By SHAY KEENAN
Carvill carves out a third title
THREE-TIMES winner Jim Carvill from Warrenpoint beat Alan Condren from Greystones in a three-hole play-off to win the Leinster Mid-Amateur title at the Grange on Saturday.
Carvill shot a four-under-par final round of 67 for a 215 total to force the play-off with Condren, who also broke par with a 69, after opening rounds of 74 and 72.
IT has already been a memorable year in Powerscourt for Marian Cullen as she has the honour of being Lady Captain for 2011. But recently she had another reason to celebrate as she had a hole-in-one in the monthly medal. Cullen’s ace came at the par-3 sixth hole on the club’s championship West course. Cullen used a six-iron to hole out at the 101-metre hole.
CASTLE’S Colin Clancy and Michael McDermott, representing Pure Golf, clinched their first Skins PGA Fourball Championship appearance when they won the recent Irish Region qualifier at Headfort.
The PGA assistants teamed up to record an eight-under-par round of 65 to win by one shot from Graham Callaghan (Hollywood Lakes) and Enda Maguire (Dundalk). The final takes place at the Forest Pines in Lincolnshire from October 5th to 7th.
Royal Portrush women chase record 25th title
DEFENDING champions Royal Portrush will go in search of a record 25th Irish Women’s Senior Cup title when competitors tee off in the All-Ireland finals at Malone GC on Friday.
Favourites Royal Portrush will look to international Charlene Reid to lead the Antrim side to their sixth title in nine years. Reid will be joined by the talented Lucy Simpson and with experienced past internationals Helen Jones and Gemma McClenaghan on board, they should prove too strong a line-up for The Island, runners-up in Leinster.
The 2009 champions Kilkenny, led by Mary Dowling, will look to the experience of Eileen Rose Power to see off a young Claremorris side who may prove well equipped for the challenge with Sarah Helly and Kate Gallagher in their ranks.
The third quarter-final will see Coyne twins Edel and Julie and their Douglas team-mates fancy their chances against an unknown quantity in Connacht runners-up Roscommon, ably led by Anne McCormack.
Second favourites Co Louth complete the line-up with their tie against Midland runners-up Enniscorthy. The 2002 champions, led by Deirdre Smith, should prove too strong for the King twins, Nicola and Jennifer, and their club-mates.
FIXTURES
Friday – 11:30: Royal Portrush v The Island; 12:10: Kilkenny v Claremorris; 12:50: Douglas v Roscommon; 1:30: Co Louth v Enniscorthy. Saturday: 8:30: winners QF1 v QF2; 9:10: winners QF3 v QF4. Final: 2.0pm.
High fly the golfers of Athenry
ATHENRY GC were celebrating at Loughrea on Saturday after they captured two Connacht titles when winning the Pierce Purcell Shield by defeating Claremorris 3½-1½ and they also took home the Barton Shield against hot favourites, Co Sligo.
In the top match Mark King and Brian O’Reilly finished level with Gary McDermott and Serryth Heavey but Michael Lane and David Byrne had a four-holes win over Michael Durcan and Steffan O’Hara to secure the title for Athenry.
There was some consolation for Co Sligo, however, when they captured the Senior Cup after victories over Athlone and Galway, who beat the host club Loughrea in the semi-final.
Ballina will be the Connacht Junior Cup representatives in the All-Ireland finals at Castlerock next month after their victory over Athenry. Claremorris took the Jimmy Bruen pennant after a 3½-1½ win over Co Sligo.
Milltown out to bridge 23-year gap
MILLTOWN GC will be hoping to bridge a 23-year gap when they entertain Lucan in the first leg of the Metropolitan Cup final on Sunday next (noon).
It’s 23 years since the south Dublin club last won a GUI pennant (Barton Shield) and there is great excitement and anticipation in the club. The president, Séamus Cooney, who won a Junior Cup medal with the club nearly 50 years ago, is expecting enthusiastic support for the home team.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny take a commanding lead to Moate for the second leg on August 21st of the Provincial Towns Cup decider after their 9-0 home win on Sunday.
McDonagh to defend Mullingar crown
DEFENDING champion Kelan McDonagh from Athlone GC will lead a star-studded field for the 49th staging of the 72-holes Mullingar Scratch Cup on August 27th and 28th, which is again sponsored by Grant Thornton.
The great Joe Carr won the inaugural event in 1963 and since then it has attracted all of Ireland’s leading amateurs and indeed in years past, many notables from overseas.
Notable former winners include three-times Major winner Pádraig Harrington, who captured the title in 1994, the US Open champion Rory McIlroy, the winner in 2006, and the British Open champion Darren Clarke, who won the event in 1989.
Other former winners include Ryder Cup players Philip Walton (1982) and Paul McGinley (1991), and also Gary Murphy (1995), Peter Lawrie (1996), Colm Moriarty (2001 2003), and Shane Lowry (2008).
Entries to date include Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Richard O’Donovan (Lucan) and Stephen Walsh (Baltinglass).
McKenna's award is well merited
DONABATE’S Mary McKenna has been appointed an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in recognition of her services to sports.
The award is well merited following a long and successful career both as player and more recently as administrator. Mary made her international debut in 1968 and won her first Irish Championship a year later.
In an unbroken 22 years challenge from 1968 to 1989, she reached 12 finals, winning eight, seven of which were secured in a purple patch between 1969 and 1982.
McKenna represented Britain and Ireland on nine successive Curtis Cup teams from 1970 and 10 Vagliano Trophy teams from 1969. During this time she collected many district titles, including numerous 36-hole scratch cups and contributed significantly to Leinster’s domination of the Ladies Interprovincials for over 20 years.
More recently, McKenna has captained the Irish Ladies and Girls Junior European teams. She was honoured with the captaincy of the BI Curtis Cup teams in 2008 and 2010 and the Vagliano teams of 1995, 2007 and 2009. She currently sits on the ILGU’s High Performance Committee supporting the development of the game and is never short of an encouraging word for her fellow competitors, and in particular, talented juniors.
