Men's captain Gerry McNally had to play second fiddle on drive-in day at the Curragh. However, if what transpired was a portent of the excitement to come at the club this season, then he won't be complaining. Lady Captain Eileen Lynch holed in one at the 16th and her husband Philip was a member of the winning team along with Sandra Hayes, Anne Rooney and Harry Goff. Furthermore, Tommy Behan aced the 10th.
Speaking in Ballybunion recently, Tom Watson said that the rest of the field was playing for second place whenever Tiger Woods was in a tournament. Had he known what has been going on at Elm Park, he might have made a similar remark about the women members and Daire Connell. The `majors' escaped Connell last year but she must be well fancied to put that straight in the coming season after recently capturing her fourth consecutive monthly medal. Paddy Power may not even offer odds come the first week of April when Connell will have the opportunity to make it a remarkable five in a row.
The Irish Senior Ladies' Golf Association has announced an expanded list of events for the coming season including a first ever international against Scotland. That will be played at Royal Portrush next month when Irish captain Mary Anderson (Woodbrook) will have new cap Sandra Watkins (Woodenbridge) in her line-up. The Irish team includes such proven competitors as Mary McKenna, Valerie Hassett and Rhona Fanagan, who all featured in the drawn match at home to England last season. The association hopes to attract a strong international field for the Irish Open which will be played in Lahinch in October and one of the highlights of the calendar will again be the All-Ireland team event. Teams of three players, not necessarily from the same club, will compete in provincial qualifiers with the finals in Dundalk in August. Rosie Dowling, Ann McLean and Carol Mitchell, all from Malone, took the title last year.
The Central Remedial Clinic, Clontarf, will hold its annual golf classic at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links on Friday, June 23rd. This year's format will be a four-ball stableford team event with two scores to count at each hole. The entry fee is £600 per team and entry forms are available from Vivienne McCutcheon, director of Public Relations, CRC, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf. Tel: 01 8057400, email: tdcrc@crc.ie.
Newbridge will host the County Kildare Golf Society annual matchplay championship starting on April 23rd. Teams will consist of 10 players and the format will be four singles matches and three fourball matches with a maximum handicap of 23. The entry fee is £8 per team and forms are available from Newbridge golf club, Barrettstown. Tel: 045431289.
