Irish trio for world event: Rory McIlroy (Holywood), Gareth Shaw (Lurgan) and Simon Ward (Co Louth) will represent Ireland in the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy at the De Zalze and Stellenbosch Golf Club, near Cape Town, South Africa from October 26th to 29th.
McIlroy, who is ranked fifth in world amateur rankings, scored his biggest victory to date when he won the European Individual Championship at the Biella Golf Club in Italy last month following his successes in the Irish Amateur Close and the West of Ireland Championships.
Shaw (20) who is on scholarship in America, won the North of Ireland Championship last year, and this year captured the Irish Youths Amateur Open Championship at Royal Tara where he set a course record 66.
Ward (18) beaten in the Close final by McIlroy, made his big breakthrough this year when he won the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.
Mount Temple event
The annual Mount Temple Senior and Junior AIB-sponsored "Ryder" Cup takes place on Sunday, October 1st over 27 holes where Mel Flanagan's championship course record of 69 is sure to come under pressure.
Meanwhile, Mount Temple will also host their own Ryder Cup tournament against Pinewild Golf Course, North Carolina, on Saturday, October 14th.
Timesheet for the Scratch Cup is available at 0906481841 or email mttemple@iol.ie
Hollystown opens up
Hollystown Golf Club, the 27-hole course located just seven minutes from Blanchardstown, is offering free green fees for three days during this week's Ryder Cup on Friday, Saturday and Sunday next.
The club is taking the initiative of Ireland's hosting of the Ryder Cup to celebrate Irish golf and to highlight the great value that is available in Irish golf.
"We are opening our course, free of charge, for three days to all golfers to celebrate what is truly a golden era for Irish Golf, with the Ryder Cup taking place in Ireland and with three Irish players on the team," said Ciarán Barry, director of golf at the club.
This offer is extended on a first-come, first-served basis, and all bookings should be made by calling the club on (01) 820 7444 or on the Club website (www.hollystown.com).
St Brigid's prevail
St Brigid's of Dublin won the FBD All-Ireland GAA Challenge and picked up the perpetual Waterford Crystal Dunhill Trophy at Faithlegg last week. The Leinster champions fired a winning score of 169 points with former intercounty football stars Jason Ward from Leitrim and former Dublin corner back Martin Cahill, ably assisted by Niall Coyne and Martin Prior fired a winning score of 169 points to win from local side Dunhill of Waterford 154.
The Waterford quartet included Donal Murphy, Derry Kiely, Martin Murray and Brian Dunbar. Derrygonnelly Harps finished in third place on 148 points followed by Athenry GAA, Galway on 145. The overseas champions, Barcelona Gaels, came in fifth.
Craddockstown are best
With both clubs looking for their first pennants, the battle for the 2006 Best Cup was always going to be a closely fought affair. Craddockstown won 3½-1½ at home last week and felt they should have got more. Charlesland were determined to get revenge and pulled them back slowly before finishing 3½-1½ winners at home in the second-leg.
After an afternoon of fantastic golf it all went down to the 19th. As it got dark it was Craddockstown's Bernard Cahill and Ronnie Egan who secured the winning point with the all important putt being holed from off the green for the magic par to win their first Best Cup.
Turner finishes seventh
Nial Turner from Muskerry, the defending champion, finished seventh in the individual honours while helping the University of Minnesota to second place in the Gopher Invitational at Spring Hill Golf Club in Wayzata, Minnesota, last week.
Turner had round of 74,69, and 78 for 221 while Zack Miller of Stanford and Colt Knost of SMU shared top honours at two-under-par 214. Miller made up four shots in the final round on Knost with an even par 72. Turner's team-mate, Bronson La'Cassie, finished a shot back in third.
Stanford College won the team event on 889 from Minnesota 894.
Casey claims victory
Bill Casey, who won an All-Ireland medal with Dublin in 1963, was in top form at Roganstown GC last week when winning the AIB-sponsored Leinster Alliance President's (John Bourke) prize with an excellent score of 38 points. Casey, now playing out of Delvin Castle, had a point to spare over Darragh Joyce from the Grange with Killiney's Pat Smyth third on 36 points from Tony Frew (Grange) and Shay Fleming (Slade Valley).
Tony Goode from Lucan continued his good form in taking the gross with 35 points from club-mate Richard O'Donovan with Pat Errity (Delgany) third. The junior prize went to Killiney's Greg Leech with 34 points from Cian Windsor from Old Conna. The final outing of the season is at Carton House on October 8th. Time sheet with Michael Neary 01-2827297.
Keyes in formidable from
Teaching the youngsters a thing or two about the game at present are the senior members of County Sligo. Over the summer months it has been the more experienced players who are collecting the prizes and have been ruling the fairways. "Young-at-Heart" Pam Keyes on a scorching Lady Captain's Day won Madge Smyth's prize with a brilliant score of 64 to reduce her handicap to 25.
The following Tuesday, she scored 38 points off her new handicap and has since reduced her handicap by a further shot. This she achieved by winning the club fourball with partner Rita Walsh. Pam, with another senior lady Sheila Crowley, formed a formidable pairing in the AA Junior Foursomes and all their matches in this competition up to the semi-finals which the team lost. And they weren't the only senior members doing well as Olivia Williams scored a fantastic 51 points in the PGA Tankard competition and now goes forward with club pro Jim Robinson to Royal Tara for the national final.
Shelbourne FC Classic
The Shelbourne FC Annual Golf Classic will take place at Forrest Little Golf Club on Thursday October 5th. A team of four costs €600 (shotgun start at 2.30pm), while a team of four costs €500 for the early bird tee time of 8am. Both of the above include a meal for four. Those who wish to attend the meal only can do so at a cost of €50 euro.
Event sponsorship is also available, at a cost of €3,200, which includes two teams, branding and presentation of trophies; tee sponsorship or green sponsorship is a100, while tee and green sponsorship is €150. For further details contact John Phelan on 087 263 1540 or Niall Fitzmaurice on 087 6379121.
Power proves tops
Kinsale's Michael Power proved the top golfer as the Irish Association of Golf Club Secretaries held their Munster Region outing to Killarney last Monday. A score of 35 points gave Power a two-point winning margin over Monkstown's Hilary Madden, with Sam Smith of Dromoland taking third also with 33 points. Also featuring were Matt Sands (Cork), Ballybunion's Jim McKenna and Tom Prendergast of the host club Killarney.
Meanwhile, in Kinsale the Senior Woman's Golf Society (Munster Branch) held their outing where Glengarriffe's Nancy Heffernan was the winner with 38 points, two better than Douglas' Mary O'Connor with Ita Birdthistle (East Cork) next best, while the gross winner was Ann Lenihan of Cobh..
They hold their next outing at Thurles Golf Club on Monday October 9th, where the event is a two ball scramble.
