SHORT GAME:NOW in its seventh year, the McGinley Trophy fourball matchplay has reached the business end of the 2010 competition.
The line-up for the quarter-finals sees Stackstown’s Jim Kavanagh, who had a hole-in-one against Rathfarnham, and Declan O’Hanlon at home to Kieran O’Brien and John McKenna from Craddockstown. Woodbrook, represented by Pat Cuneen and Peter O’Flanagan, have home advantage against Tony Shine and Anthony O’Mahoney from Palmerstown House, while the K Club pair of Jody Gilhooly and Jack O’Brien take on Old Conna’s Brendan Shortt and Jack Martin.
In the final match the Grange pairing of Paul Kennedy and David Murphy travel to Portmarnock, represented by Michael Kearney and Denis Corboy.
The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday, August 8th, in Powerscourt GC.
The format is fourball matchplay and participants are the winners of their club’s fourball matchplay competition in the preceding year. The concept was born as result of a few friends – the committee – who enjoy regular fourballs deciding to fill a gap in inter-club competitions by putting the McGinley Trophy in place. Paul McGinley is delighted to be associated with the competition, especially as it is promoting a form of golf he really enjoys.
Lernihan may face familiar foe in South of Ireland
IRISH Close champion Dara Lernihan has a possible meeting with a Castle clubmate in the second round of the South of Ireland Championship, which gets under way at Lahinch GC on Saturday.
Lernihan, who has a bye into the second round, will play the winner of the match between Ronan Burke from the Castle and Cian McKenna from Mallow.
West of Ireland champion and runner-up to Lernihan in the Close final, Rory Leonard from Banbridge, will play the winner of the Simon Bryan of Delgany and Fota Island’s Colm O’Sullivan match.
Defending champion Robert Cannon of Laytown and Bettystown awaits the winner of the Simon Cannon (no relation) from Athenry and Shane Hogan from Nenagh tie.
Darren Crowe, winner in 2007 and runner-up in 2005 and 2006, will play the winner of the match between American visitor Steve Gonzales from Sun Valley GC in California and Philip Balfe from Rosslare in Sunday’s second round.
NIALL Turner(Team Ireland Golf) won his first professional tour event over the weekend when taking the South Dakota Open at the Bluffs golf course in South Dakota.
Turner, who led from from start to finish, shot a 20-under-par total of 196 after round of 65, 68 and 63.
The former Muskerryman won by three shots from Kyle Blackman, who had rounds of 66 69 and 64 for 17-under, and Tim Kunick with rounds of 66 67 and 67 for 16-under.
Smit seals win at the Curragh
A SUPERB second round of 68 saw South Africa’s Monique Smit win the Curragh Ladies Scratch Cup on Sunday.
Having opened with a 75 in the morning, the plus-two handicapper found her form in the afternoon to have a 36-hole total of 143 to give her a comfortable five-shot winning margin.
Smit’s closest challenger was Massereene’s Lucy Simpson, playing off a handicap of four, who after rounds of 75 and 73 took the runners-up place on 148.
Woodenbridge’s Louis Mernagh (1) was third on 149 following rounds of 75 and 74, a shot ahead of Carlow’s Aedin Murphy.
Kent maintains family tradition
IT WILL be a memorable day next Sunday in Enniscrone GC, Co Sligo as Katie Kent holds her Lady Captain’s Prize. It will be a proud day for the club, the lady captain herself, but also for her family as she will the fourth sister to be lady captain of their respective clubs.
Una Cronin was lady captain of Macroom GC in Cork in 2001.
Anne Carew was lady captain of Elm Park in 2006 and Dr Eileen Boyce was lady captain of Donegal club Ballybofey Golf Club in 2007 and now Katie Kent holds the position in Enniscrone for 2010.
The sisters are daughters of the late Dr Martin Coyne and Loretta Coyne of Lifford, Co Donegal.
Dr Coyne was both president and captain of Strabane GC, while his wife was both lady president and lady captain of the same club.
Has there ever been four sisters as lady captains of their clubs or indeed four sisters.
It is an amazing feat for one family.
US Chamber of Commerce event
THE fourth American Chamber of Commerce USA versus Europe Golf Classic in association with Delta Air Lines will take place at Powerscourt GC on September 22nd when teams drawn to represent Europe and the USA will do battle on the East Course.
The competition will be based on a mock Ryder Cup format with corporate members of the American Chamber of Commerce drawn to play for Europe and America. Each continent will be captained by former Ryder Cup Players – Christy O’Connor Jnr and Eamonn Darcy. Designated teams will play for each continent and the combined Stableford points of each player will determine the winning continent.
The winning continent will be rewarded with the honour of a specially-commissioned perpetual cup. There will be a much-coveted replica cup for each of the top eight players on the winning continent.
Bernard Gibbons, general manager of Powerscourt, said that “It will be played on our championship East course that previously held the Irish PGA Championship and the European Senior tour so whichever continent wins will certainly have earned the right to raise the cup.”
Some place are still available, contact events@amcham.ie.
Grant claims Irish Girls Close title
LISBURN’S Laura Grant was victorious on Friday when she secured the Lancôme Irish Girls Close Championship at Grange GC by defeating Amy Farrell from Moate 3 and 2 in an exciting final.
Grant got off to a good start in the final ,going one-up after only four holes, but Farrell birdied the next to square the match, only for Grant to regain control to be two-up at the turn and then three-up by the 13th. Although Farrell birdied the 14th to reduce the deficit she couldn’t make further inroads and Grant secured the title on the 16th to take the Blake Cup.
In the semi-finals Farrell had accounted for the defending champion, Emma O’Driscoll of Ballybunion, on a two-up scoreline, while Grant had to go to the 19th to edge past Lahinch’s Sinéad Sexton.
In the Plate Final for the Pat Fletcher Trophy, Amy Chambers from Dunfanaghy was a narrow winner over Jenny Hennessy from Ennis, winning one-up.
