SHORT GAME:CHRIS SELFRIDGE, winner of the Irish Close Championship at Royal Portrush GC over the weekend will head a star-studded field in the East of Ireland Open Championship at Co Louth GC, Baltray, staring on Saturday.
The former Irish Boys international and freshman of the year for his performances in the Mid American Conference for the University of Toledo this season is joined in the field by Irish Strokeplay champion Gavin Moynihan from The Island, West of Ireland champion, Harry Diamond from the Moyola Park club and the defending champion Richard O’Donovan from Lucan.
Introduced by Co Louth Golf Club in 1941, the first East of Ireland was won by Joe Carr, who would go on to be the most successful competitor in the event’s history, clocking up 12 wins at the Baltray links, notably a hat-trick of wins from 1956-1958.
Kellogg's Nutri-Grainhas been named as the new sponsor of the All Ireland "Mother and Son" Medal competition at Malahide GC which is now in its 20th year. The date of the event has been changed to Sunday June 17th and booking is available on www.malahidegolfclub.ie. (Click on "visitors and open competitions" and follow the prompts.)
This competition has proved very popular over the years and is the last event Pádraig Harrington won, along with his mother, as an amateur in 1995.
Build up to popular Elm Park open
THE Elm Park Open Mixed Foursomes Matchplay tournament, sponsored by Accenture, will run from Wednesday, June 6th, to Saturday, June 9th. Elm Park has successfully run this popular event since 1976 which is the main part of the Dublin club’s festival of golf and tennis week.
The format is mixed foursomes matchplay, limited to the 32 lowest combined pairs with a maximum combined handicap of 24 and subject to a maximum of four shots in each match.
The Mixed Open Week starts on Sunday, June 3rd. Aside from the main matchplay tournament there are a number of other golf and tennis competitions running throughout the week, including a special tennis tournament of high-calibre players on Thursday, June 7th. For details email elmparkopenmixed@gmail.com or telephone (01) 2693438.
JEROME CLANCYcelebrated his 59th year as a member of Clontarf GC when winning the Centenary Lady Captain's (Ena Gilroy) Prize recently.
Clancy carded a 67 (off 15) winning on the back nine from Gay Gallagher with Tony Kelly third on 68.
Clancy is a former captain (1982) and honorary secretary of Clontarf and for the last six years a member of the GUI Leinster Branch Committee.
Galway side in Great Links triumph
FOLLOWING a US victory in the inaugural Great Irish Links Challenge in 2011 this year saw an Irish victory with the Galway team of Gus Connors, Pat Curtis, David Daly and Mike O’Dell holding off a strong overseas challenge to take the top spot.
Their win was all the more memorable as they had qualified via a special tournament which they won in Doonbeg earlier this year. As part of their prize they also get to defend their title in 2013, from May 7th-9th.
The Great Irish Links Challenge is played for by teams of four over the links at Ballybunion, Doonbeg and Lahinch.
The winning score – this year 238 points – is based on the team’s performance over the three courses.
In the second-placed team was well-known golf commentator Shane O’Donoghue while the third-placed team featured former Miami Dolphins Hall of Famer Dan Marino and Doonbeg owner Buddy Darby.
Meadow plays part for Alabama
IRELAND’S Stephanie Meadow helped Alabama win its first women’s golf title last week, holding off two-time champions Southern California by a shot in the 72-hole NCAA Division I championship.
The Alabama line-up included two players who will be on opposite sides in next month’s Curtis Cup match at Nairn – Meadow and Brooke Pancake.
Meadow started well with rounds of 69 and 73 but she could not keep it up and closed with scores of 78 and 77 for a nine-over-par total of 297 and a share of 38th place in the individual list.
Alabama finished at six-over 294 in the fourth round for a 19-over 1,171 total. Southern Cal trailed Alabama by 14 strokes after 36 holes and by two going into the final round. The national champions in 2003 and ’08 tied the Crimson Tide five times and led by five strokes before losing the lead on the back nine. The Trojans shot 293 for a 1,172 total. They were followed by Louisiana State (289-1,173) and Virginia (292-1,175).
Pancake led the way for the Crimson Tide in her last tournament for Alabama with a two-under-par score of 286 which put her in second place behind individual champion Chirapat Jao-Javanil from Oklahoma, who finished with a six-under-par score of 282.
Father and Son event at The Castle
THE Castle All-Ireland Father and Son Foursomes competition will be held this year in the second week of July. Qualifying will take place on July 7th-8th. The cost of entry is €70 per pair. This is the 52nd year of the event and it is expected the event will attract over 500 hopefuls on the two qualifying days, representing over 100 clubs with 64 pairs qualifying for the matchplay stages, from July 9th to July 15th.
Last years winners were Michael and Michael Cronin the Grange GC.
Details: Castle GC - 01-4904207 or manager@castlegc.ie
BALDOYLEUnited FC are holding their annual golf classic on Friday, June 15th, in Corrstown GC (1pm-4pm). A four-person team event, the cost is €260 per team to include the golf, prizes and a three-course meal. It is open to all GUI and non-GUI golfers, while sponsorship is also available. Contact Aidan Hussey on 086 8054199 or Christy Campbell on 085 7705550.
Art and music at Curtis Cup
THE eye-catching painting for the official Ladies Golf Union Curtis Cup 2012 poster is the work of Irish artist Lucy Tormey. Lucy is the event artist appointed by the Ladies union for this bi-annual amateur competition that takes place in Nairn, Scotland, from June 8th-10th. The social highlight of this weekend will be the famous ceilidh – tickets for which also feature Tormey's imaginative artwork. These pieces along with a limited number of new canvases and prints will feature in an exhibition in the Nairn Court House as part of the town's art and book festival running concurrently with the Curtis Cup.
