Compiled by SHAY KEENAN

Dates for ILGU regional agms

THE first of the ILGU regional agms will take place next Saturday when the East Leinster will be held at Westmanstown Sports Centre, Dublin, at 12.0 noon. Ulster follow on Thursday, November 3rd, at Shandon Park Golf Club 1pm, with Connacht on Saturday, November 5th, at Knock House Hotel at 2pm.

The Mid Leinster meeting is scheduled for the Talbot Hotel, Carlow, on Saturday, November 12th, at 11.30am, while Munster wind up proceedings at the Mallow Sports Centre on Sunday, November 13th, at 1pm. The ILGU agm will be held on Saturday, January 14th, 2012, at Moran’s Hotel, Naas Road, Dublin, starting at 12.30pm.

PORTMARNOCK GC finished in 10th place at the European Club Trophy at The National GC Antalya, Turkey, over the weekend. The event was won by Golf Club de Lyon from France on 12 under par with Portmarnock’s James Fox, Geoff Lenehan and Michael Brett on 18 over.

McGlinchey claims North Western event

NARIN and Portnoo in Co Donegal was the venue for the latest North Western Golfing Alliance outing last Saturday with victory in the nett category going to Eamonn McGlinchey from Letterkenny.

The nine handicapper was in fine form around the testing course and proved to be a comfortable winner as he shot an impressive 68 to win by three shots.

His nearest challenger was John Callan, playing off a handicap of five from Ballycastle who shot 71, while Strabane’s 24-handicapper Odran McGettigan was in third position a further shot back on 72.

Winner in the gross section was City of Derry’s Seán Quigg, playing off two, with a score of 75, two strokes clear of Enda Kennedy (scr) of Rosapenna, with the host clubs Connor Mallon (scr) in third also on 77.

Next destination for the Alliance is a visit to Ballyliffin GC on Saturday, November 5th.

Lynch shows the way in MGA's victory over GUI team

THE Carey Cup is back in the hands of the Metropolitan Golf Association for the first time since 1996. Carrying the momentum from the first day of play where they led 4-2 after the foursomes and fourball matches, they won three of the singles for a 7½-3½ victory over the GUI team at Bethpage Black in the Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Cup.

While many of the matches were close early on, it was the MGA’s 50-year-old Dennis Lynch, who was competing in his first Carey Cup, who proved to be the stalwart. Playing on his home course, the two-time MGA Mid-Amateur champion jumped into an early four-holes lead as he cruised to a 5 and 4 victory over Aaron Kearney.

Mike Miller halved with Walker Cup player Alan Dunbar and the MGA’s final two points came from Clancy Waugh, who beat Gary McDermott one-up, and veteran Joe Saladino, who beat Niall Gorey 4 and 2.

In the other matches, the GUI’s Dermot McElroy beat Cameron Young one-up and Richard O’Donovan was a one-up winner over Conor Casey.

This marks the third win for the MGA in this event, and the first since 1996 at Hudson National Golf Club.

IN the first qualifying event for the USPGA Tour School, Séamus Power from West Waterford finished in eighth place to earn a place in the next round which takes place on November 15th.

Dublin GAA duo win world title

ALL-IRELAND Gaelic football winners Dublin’s Mick Galvin and Jason Sherlock have turned their hands to another sport with great success after claiming a dramatic victory at the 2011 International Pairs World Final in Scotland.

The Dublin pair held their nerve under intense pressure to beat Chile duo Gabriel Morgan Searle and Rodrigo San Martin Ribera at the second hole of a sudden death play-off at The Carrick on Loch Lomond.

Galvin (who now manages St Oliver Plunketts/Eoghan Ruadh) and Sherlock (current club captain) helped Dublin to All-Ireland success in 1995. They became the first Irish players to be crowned world champions in the competition’s history but it was a close run thing as Searle and Ribera pushed them all the way after both teams had finished with 53 points after 27 holes, three clear of South African’s Melville Muir and Willie Stokes.

“That is the most nervous I have ever been on a golf course,” said 11-handicapper Sherlock, a member at Hollystown, who also played for Shamrock Rovers and the Republic of Ireland under-21 soccer side. “I have played in a lot of big sporting occasions but I preferred playing in front of 80,000 at Croke Park than going through that.”

Rathsallagh to host open day

RATHSALLAGH GC is hosting an open day on Saturday, November 5th, to showcase its course, upgraded clubhouse, new in-house catering team and the Brendan McDaid Golf Academy.

Located on the Kildare/Wicklow border on the grounds of Rathsallagh Country House Hotel, new members can avail of the reduced membership fee for the 2012 season. An additional 20 per cent discount will also be offered to those who sign up on the open day, for the 2012 season.

The event is a shotgun start at 10.30am. Call Rathsallagh at 045-403316 to book places on the time-sheet.

Edwards to lead Walker Cup side again

NIGEL EDWARDS has been reappointed Britain and Ireland Walker Cup captain for the 2013 match after leading this year’s team to victory over the United States.

The Welshman, of Whitchurch Golf Club in Cardiff, will also be the BI captain for the 2012 St Andrews Trophy Match against the Continent of Europe, as well as the Walker Cup contest at the National Golf Links of America, Long Island.

Edwards played in four successive Walker Cups between 2001 and 2007, twice on a winning side, before completing a hat-trick of victories by leading BI to a 14-12 victory at Royal Aberdeen last month.

BI went into the contest as underdogs against a US team that included six of the world’s top 10 amateurs but brilliant performances, from the likes of Irish pair Paul Cutler and Alan Dunbar, Welsh teenager Rhys Pugh and British Open silver medallist Tom Lewis, saw the team win the Walker Cup for the first time since 2003.

Edwards, 43, has also played in three St Andrews Trophy matches, winning on every occasion.

However, he was captain for the last match which took place at Castelconturbia, Italy, in 2010, which saw BI suffer a 14-10 defeat, but he will get a chance to make up for that disappointment when the team will hope to reclaim the trophy at Portmarnock GC, Dublin, next August.