Sponsor for Faldo Junior SeriesNike Golf is to sponsor the Faldo Junior Series of golf for the next three years. The series, founded by the six-times major winner, has benefited junior players in Britain and Ireland for a number of years. Last year, Leinster Boys' champion, Brian O'Connor from the Hermitage Club, finished sixth in the finals at Burnhill Golf Club in the under-18 section, while Gareth Shaw, British Open Junior champion Cian McNamara, Karl Gilbert and Carlow's Karen Delaney also benefited from the experience.
Faldo, speaking at the launch of the sponsorship deal, tipped 20-year-old English amateur Zane Scotland to follow in his footsteps: "Of the guys who have been involved in my elite squad, I think Zane Scotland is a very talented player," said Faldo. "I don't know what his decision is about turning pro yet, but he has a lot of potential."
Scotland won the Spanish, Portuguese and Australian amateur titles last year and is also a member of Garth McGimpsey's Walker Cup squad.
McCaul on presidential duty
Former Dublin football manager Gerry McCaul will come in as president of Turvey Golf Club on Friday night, succeeding former League of Ireland soccer player Denis Stephens. McCaul, a secondary school principal, managed the Dubs in the late 1980s-early 90s and has a long association with Ballymun Kickhams. John Timmins is to succeed Mark Hodges as men's club captain.
McNamara heads for US
Derek McNamara (20), a past pupil of Clifden Community School, Co Galway, and a plus-one handicap golfer at Connemara Golf Club, flew out last week to Tennessee State University to begin a four-year stint for a degree in History and English. McNamara has won the Irish Boys and Irish Youths titles and last year was runner-up to Stuart Paul in the West of Ireland championship.
Doonbeg makes its mark
Doonbeg Golf Club has been honoured by Golf Digest magazine as the "Best New International Course of 2002".
"Doonbeg looks and plays like it has been there for a 100 years," wrote Ron Whitten, Golf Digest's architecture editor, in the February issue. "Fairways pitch and roll with every ridge and rumple of the earth. The green contours are also lay-of-the-land and the bunkers are hand-dug, some edged by tall layers of stacked sod, others by shaggy tufts of native grass. The result is a genuine Irish links of unexpected breaks, unanticipated results and undeniable thrills."
Doonbeg was also lauded in the most recent issue of Golf World, whose editors named it number 95 on its list of "the people, places and things that had the world of golf talking" in 2002. The only new course cited by the magazine, Doonbeg opened in July last year by hosting an exhibition match between course designer Greg Norman and Irish Ryder Cup star Padraig Harrington, followed by the 2002 Palmer Cup matches.
Lennon looks to repeat success
Conor Lennon will be hoping 2003 is as rewarding as last year. The Elm Park player started 2002 off a handicap of 11.5 and finished on 5.5. And in reducing his handicap by six shots Lennon had an impressive list of achievements that included winning the President's Prize, the Pembroke Cup, the PGA Tankard, class one in the Captain's Prize, the medal winner, and the golfer of the year in the Westwood Golf Society. Lennon also finished fourth in the regional final of the PGA Tankard, was a member of the Elm Park Fitzgibbon Cup team that lost in the final to Woodbrook and, to wind-up a very special year, was a member of the winning winter league team.
Boyne Links Alliance event
The Boyne Links Alliance hold their next outing later this month at Laytown & Bettystown. The outing is on Thursday, January 23rd, and the timesheet is available on 6282919 (evenings only).
The Kerries frozen out
The ladies down at The Kerries golf club in Tralee must think the gods are working against them recently. Last week they were due to hold the Dowling Shoes-sponsored nine-hole singles competition, but it was cancelled due to hard frost on the course. The ladies are, however, to try again later this week, with the competition scheduled for Thursday and Saturday . . . the fourth time they have attempted to stage the event. And the weather wasn't kind to the men either, as their am-am on Sunday fell victim to the wintry conditions too, but they hope to try again next Sunday.
