Compiled by Shay Keenan
Schreefel surprises
Dewi Schreefel, a 20-year-old from Deventer in the Netherlands, was a surprise winner of the NCAA Women's Division One Championship over the Scarlet course at Ohio State University last week.
The sophomore student at Southern California University shot a final round of three-under-par 69 to win the title by two strokes with a two-under-par total of 286.
Only one of the leading five players - runner-up Jennie Lee (Duke) - is an American.
Third-placed Dal Sol Chung (UNLV) comes from Seoul, Korea, and joint fourth-placed Sandra Gal and long-time leader Eileen Vargas come from Germany and Colombia respectively.
Another European to do well was Azahara Munoz (Arizona State), the Spaniard who won the British Girls' Open Championship at Lanark two years ago. Munoz finished joint fifth on 292.
It was not such a happy tournament for the Kent State University, Ohio, trio of the Delaney sisters from Carlow and Becky Wood from Scotland.
Wood finished joint 68th with a total of 307 with scores of 77, 79, 77 and 74. Tara Delaney tied for 98th place on 315 with scores of 76, 76, 85 and 78. She could not keep the really destructive figures off her card. In her final round she had a double bogey at the long fourth and a triple bogey at the short 17th.
Over the 72 holes, Tara had a quadruple bogey, a triple bogey and six double bogeys - which is not in keeping with her form this season. Sister Karen finished joint 120th on 326 with scores of 85,85, 80 and 80. Duke (1,167) retained the team title by 10 shots from Southern California, with Pepperdine (1,887) third.
East Clare new event
A women's-led first is the latest initiative at East Clare Golf Club, who host their inaugural Mixed two-day event over the June Bank Holiday weekend.
"What has made a two-day event possible is the new East Clare Golf Holiday Village, which has just come into operation and can accommodate over 200 people," said Bodyke Lady Captain Helen Ahern, who hopes that the June double bill will be the launch of a yearly event.
Led by Thurles-born Ahern, who has been living at Ardnacrusha since her banker husband, Seán, moved to AIB Limerick in 1995, the event consists of a Mixed Fourball on Sunday, June 4th, followed by Mixed Foursomes with the same partners on the Monday.
Visiting competitors can get to know the Bodyke course with a complimentary nine holes on Saturday afternoon. With a weekend €50 entry for visitors and €€30 for members, the top prize is a week in a Spanish apartment sponsored by East Clare Golf Holiday Village through its link-up with a holiday exchange network.
Fine prizes, fine cause
The Greater Chernobyl Cause Classic, an 18-hole Stableford competition, will be held on Monday, June 19th, at the Lee Valley Golf & Country Club. Tee-times are from 8am until 4.30pm. There are magnificent prizes on offer. Windsor Motors have sponsored a Nissan X Trail 4x4, value €33,000, for a hole in one. Prizes include Ryder Cup tickets, green fees at Old Head, Kinsale, weekend breaks at leading hotels, designer golf gear and more green fees for various top courses.
Teams of three cost just €200, and sponsorship of a tee-box is €50. All sponsors have a chance of winning two three-day passes to the Ryder Cup.
All proceeds from the classic will fund work with the abandoned children of Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan. These children are forced to live in horrendous conditions. To reserve tee-times contact Margaret at 087-6638658.
Classic event
Following the success of last year's event, the Friends of Leopardstown Park Hospital are organising a Classic which will take place on Friday, June 30th, in Powerscourt Golf Club, East Course. The format will be a four-person team Stableford competition. Tee-times are from 9.30am to 4pm, with dinner at 8.30pm. Places on the timesheet are going fast. If you would like to play or be associated with the event, please contact Anne Fitzsimons at 216 0580 or email a.fitzsimons@lph.ie.
The proceeds from the classic will go towards the provision of a new specialised dementia unit. Dementia is one of today's major challenges faced by older people, their carers and families. Leopardstown Park Hospital provides a range of services for older people, including in-patient and day care for dementia patients.
Good Carton offer
Carton House, home to the 2005 and 2006 Irish Open, is offering golf enthusiasts the opportunity to play the top-class Montgomerie Course with an exciting summer offer.
Enjoy a fortifying breakfast in the clubhouse prior to teeing off on the Montgomerie Course, which is sure to provide an exciting challenge. This golf and breakfast deal costs just €75 and is available before 10.30am Monday to Friday until June 30th.
Carton House, set on a 1,100-acre estate, is the perfect place to relax and is soon to offer even more with the completion of an elegant, 165-bedroom hotel with conference and spa facilities that is scheduled to open in July.
For more information about golf at Carton House visit www.cartonhouse.com or phone 01 505 2000.
Test for future stars
Irish golf's champions of the future are being invited to test themselves in competition with the announcement of the schedule for the YMG Junior Masters 2006 tournament.
The event, which is open to all YMG junior golfers aged five to 16 years, will visit 14 venues up and down Ireland and Britain, building to a national final in the early autumn.
The tournament kicks off on Monday, July 24th, at Castle Hume GC in Enniskillen, and will be followed by other regional qualifiers at Malahide GC on July 25th, Bray GC on July 27th and Charleville GC on July 28th.
There are five age categories, with the winning boy and girl in each age group at each qualifying event progressing to the national final, scheduled for the end of September.
Details from the YMG website at www.ymg-golf.com
Dunne defends title
Defending champion Maria Dunne from Skerries won the 2006 Clarins-sponsored Leinster Senior Championship at Grange Golf Club on Saturday with a 24th-hole victory over Maura Morrin from the Curragh.
Dunne earlier secured a dramatic victory over Martina Gillen (Beaverstown) in the semi-final when she chipped in from a plugged lie in a bunker on the 20th.
Leading qualifier Gillen had been taken to the 19th by Anne McCormack (Roscommon) on Friday morning, and then beat the experienced Sinéad Keane (Curragh) in the afternoon quarter-final.
Dunne had beaten local favourite and seniors champion Therese O'Reilly, while Morrin beat second qualifier Jennifer Gannon (Co Louth) in the semi-final, only to go down at the sixth extra tie hole to Dunne.
The Junior championship was won by Sandra McCaffrey from Lucan, who beat Angie O'Briain from Glen of the Downs 4 and 3 in the final.
Sheila Richardson (Kilcoole) led the qualifiers with a marvellous 82 but lost out in the semi-final to McCaffrey.
McGraths celebrate
They were certainly keeping it in the family at St Anne's over the weekend as Maria McGrath held her Lady Captain's Prize to the men. Always a prize worth winning, McGrath no doubt couldn't have been more proud than to learn that at the end of the day her son Brian had fired the best score and taken the top prize.
Playing some excellent golf, Brian, playing off 27, produced a highly impressive score of 41 points.
However, Brian only won his mother's prize on a countback over the final six holes as he had tied with Derek Nolan (10). Back in third spot was Martin Tyrrell (4) with 38 points. The event on Saturday was also noteworthy in that Seán Algar had a hole in one at the sixth hole, but all the talk that evening was of Brian McGrath having claimed his mother's prize.
Turner to stay in US
Niall Turner will miss the East of Ireland Championship at Co Louth Golf Club over the June Bank Holiday weekend.
Originally in the field, he had hoped to play at Baltray, but last week he helped his American university qualify for the NCAA Championships.
Playing for the University of Minnesota, Turner finished in a tie for 30th - out of a field of 150 - shooting rounds of 70, 77 and 73 for seven over par.
However, more importantly, Minnesota finished sixth at the NCAA Central Regional in Ohio, and by virtue of their top-10 finish they have progressed to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2003.
The 26th NCAA Championships take place in Sunriver, Oregon, at the Crosswater Golf Club from tomorrow, May 31st, through to Sunday, June 4th. Minnesota won the title back in 2002 and this is their seventh appearance since 1998. The East of Ireland Championship runs from Saturday, June 3rd through to Monday, June 5th.
Deadly duo strike
Headfort's Mary Kidney (15) and Maura Kealy (28) will have reason to remember the last couple of weeks at the Co Meath club as they proved a deadly duo in winning a couple of times together. First they teamed up to land the foursomes event with a score of 37 points, three better than the rest of the field.
Then they were joined by PK O'Reilly (6) and Mona O'Donovan (28) in the Headfort Open team event, and they recorded an impressive 86 points to claim victory number two. O'Donovan also secured a second win recently when she won the club singles competition.
Bradshaw doubles up
Donabate's Lady Captain Deirdre Bradshaw is enjoying her time on the course this season.
On Friday she teamed up with Ann Gardiner from Clontarf to win the open fourball competition with a score of 33 points.
Then in Pat Doran's Lady Vice-Captain's Prize, she won the gross prize with a score of 85.
The Lady Vice-Captain's Prize was won by Pauline Neville (17) with a score of 71, just one better than Gaye Keane (20). The three class winners on the day were Nuala Galvin, Kathleen Fetherston and Patricia Mahony.
O'Halloran is sharp
East Clare's Ger O'Halloran proved his worth last week at the Association of Left-Handers outing to Moate. On a day of sharp shooting, O'Halloran won on a countback from Tom Buckley (Corrstown) and Jerry Bradley (Tuam) after all three fired 38 points, which was one better than fourth-placed Pat Flynn from Portumna.
