A round-up of other golf stories in brief...

Lowry faces tough defence of title

A TOP-CLASS field, including defending champion Shane Lowry (Esker Hills) will contest the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship at Belvoir Park Golf Club from June 7th-11th.

Lowry, who captured the West of Ireland Championship at Co Sligo GC in March, will face a tough battle in defence of his title, with Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye) one of his main rivals, holding the lowest handicap of all entrants at +4.3. Connor Doran (Banbridge), who finished as best-placed Irishman at the Irish Amateur Open this month, is also included in the field.

The handicap cut for this year fell at 1.0, and no less than 120 players in the field of 150 have handicaps of scratch and better.

This will be the first occasion for the Irish Amateur Close Championship to be staged at Belvoir Park Golf Club. The Championship was first held in 1893 at Royal Portrush and has been played each year since, with the exception of the war years. Former winners of the Championship also include Rory McIlroy (2006 and 2005), Brian McElhinney (2004), Graeme McDowell (2000), Peter Lawrie (1996), Padraig Harrington (1995), Darren Clarke (1990) and Paul McGinley (1989).

Mulready sets new mark

JIM MULREADY was setting new standards at Castle GC recently. Playing in the club championship qualifiers, Mulready, playing off scratch, fired a course record of six under par 64. It could have been even better as he three putted the final hole, while he was also in water on an early hole. Mulready lowered his handicap to plus one. In the event itself he won by six strokes from Maurice Wallace (1), with three handicapper Michael Wilson third on 72. Mark J Byrne had a hole in one on the 10th hole. The other leading qualifiers in the other categories were Diarmuid McAuliffe, Fergal Scully and John Sheridan.

McTernan and Turner in form in US

TWO TEAM Ireland players Seán McTernan from Sligo and Niall Turner from Cork recorded good results in a Hooters Tour event in the USa last week.

Played in difficult conditions of wind and rain on the 7,136-yards par-72 Blackthorn Golf Club in South Bend Indiana, McTernan finished third on six-under-par 282 after a final round 73.

Turner finished 10th on 286 while the event was won by Andrew Tschudin from Australia on eight-under-par 280 after a final of level par 72.

Meanwhile, Arthur Pierse from Tipperary was a comfortable four-shot winner of the Munster Seniors Championship over his home course in Tipperary last week.

Pierse shot rounds of 75 and 72 for 147 to win from another senior international Maurice Kelly from the Killeen Club who carded 78 and 83 for 151.

Nigel Duke from Killiney, who opened with a 74 claimed third place when adding a 78 in the second round for 152 while Michael Coote from Tralee was fourth on 153 after rounds of 78 and 75

Ryder Cup on Wales tour 

WHIRLWIND plans to take the Ryder Cup trophy to the skies and visit every club in Wales have taken off with more than 100 venues signing up to welcome the famous trophy.

Clubs from across Wales have seized on the rare opportunity to bring one of sports most illustrious prizes to their doorstep during the build up to this months Celtic Manor Wales Open.

The Ryder Cup trophy helicopter tour forms part of a campaign to encourage clubs to nominate Tenovus - the official charity of Ryder Cup Wales 2010 - as their official charity for next year.

Many of the clubs are making a special day out of the visit with some hosting competitions and expecting a large turnout of members to see the trophy.

PGA Captain Parnell Reilly will be escorting the Trophy every second of the way as it criss-crosses the Principality from next Monday, May 26th, through to June 1st, dropping in on up to 28 clubs a day.

As part of the preparations Reilly travelled to Essex to meet up with captains Paul Lees and Dougie House from Aeromega Ltd who will be piloting the Eurocopter Twin Squirrel for the week-long trip.

Seeing the helicopter close up really brought home the enormity of the whole week and how busy were going to be, said Reilly.

I think were due to visit 27 clubs on the first day, 28 on the second so its set to be pretty hectic."

The Celtic Manor Wales Open tees off on Thursday, May 29th, when a top-class field will participate in the chase for vital Ryder Cup points. Richard Sterne triumphed 12 months ago.

Murray holds his nerve to triumph

ALAN MURRAY braved the rain at Collingtree Park to win the Europro Tour Ivobank UK Masters by one stroke last week.

The Irishman shot 11-under-par 205 for the tournament with a final round of 67 in miserable weather in Northampton. The Team Ireland/Greystones GC man held his nerve down the back nine, with pars on the final four holes securing the title after picking up six birdies on the day.

He had a nervous wait as players in two of the three groups after him still had a shout of the title. Daniel Gaunt was the first to have a go but bogeyed the last to finish on eight under 208 for the tournament. Penultimate pairing of Lloyd Kennedy and Tom Haylock had solid rounds and went down 18 nine under - Kennedy birdied it to take second at 10-under-par 206, but Murray followed his runners-up spot at The Shire London the previous week with his first win on the Tour and collected the trophy from Collingtree's co-owner Eddie Jordan, the former owner of the Jordan Formula One team.

Murray scooped £10,000 (€12,537) for his win and heads into this week's event at Faithlegg, Co Waterford, in good spirit - and hoping to carry on a great start to the Tour for the Irish players.

Anthony enjoys golden moment

JESSIE ANTHONY (East Cork/Cobh) won the gold medal while Pamela Cassidy (Rathfarnham) won the silver medal at the LGU Medal finals at Rathdowney and Roscrea last week. At Rathdowney, Anthony fired a superb 66 off a 12 handicap to win by one stroke from Mary Fox (Powerscourt) while Nicky King (Enniscorthy) bagged the gross with a fine 79.

Meanwhile at Roscrea, Cassidy led the field with a fine 68 to win by one stroke from Dorette Loetter (Grange Castle) while Deirdre Foran (Balbriggan), off 19, returned 89 to win the best gross for the higher handicaps.

Eircom League of Ireland first division club Shelbourne are holding their annual golf classic on Friday at Forrest Little GC. Opportunities both to participate and get involved in sponsorship are still available so anyone interested in either should make contact with either John Phelan at 086 3072000 or Niall Fitzmaurice at 087 6379121.