A look at today's other golf news
McIlroy in Open field
Rory McIlroy (Holywood) - joint second in last weekend's Lytham Trophy - and Richie Ramsay (Scotland), the respective reigning European and American Open champions, head a star-studded field for the AIB-sponsored Irish Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship which returns to Royal Dublin Golf Club on Friday, Saturday and Sunday next.
The championship has attracted a record 84 overseas players from 13 countries - Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden, Wales and the USA.
The cut-off for the field of 120 fell at plus 1.2 with four players on plus 1.1, decided by ballot, being included. In fact such is the quality of the entry that there are 29 plus one handicappers on the waiting list.
McIlroy, who is also the reigning Irish Close champion and who celebrated his 18th birthday last week, was pipped in a play-off for the Irish Amateur Open at Portmarnock last year by Finland's Annti Ahokas who has since joined the paid ranks, while Ramsay won the title in 2005 at Carton House.
The field includes 13 of the Britain and Ireland Walker Cup squad from which the team will be selected to face America at Royal Co Down on September 8th-9th. They are Scotland's seven - Ramsay, Kelvin McAlpine, Lloyd Saltman, Keir McNicholl, Glenn Campbell, Scott McHenry and Paul O'Hara. For Ireland there are McIlroy, Simon Ward and Jonathan Caldwell, and for Wales - Nigel Edwards, Lewellyn Matthews and Zack Gould. Also included are eight players who qualify under a condition of the event which provides that any Irish entrant under the age of 21 on January 1st who having entered, and reached the matchplay stages of the West of Ireland Championship, gains a place in the field. They are West runner-up Paul Cutler (Portstewart), Tommy McGowan (Strandhill), Nicky Grant (Knock), Dara Lernihan (Castle), Luke Lennox (Moyola Park), Rory McNamara (Headfort), Wayne McCulley (Donaghadee) and Brendan Walton (The Island).
Royal Dublin welcomes the return of the Irish Amateur Open after three years during which time major changes were carried out on the links by course architect Martin Hawtree while the clubhouse has also been extensively renovated.
The Irish Amateur Open was first played in 1892 and was held every year, with the exception of the war years, up to 1959. Former champions in that era included Joe Carr (three times), Jimmy Bruen, Tom Craddock, Cecil Ewing, Jack Burke and Norman Drew. The event was revived in 1995 when Padraig Harrington triumphed at Fota Island.
Maguire makes mark
Leona Maguire reached another milestone in her short golfing career when she became the youngest ever winner by many years of the Hermitage Scratch Cup on Sunday. The 12-year-old showed a top class field of experienced players the way home with an excellent score of 147 for the 36-holes event to win by four shots form International Maura Morris from the Curragh - her fifth time as runner-up in the event - with Jenny Gannon from Co Louth third on 154 and Leona's twin-sister Lisa taking fourth place on 156.
Leona covered the 6,000-yard par 73 in two over par 75 in her first round but dipped under the regulation in the afternoon with a one-under-par 72. Tara Gribben from Warrenpoint won the nett with 144 from Fiona Healy from Headfort while Sheena O'Brien Kenny winning the seniors with 156.
Juniors get a chance
With the arrival of the new Opel Antara, the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) National Academy last week announced details of the first Opel Antara Junior Golf weekend. Entirely free and open to golf clubs and members of the general public, the competition will see golfers ranging from ages six-14 of all levels chipping, putting and driving, with master classes, tips from pros and the Opel Antara Junior Putting Challenge, throughout Saturday and Sunday, August 25th-26th.
The Opel Antara Junior Golf Weekend will be staged in the GUI National Academy at Carton House, Maynooth. The exemplary facilities of the Academy includes state of the art putting and chipping greens as well as a world-class range featuring grass tees.
One of the highlights of the weekend will be the junior putting challenge, which will run throughout the two days and see more than 250 boys and girls putt their way to the top of the leaderboard.
This is the only event of the weekend that requires pre-registration. Participants can contact their local golf clubs for more information, or visit www.gui.ie.
First Tee at Killerig
The First Tee of Ireland will hold a three-person team event at Killerig GC in Carlow on May 23rd when all proceeds will go to a very worth cause. The First Tee of Ireland is a charitable youth development organisation that provides opportunity to children who would not ordinarily have access to the game of golf and its positive values. The organisation runs a curriculum called "The First Tee Life Skills Experience" using the game of golf as the platform for the instruction.
The cost for the outing is €150 to include an all-day barbecue. For further details, contact Killerig Golf Resort on 059.9163050 or Claire McCabe at The First Tee on 051-845465.
Summerhill success
Summerhill College, Sligo, made it National Schools Championship win number 12 at Lucan recently when they defeated Patrician College, Mallow by 3½ to 1½ in the final.
Although Tommy McGowan went down to Ciarán McKenna by two holes in the top match, it got better when Tony McDaid won the second match 4 and 3 against Conor Dowling. There were also wins for Summerhill's Paul Cox who beat Barry Morrissey 6 and 4, while Darragh O'Sullivan sealed the win for the Sligo school beating Diarmuid Healy by one hole. Mark Rooney added the half point when called in playing against David Cosgrave.
Meanwhile, at the same venue Royal Belfast Academical Institute won the Irish Schools Strokeplay Championship. James Patterson led the way with a 74, with Garth McGee (75) and Tim Greeves (88) helping as they recorded a total of 237, four ahead of both Patrician Academy Mallow and Sligo Grammar School, with St Peter's College in Wexford a further four strokes back in fourth on 243.
Daly delivers aces
Deirdre Daly, playing off 16, at Westmanstown GC, was celebrating the third "hole in one" of her golfing career in her home club recently. Having aced the third and the sixth par threes previously, she added the 125-metre 16th par three to her achievements. She has now set herself a target to add the remaining two par threes - the ninth and the 12th to her list.
This might appear to be an onerous task but Deirdre managed to beat her "hat-trick" by adding yet another "hole in one" to her achievements last week. This time, though, it was at the 10th hole in Hermitage.
Seniors challenge
The North West's Mid Summer Seniors Golf Challenge takes place June 19th-21st. Played on three of Donegal's magnificent Atlantic coastline links at Portsalon, Dunfanaghy and Rosapenna it offers exceptional value. The entry fee at €95 per person includes three rounds of golf, daily and overall prizes, and a prize presentation buffet.
Played in teams of three, the challenge is stableford and open to men and women over 55 years holding official handicaps. Handicap limits, men 24 and women 36, applies. The event is sponsored by Fáilte Ireland, Febvre Wines and National Irish Bank. Entry forms are available from Frank Casey Jnr, Mid Summer Seniors Golf Challenge, Rosapenna Golf Pavilion, Rosapenna, Downings, Donegal. Tel. +353 (0)74 9155000, frankcasey@hotmail.com
Celebrity golf event
High-flying Sunderland boss Niall Quinn is one of many Irish sporting heroes who will tee it up in the Joe Hayes Celebrity Golf Classic at Warrenpoint GC on Friday, May 18th, 2007.
The charity golf day at one of Ireland's oldest parkland courses (1893) reads like a who's who of Irish sport as Ruby Walsh, Kieren Fallon, Nicky English, Eoin "The Bomber" Liston, and Paddy Cullen are just some of the names set to play at the Co Down venue near Newry. Hayes is a former double All-Ireland hurling winner with Tipperary (1989, 1991) and is close friends with Quinn, who also showed talent with the sliotar and played for Dublin in the 1983 All-Ireland minor hurling final before signing for Arsenal.
Quinn is renowned for his charity work but on this occasion Hayes will raise much-needed funds for Cuain Mhuire, a treatment centre for recovering alcoholics in Newry and the attached Sacred Heart Boxing Club.
There are still a limited number of spaces available on the time sheet and entry for the day costs a500 (£350) per team which includes; golf, dinner and presentation of prizes in the clubhouse afterwards. To book Joe (0863512726) or Sylvia (+44 7881943194).
Goode form rewarded
Tony Goode from Lucan showed excellent form when winning the Co Down Seniors Championship over the testing Clandeboye GC last week by six shots. Goode, who won the monthly medal with a course record of 69 at Lucan the previous week, set the target with an open three-under-par 68 and followed with a two-over 73 for a 36-hole total of 141.
In second place was David Jackson from the host club with rounds of 74 and 73 while former international Hugh Smyth from Royal County Down took third place on 148. Warrenpoint's Kenny Stevenson shot 150 with Nigel Woods from Bangor and another Lucan player, Mervyn Eager, tied for fifth place.
Delaney honoured
Carlow's Tara Delaney last week won the MAC Golfer of the Year for the second year in a row and was also named in the All-Tournament and First Team All-MAC selection. Delaney helped the Kent State University women's golf team win the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Longaberger GC in Nashport, Ohio, the team's ninth title in as many years. The Golden Flashes rolled to victory, finishing 49 strokes ahead of second-place Eastern Michigan University.
Delaney took second place in the individual event four shots behind team-mate Kira Meixner with round of 75, 74, 71 and 77.
