Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Club Challenge: To borrow from racing parlance, it was very much a case of 'Ladies Day' at Mullingar Golf Club recently as 25 teams scrambled for the coveted first prize of a trip to Portugal in the Leinster final of the Musgrave Crumlin Children's Hospital Club Challenge.
A gentle breeze fanned the competitors, providing a welcome antidote to the warm sunshine that enveloped this beautiful parkland layout.
The aspirations of many a team were undone by the precision required on a course softened by the rainfall of previous days. Two teams coped admirably with the conditions, the women of Gowran Park and Roganstown, and it was the latter triumvirate that proved a class apart on the day, eventually having nine points to spare over their Kilkenny rivals.
The format for the competition demands dovetailing in this three-person team event.
There is one score to count on the first six holes, two on the next six and finally all three members of the team are asked to contribute over the final six holes of the competition. To qualify for one of the four provincial finals, a club must run a qualifying competition and in the process raise 1,000 or more that goes to raising funds for the dedicated burns unit at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
It's nine years since the inaugural staging of the tournament and during that period over 1 million has been raised for the hospital. There was a curious symmetry to the last couple of Leinster finals with Roganstown completing back-to-back successes. Last year it was three men who prevailed but on this occasion Frances Arthurs, Alison Farnan and Jenny Conway triumphed in emphatic fashion.
Current Sunderland manager Roy Keane was fond of suggesting during his highly successful playing days about the importance of preparation: 'fail to prepare, prepare to fail' went the mantra.
The women of Roganstown are obviously disciples of the Corkman as they left nothing to chance on the day. They brought not alone caddies but also had the assistance of one of their party, who walked the course early that morning charting the pin positions for the day. It underpinned their success.
At no stage during the course of the round did the Roganstown trio feel that they were going to prevail. A delighted Arthurs smiled: "You're never quite sure what's going to be required on the day so we just tried to do our best. Our (club) vice-captain Mick drove down this morning at 6.30am, walked the course and noted the pin positions. It was vital to our preparation and really helped us. Having caddies was also another huge benefit. It hasn't really sunk in but we're absolutely delighted."
Arthurs who recorded the team's only birdie on the par-four sixth, has seen her handicap plummet from 22 to 16 this year. She paid tribute to her team-mates Alison Farnan (29) and Jenny Conway (25). The only real slip, in what was an excellent effort, came on the 14th hole, the second on which all three scores would count under the format.
Farnan was the only one to score with a bogey at the par five, the team's combined tally just two points. It was the only real aberration on the card.
Gowran's Sally Kavanagh, Ursula Mason and Dillie O'Donoghue chased them home in second place while the Castle Bearna team of John McCarthy, Hugh McCarthy and Padraig Geoghegan finished third. The Roganstown team will be joined in the national final in Portugal next month by Ulster qualifiers Rockmont Golf Club who edged out Castle Hume on the back nine, the two clubs tied on 82 points.
The Munster and Connacht winners will be known by the end of the week and all four provincial winners will head for the Tivoli Almansor Hotel in Cavoeiro, Portugal from October 7th-14th. The final will be played over 72 holes on four different course, Pinta GC, Boavista GC, Morgado GC and the championship layout at Penina.
Leinster provincial final: 1. Roganstown (Frances Arthurs 16, Alison Farnan 29, Jenny Conway 25) 87 points; 2. Gowran Park (Sally Kavanagh 27, Ursula Mason 30, Dillie O'Donoghue 34) 78; 3. Castle Bearna (John McCarthy 8, Hugh McCarthy 13, Padraig Geoghegan 11) 77; Navan 73; Borris 73; Royal Tara 72; Castlewarden 71; The K Club 70; South County 70; Grange 69; Castlecomer 68; Naas 68; Elmgreen 67; Seafield 67; Mullingar 66; Portarlington 65; Hermitage 64; Kilternan 64; Turvey 63; Elm Park 62; Lucan 61; Kilcoole 59; Glencullen 56; Kilmashogue 52. John Wims (Mullingar) won the Special Captains Prize.
Ulster provincial final: 1. Rockmount (Alan McClune 11, Stephen Morwood 6, Pat McGalie 17) 82 points, won on back nine; 2. Castle Hume (Seamus McGinley 19, Sean Moore 13, John Young 5) 82; 3. Nuremore (James Kiernan 6, Nial McGeown 13, Gerard Birdie 12) 81; Cloughaneely 77; Castleblaney 71; Rossmore 70; Ashfield 65. Ben Beggan (Rossmore) won the Special Captains prize.
