Compiled by  SHAY KEENAN

Rath lands top prize at Grange

The Leinster Alliance held their second outing of the season at a wet Grange GC last Sunday. Due to the inclement weather numbers were down but scoring was impressive despite the conditions.

Best of the day was 38 points by Derek Rath (5) from Old Conna, who won the best nett. Second was the captain of Beech Park, Eamon Donoghue (8), with 36 points and third was Ger Synott (7) from Killeen with 35 points on the back nine. The best gross was won by David Murray (1) from Skerries with 31 points and second gross was Frank Gannon (3), also from Skerries, with 30 points on the last three.

The next outing will be to Lisheen GC. on Sunday, October 28th. The time-sheet is open with Michael Neary at 01-2827297 or email: m@irishgolfbooks.com

Graham Sweeney from Hollystown fired a 69 off a four handicap to win the nett in the first outing in the Winter Series at Portmarnock Links.

Sweeney had four shots to spare over John McCormack from Hermitage, who carded his 73 off three. The best gross was won Shane McGlynn from Carton House with a 70 from Cian Curley 74. Mark Irwin (4) Malahide had a hole in one with a four-Iron on the 193 metres 17th hole.

McElhinney top man at North West

A one-under-par round of 69 saw Golf Ireland’s Brian McElhinney win the latest outing of the North Western Golfing Alliance at North West GC.

McElhinney was two shots clear of the 71 shot by Rosapenna’s Enda Kennedy in the gross section, with Noel Callan from Faughan Valley in third place after a round of 74.

In the nett category the spoils went to Buncrana’s Stephen McHugh.

McHugh, playing off a handicap of three, was in impressive form and shot 38 points, which left him one point clear of John P Dolan, a scratch player from Ballybofey and Stranorlar.

Stephen McKeegan, playing off a handicap of five and from City of Derry, was in third place after finishing best of three players who had ended up on 36 points.

Next up for the Alliance is a visit to the Glashedy course at Ballyliffin, this Saturday, October 20th.

Wicklow pair claim Holmpatrick Cup

St Andrews in Scotland provided the venue for the recent finale to the Holmpatrick Cup with the Wicklow pairing of Stephen Dowling (12) and Gabriel O’Donoghue (16) proving far too good for the rest of the field.

Having shot an impressive 42 points on day one around the New Course, the Wicklow pairing held a four-point lead over the other three partnerships, who had made it to Scotland having qualified through in the domestic “Race to St Andrews”.

Then over the Old Course the Wicklow duo really hit form, shooting a superb 47 points to take the spoils by a comfortable margin and bring the Holmpatrick Cup to Wicklow for the first time.

The scoring over the Old Course was impressive for all four pairings, with a combined total of 165 points, with Royal Dublin’s Brendan O’Malley and Lochlainn Garvey shooting 41, Waterford’s Charlie Ahearne and John Hale 39, and James McKay and Graham Johnson of Clover Hill 38, but nobody could match Wicklow club president Dowling and O’Donoghue.

Also present at the final were competition secretaries Niall O’Connor from Blessington Lakes, Michael Murphy (Portarlington), Michael Keville ( Boyle) and Brendan Tuckey (Stackstown), while the players also got to watch play at the Dunhill Links Championship, won by Branden Grace.

Dublin City Ladies ease to Interclub Fourball success

Dublin City Golf Club won the Miele All-Ireand Ladies Interclub Fourball at Westmanstown Golf Club, defeating Clonmel in the final.

The Dublin side had the better start and were up in two matches, level in one and down in one after nine holes and duly went on the win the top two matches, where Rebecca McRory and Rachel Treanor beat Gemma McCarthy and Shula McCarthy 2 and 1, followed by Carol Loftus and Grace O’Neill’s 3 and 2 win over Katherine Morrissey and Gemma Murphy.

It was now very much an uphill battle for Clonmel, who needed to win the remaining two matches by a greater number of holes up to Dublin City’s tally of five. And once the matches were still alive through the 16th and 17th holes respectively there could be no comeback for Clonmel so both matches were called in.

The other members of the Dublin City team were Sheila Stone and Leonie Colgan, who halved with Shauna O’Brien and Deirdre Ronan, while Esme Murphy and Rebecca Rush also halved with Helen O’Donoghue and Jeannie Ronan.

The play-off for third place was a tightly contested affair between Portumna and Ballycastle. Portumna had the better start and were up in three matches and all square in the last through the turn.

Portumna went on to win two matches before Ballycastlle went ahead in the bottom match to win 3 and 1.

Hurley clinches Intervarsity title

NUI Maynooth’s Gary Hurley clinched the Intervarsity Championship at Tramore last week with a six-shot win over his college team-mate Conor O’Rourke.

After rounds of 65 and 74 Hurley closed with a 71 for a three-round total of 210 (four under par).

O’Rourke carded three rounds of 72, while Alex Gleeson was third a shot further back on 217, and Ross O’Sullivan (Cork IT) and Kieran Lynch (NUIM) rounded off the top-five on four over.

UCD’s Chloe Ryan shot a blistering five-under 70 to cruise home in the women’s section. Ryan finished on 145 with UCD’s E O’Driscoll second on 157.

'Limitless' art show inspired by sport

Limitless, an exhibition of new work inspired by sport, will open on Friday at Inspirational Arts, 7 Herbert St, Dublin 2. The solo exhibition is by Lucy Tormey, best known for her association with The 2011 Solheim Cup and 2012 Curtis Cup, where she was the event artist.

The vibrant show features works inspired by golf, sailing, cycling, skiing and swimming. “Limitless” will be officially opened by Roddy Carr at 7.30pm and will run during normal business hours until November 9th.

Former US Curtis Cup player Meghan Stasi won her fourth US Women’s Mid-Amateur title to match the tournament record, beating Liz Waynick 6 and 5 last week at Briggs Ranch, San Antonio, Texas.

The 34-year-old Stasi, from Oakland Park, Florida, also won in 2006, ’07 and ’10. She tied the record set by Ellen Port in the event limited to players 25 and older. She became the 16th player to win one USGA championship at least four times.