.
Conor Russell, at 01-8321703, has the time-sheet.
Doherty leads very Special coup
THERE was further success for Irish golf last week when our Special Olympians retained the Topaz Triple Crown Trophy in style at The Belfry in Birmingham.
The eight-player team tackled the very difficult Brabazon Course the first day and carried an eight-point advantage over England into the second day. Oliver Doherty, captain of Buncrana Golf Club this year and playing off six, led by example, scoring 16 points over the nine holes.
He was well supported by Kevin O'Callaghan of Harbour Point and Joe Fulton of Leinster.
The second round was over the back nine of the difficult PGA Course and again Ireland showed the way, eventually taking the trophy for the second consecutive year by a comfortable margin from England, with Scotland in third place and Wales fourth.
The event was hosted by Special Olympics GB and the highlight of the trip for the Irish was the presence of the Ryder Cup at the event.
The successful Irish team was Oliver Doherty (Ulster), Rita Dunne (Easter Region), Joe Fulton (Leinster), Frank Hynes (Eastern Region), Sarah Hyland (Munster), Kevin O'Callaghan (Munster), Ruth O'Mahony (Munster) and Robert Slevin (Eastern Region).
The next Special Olympic event is the Inter-Regional Games, which take place at Massereene in Co Antrim in October.
Mullingar take slim lead to final
MULLINGAR GC take a slender 3-2 lead into the second leg of the FBD-sponsored Barton Cup final at Enniscorthy.
In an exciting first leg at Mullingar last Saturday, played in difficult winds and persistent rain, two matches went to the 18th green before the home side edged ahead. The second leg takes place at Enniscorthy on Saturday, September 6th, with the first of five matches away at noon.
Mullingar will also take a 3-2 lead to Tullamore in the JB Carr Trophy final second leg on September 3rd as they bid for a Leinster double.
• THE Best Cup final between Craddockstown and Hollywood Lakes, postponed because of inclement weather, has been rescheduled for Sunday next at Craddockstown, with the return leg at Hollywood Lakes on September 6th.
Senior Cup gets to close quarters
THE five district champions - Ennis, Kilkenny, Roscommon, Royal Portrush and The Island - join this year's back-door graduates - Douglas, Slieve Russell and Woodbrook - in the quarter-finals of the Suzuki Irish Women's Senior Cup at Galway GC on Friday.
Favourites Ennis will look to the experience of Tricia McDonnell to claim back-to-back victories. Young Sarah Cunningham and Ciara Pender are again in action but will need to be in top form to see off a capable Kilkenny team led by the double Irish champion Eileen Rose Power.
The talented Maguire sisters, Leona and Lisa, will fly the flag for Slieve Russell as they take on The Island. Sarah Carty and Rachel Cassidy should prove a stern test for the twins, while Suzy Sheehan makes a welcome return.
Past internationals Eavan Higgins and Kate MacCann lead the 12-time champions Douglas against Roscommon, who field Connacht champion Anne McCormack and the talented Ailbhe Farrell.
In the final tie, second favourites, Royal Portrush, are led by the past international Helen Jones and the in-form Gemma Hegarty and Lucy Simpson and should prove too strong for the excellent Sue Phillips and her Woodbrook team-mates.
Bradshaw radar improving with age
IS THERE no stopping this man? Billy Bradshaw of Greystones GC has just had his 17th hole-in-one. Billy, aged 80, with a handicap of 21, was playing in the medal at Greystones last Saturday, when he had his latest ace.
It happened at the 167-yard 11th hole - the same par 3 where he had his 16th ace in July. He also used the same club, a newly acquired Titleist driver. And he had used the same club to score his 15th hole-in-one, at the fourth hole in Royal County Down, last February.
• THE second annual running of The Ward League for under-18 boys was completed at Westmanstown GC last week.
After seven rounds of team play hosted by each participating club Black Bush emerged as winners of The Ward Trophy by just one shot from Hollywood Lakes.
The winning Black Bush team was Stephen McCarthy, Oisín Brown, Jeff Flanagan, Michael McCarthy, Gary Flanagan and Colin Fogarty.
Roscrea beckons for prizewinners
ROSCREA GC is holding its annual All-Ireland Captain's Prize-winners competition this year. The event is open to the winners of captains' prizes from all over Ireland.
The women play on Monday, September 15th, and the men on Friday, September 19th.
The best five scores from each section will qualify for the finals, which will be held in the Algarve, Portugal, in June of next year.
Entry forms are available from Roscrea GC at 0505-21130 or www.roscreagolfclub.ie
