Coulter in Ulster debut: If life begins at 40, as we are told, then Trevor Coulter's golf life has arrived a year early.
The Massereene man will make his debut at 39 in the Ulster team for the Interprovincial Championship at Portmarnock next month. Coulter, the recent North of Ireland Open Championship winner at Royal Portrush, is included in the side for August 11th-13th. This will be the first time he has been involved in representative golf.
"I never played with Ulster at any level before," reflects Coulter, who beat Rory Leonard by one hole in the North final. "The only brush with representative golf I have had was playing in the Antrim team during the All-Ireland Intercounty Championship."
Also making his debut will be Shandon Park's Alastair McKinlay, who reached the semi-finals of the Irish Close Championship at Donegal.
Irish and European champion Brian McElhinney was unavailable for selection. He has been included in a Walker Cup squad that non-playing captain Garth McGimpsey is bringing to Chicago during the same week as the men's Senior Interprovincial Championship.
Ulster are seeking a hat-trick of wins, having taken the title at Slieve Russell in 2002 and at Ballybunion in 2003.
ULSTER: Trevor Coulter (Massereene); Darren Crowe (Dunmurry); John Foster (Ballyclare); Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge); Rory Leonard (Banbridge); Gareth Maybin (Ballyclare); Andrew McCormick (Scrabo); Michael McGeady (North West); Alistair McKinley (Shandon Park); Michael Sinclair (Knock). Non-playing captain: John Moss (Whitehead); Non-travelling reserve: Conor Doran (Banbridge).
Open Junior lessons
All youngsters interested in learning to play golf can receive a free lesson from a PGA professional by attending the Irish Open at the Co Louth GC this week. Junior Golf Ireland (JGI) is a new body who will oversee the development of junior golf in Ireland, and is a partnership of Irish golf's three governing bodies, the Golfing Union of Ireland, the Irish Ladies Golf Union and the PGA Irish Region.
JGI will be hosting junior coaching clinics at all four days of the Irish Open for any child aged between 6-18 years. The lessons will be split between three indoor driving bays and a modified golf area, with equipment provided for all young golfers taking part.
Young golfers can book a lesson by contacting JGI regional development officers Gary Lavery on 07769662386 or Olly Hodges on 086 174 3653
Delaney to lead Irish
Carlow's Tara Delaney, the Irish Girls champion and runner-up to Deirdre Smith in the Close Championship, leads a strong Irish team for the Girls Home Internationals at Strathaven, Scotland, from August 11th to 13th.
Ireland: Fiona Carroll (Athenry), Rachel Cassidy (The Island), Tara Delaney (Carlow), Emma Gilmore (Mountbellew), Danielle McVeigh (Royal Co Down Ladies), Sinead O'Sullivan (Galway), Nikki Taggart (Greenisland), Catherine Tucker (Limerick). Reserves: Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), Charlene Reid (Gracehill).
Murphy makes it four
Susan Murphy is cleaning up in Old Conna at the moment. She has won the last four competitions in a row and has dropped two shots while doing so, going from 16 handicap to 14. It started with the Joan O'Leary's Lady Captain's prize, held over two days. On the first day she played in torrential rain for the 18 holes and managed to bring in a 73, and eventually won with an overall score of 149. Four days later she won the Invitation fourball, and the following Tuesday went on to win the Lady-Vice Captain's (Deirdre O'Brien) Prize with a great score of 68. It was the first time the two major prizes had been won by the same player. Not happy with all that, last Tuesday she won the medal competition with a score of 70.
Beaverstown play host
Beaverstown GC will again hold the Fingal over-50s on Saturday, August 14th. It is an open 18-hole Stableford competition and entry is very reasonably priced at just a8 for members and €20 for visitors. Anyone interested in playing should contact with the club's professional, Marcus Casey, on 01-8434655 for a place on the timesheet.
Meanwhile, Martina Gillen, playing off a handicap of plus one, has set a new standard around Beaverstown. Playing in Rose Daly's Lady Captain's Prize earlier this month, Gillen set a course record with a superb score of 67.
Lennon on song
We all know how hard it is to win from the front. But to do so in two major competitions during your golfing career, well that takes some doing. Yet, that is exactly what Harry Lennon has just achieved at the Grange GC, Rathfarnham. About 10 years ago the 16-handicapper won the Captain's Prize over 36 holes, having led the qualifiers from day one. Last month, playing in the Senior's Captain's Prize, he repeated that feat. The former Manchester United Busby Babe, who went to Old Trafford in the 1953/54 season, won the event - played over two nine-hole competitions - with two scores of 20 points in what was his first time to be eligible for the Seniors Captain's Prize.
Hogan tops junior event
A record entry of over 260 golfers was in Laytown and Bettystown GC over two days last week for their Junior Open Championships. In the main event, the boys under-15 Joe Carr Trophy, presented by the man himself in 1963, Glen Hogan of Malahide was the winner with a score of 76, beating Luke Naughton (Ardee) and Philip Duff (Skerries). Other winners on Wednesday were Sally Rooney of the host club, who won the Drogheda Independent Cup, and Stackstown's Richard Bridges, who won the Bettystown Cup (under-19) Boys with 71.
On Tuesday in the Traders Cup (under-12) Boys, Sutton's Philip Higgins was the winner, while Seapoint's Enda Maguire was victorious in the Becton Dickenson (under-14) Cup. Bebhinne Jennings (Navan) won the Laytown and Bettystown (under-13) Girls Trophy, while Lauren McBride Fields of the host club won the Monaghan (under-16) Cup. In the four-hole under-10 O'Kelly Cup Ross Coakley was the winner, while David O'Byrne won the Pee Wee Cup, which is for boys and girls under eights.
Local kings of Castle
Local knowledge proved to be highly beneficial at the Leinster Alliance's Captain's (John Bourke) Prize, sponsored by Ulster Bank, at the Castle GC on Sunday last. On a course in superb condition it was the locals who swept the board by winning the nett and the gross prizes. James Hanby, playing off five, had an excellent two-under par back nine to pip John Noonan from the Grange by a single shot to win the nett prize and with it the Captain's Prize. Billy Fitzsimons (9) from Slade Valley was third on 69.
And in the gross section, Ken Sweeney from the host club made it a Castle double. The four-handicapper with two steady nines of 37, had just one shot to spare over Joe Drea (4) of Old Conna, with Castlewarden's Brendan McDonald (5) in third also on 75. Next up for the Leinster Alliance is their President's Prize on September 19th at Seafield GC.
Meade's double ace
Holes-in-one are becoming all too easy for one of Balcarrick's members. For the second week in a row and playing in his usual fourball and arriving at the par three 14th hole, Ray Meade has aced the hole. Standing on the tee last Sunday he joked he would ace the hole as he stood with his seven-iron in his hand. And much the amazement of not just himself, but also his playing partners, he did exactly that.
Molloy wins play-off
Todd Hamilton wasn't the only golfer to be successful in a play-off on Sunday. While the American took home the claret jug for his play-off win at the British Open over South Africa's Ernie Els at Royal Troon, Mary Molloy was on her way to claiming Regina Kerr's Lady Captain's Prize at Castlebar GC. Sunday was the final round of the Lady Captain's. Kitty Grimes led after day one with a score of 67 and she brought in a score of 76 on day two for an overall total of 143. Molloy had trailed from day one having shot a 72, but she followed that with a 71 on Sunday to also finish on 143 and therefore tie Grimes. So a play-off over holes one, two and 18 was required and Molloy was a narrow winner. Breda Gilvarry (27) claimed third spot, while Connie White (8) was the gross winner. ... skeenan@irish-times.ie
compiled by Shay Keenan and Kevin McKenna
