Other golf stories in brief
Scratch golfers need not apply
SUCH IS the quality of the field for the Irish Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by AIB, that some 33 players with a handicap of plus one are on the waiting list for the second amateur major of the year at Royal Dublin GC on May 9th-11th.
The cut off fell at plus l.5, and leading the way are the Scottish pair of Kevin McAlpine (+4.9) and Callum Macauley (+4.8) in an entry that has attracted 91 overseas players representing 17 countries.
A feature of this year's event is the large entry from France following the decision of their golf federation to nominate the Irish Amateur Open as an event to be targeted by their elite amateurs. Forty-eight entries were received from the French federation, with 35 gaining entry to the field.
Included among the 29 Irish players in the field are six under-21 players who qualified by reaching the matchplay stages of the West of Ireland Championship.
They are: Kelan McDonagh (Athlone), Steven Webster (Castle), James Monaghan (The Island), Michael Durcan (Co Sligo), Paul Cutler (Portstewart) and Brendan Walton (The Island).
Hard to see past Loreto, Cavan
THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD twins Leona and Lisa Maguire (Loreto College, Cavan) are clear favourites to lift the Irish Schools title at Milltown GC on Monday next.
The sisters, fresh from their heroics at the French U-21 and U-18 Championships, contributed significantly to Ulster's defence of their Girls' Interprovincials at Bangor over Easter, and it is difficult to imagine the 2008 title heading anywhere else but Loreto College, Cavan.
The High School, Rathgar, field underage international Ciara Butler and Amy Jones, while Tara Dunne and Emma Dunne lead Presentation Wexford's challenge.
The final two contenders see Amy Gaynor and Aisling O'Connor represent Ursuline College, Sligo, while Crescent College Limerick's hopes rest with Vicki Morris and Eimear McManus.
First time for O'Rourke
THERE WAS a first-time winner and a third win in succession last Friday as the new course at Headfort played host to the penultimate outing of the Emerald Pro Tour season. Securing his opening season win was Pádraic O'Rourke, whose one-under-par 71 gave him a one-shot victory over David Mortimer, while sharing third spot were Mark Staunton (Black Bush), Beaverstown's Gary Cullen and Gary Wardlow from Dunmurry, a shot further back.
But in the amateur section there has just been no stopping Michael Grady as he made it three wins in a row. The 9-handicapper from Kilkee, having already won the Order of Merit crown the previous week, won with 39 points, two clear of Phil Hanlon (13) of Galgorm Castle, with Mark Hoey (5) third with 36 points.
The Darren Clarke-designed Moyvalley club will stage the final event of the season next Friday. Contact Ciarán Tighe on 086 0807280 or ciaran@allingolf.ie.
Milltown will stage the women's Pavilion Cup, an open singles competition, on Friday, May 2nd. Entries may be made by contacting Eithne at 01 4976090.
Entry fee is €12.
Delaney's Kent State win
RELAND INTERNATIONAL Tara Delaney, a student at Kent State, in Ohio, finished sixth on 225 with scores of 80, 75 and 70 in the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational over the Ohio State Scarlet course in Columbus.
Sara Brown (Michigan State) was the individual winner with scores of 70, 73 and 73 for 216, while Kent State won the team event on 885 from hosts Ohio State (913).
Dubliner Dawn-Marie Conaty from Memphis University finished joint 27th in a field of 44 for the Conference USA Women's College Championship at Butterfield Trail Golf Club, El Paso, Texas. Conaty scored 77, 85 and 79 for a total of 241.
Winner by six strokes with a four-over-par total of 220 was Woeri Shin (Tulsa University) with 76, 71 and 73.
Meanwhile, Galway's Sinéad O'Sullivan and twice Welsh girls champion Lucy Gould played their part as East Tennessee State won the Atlantic Sun Conference C Team championship for the first time - over their home course, The Ridges G&CC, at Johnson City, Tennessee.
Team-mate Laura Jansone from Latvia was the individual winner with rounds of 67, 82 and 77 for a total of 226. O'Sullivan scored 78, 74 and 78 to finish joint seventh of 230 players.
East Tennessee State won the team title with 903 - 25 shots ahead of runners-up Campbell University.
Bowe celebrates on the double
THE CURTAIN on the Munster Senior Alliance season came down on Sunday as they headed for the Killeen Course at Killarney. In what was their final outing, there was double celebration for Clancy Bowe. Not only did the plus two handicap golfer win the final outing, but he also clinched the Order of Merit.
The Tramore golfer won with a 73 in Killarney for a one-shot victory over Paul Buckley (scr), with John O'Neill, playing off one, third a further shot adrift on 75.
Bowe had a handy cushion in the order of merit race, finishing the season with 27 points, five clear of Dave O'Donovan from Muskerry, with Lee Valley's O'Neill in third on 18 points.
The Irish Lifeboats Golf Classic, organised by the Meath Branch, will be held in Co Louth GC, Baltray, on Friday, May 9th.
A team of four can enter the event at a cost of €800 per team and details are available from Phyllis Boyd - chairman RNLI - Meath Branch, at 046-9053351.
Kitching wins in Munster
Niamh Kitching's good start to the season continued last week when she won the Munster Senior Championship at Dooks, defeating Karen Delaney from Carlow on the 19th hole in the final. The Claremorris golfer had led the qualifiers after her opening rounds of 79 and 76 gave her a five-shot victory over Carlow's Aedin Murphy.
In the matchplay, Kitching started with a win over Lillian Harrington from East Cork 8 and 7, then beat Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 1up in the quarters and advanced against Sarah Faller in the semi-finals after the Galway player had to retire after seven holes because of illness.
