Stories from the world of Golf

Sheehy keeps nerve

Patrick Sheehy was the hero for Newcastle in a desperately close 3-2 win over Glengarriff in the West Munster final of the Junior cup at a rain swept Beaufort on July 24th. Sheehy sank a snakey downhill six-foot putt at the 20th to beat Tony McElhinney in the vital fourth match.

This was a nail biting contest all the way with the four other games going to the 17th. John Cussen jnr kept up his recent good form with a tidy 2-1 win over David O'Sullivan in a match of high quality with birdies galore.

Brian Lenihan went down 2-1 to Glengarriff's Tom Murphy in the second match. Douglas Coughlan sank a vital match winning putt on the 17th again to beat Noel Moylan in the third match to put Newcastle ahead. Bobbie Cussen went down 2-1 to Kevin Jer O'Sullivan jnr which brought Glengarriff level. So to the dramatic climax. Patrick Sheehy and Tony McElhinney halved the 19th in par fives and Sheehy clinched it at the 20th to the jubilation of the Newcastle supporters.

Newcastle now go forward to the Munster finals at Shannon on August 16th.

Midleton reap reward

Midleton GAA club, Cork, ended the Tipperary stranglehold on the Munster section of the FBD All-Ireland Golf Challenge last Friday. Midleton, inspired by Cork All-Ireland hurling medallist Ger Manly, went head-to-head with Clonaulty-Rossmore and 2000 All-Ireland and Munster Champions Botherlahanne Dualla, led by Tipperary hurler Conor Gleeson. Midleton also faced stiff opposition from Nemo Rangers inspired by former Cork great Dinny Allen and Ballygunner led by Waterford hurler Stephen Frampton.

An excellent performance by Manly saw Midleton finish on 82 points with Cashel GAA club and Clonaulty Rossmore also finishing on 82 points. However, on a count back Midleton were crowned champions. Midleton will now go on to compete with Leinster Champions Rower Inistioge, led by six time All-Ireland winner and holder of 10 Leinster Championship medals Eddie Keher at the All-Ireland final in September.

Micheál Breathneach GAA Club, Galway, captured the Connacht title last week with 81 points. It was a Galway one-two on the day with Milltown GAA club finishing second on 78 points. The Ulster Championships will be decided at Slieve Russell Hotel Golf and Country Club, Cavan this Friday. The All-Ireland Final will be played over two-days at Faithlegg Golf Club, Waterford, on Saturday, September 20th and Sunday, September 21st.

Youth answers the call

The qualifying round for the Lord Mayor's Cup at Clontarf Golf Club will take place on Sunday next with the matchplay stages starting on Monday week and running through to the final on Saturday, August 16th.

Now in its 53rd year, the Lord Mayor's Cup was the brainchild of a former Lord Mayor of Dublin and Clontarf member, the late Jack Belton. The event has been the staring point for distinguished careers for many golfer including professionals Philip Walton, whose nephew Brendan will be in the field this year, David Kinsella, the winner in 1994 and Martin Sludds.

Last year, for the first time, the event was contested by two brothers and also produced the youngest ever winner when 14-year-old Barry Fennelly beat his brother Damian in the final. The top 64 players will qualify for the matchplay and some places are still available on the time sheet by contacting Arthur Cahill at Clontarf Golf Club on (01) 8331892.

Clinical Montgomerie

Colin Montgomerie was an interested spectator at the final of the Lexus Owners Challenge 2003 at Mount Juliet last week. The Scot, who missed the Irish Open because of an injured wrist, gave a clinic to the 100 strong competitors and then watched as Kevin McLoughlin, a past captain at Mount Juliet, led the field home with 41 points off a 19 handicap. Only the day before McLoughlin lost a shot off his handicap.

McLoughlin finished four points clear of David Bannon with former Irish Rugby International Paul Dean taking the gross with 37 points. Other winners were Niall Barry and Sean Barry in class one, Walter Power and Martin White in class two and Jim Fulhan and Joe Hanly in class three.

Louth look for more

Ireland's inter-county Pitch and Putt champions in 2002, Louth, will defend the provincial men's title they won so impressively on their home territory in Cement, Drogheda, last year at St Patrick's, Enniscorthy, next weekend.

Strong challenges will come from host county Wexford, Dublin, who field all-Ireland matchplay champion Darren O'Reilly and Leinster strokeplay champion Liam Collins. Meath, who were second last year and Offaly, who will look to new national strokeplay champion William Buckley jnr for inspiration.

Meanwhile, Holders Dublin will be favourites to win another women's title. Working hard to stop them will be Kildare, Meath, Westmeath and Offaly.

O'Connor keeps going

Gillian O'Connor is setting all kinds of records as her handicap comes rumbling down. The 16-year-old, a member of Malahide Golf Club, who took up golf last year, was representing Malahide Golf Club in the Fingal League in Forrest Little two weeks ago and scored a superb 49 stableford points to have her handicap reduced by six shots.

One week later, she played in the Club Singles Stableford Juvenile Competition and scored 42 points playing off her new handicap of 34, resulting in a further reduction of three shots to her handicap. With another month to go before Gillian returns to school, further reductions cannot be ruled out.

The list will go on

Bidding to join a list of winners that includes current professionals players such as Peter Lawrie and Keith Nolan will be those who are competing in next week's Wicklow Boys Championships that take place at Greystones Golf Club.

The 72 hole event takes place at Greystones on Monday and Tuesday next, August 11th and 12th, and is a strokeplay competition for under-18s.

Others who have competed over the years include Padraig Harrington and Noel Fox, while last year's winner was Dara Hayes of Stackstown. Anyone interested in playing can do so by making contact with the Greystones club on (01) 2874136.

Darling of the fairways

Making her trip to the west worthwhile, and going so close to breaking the 50 points barrier last month, was Fiona Darling. The 32 handicapper was playing in Connemara and proved a runaway winner of their singles competition when firing a cracking 47 points, eight clear of her nearest rival, Bernie Ward who, despite having 39 points around her own course, had to settle for a distant second place, with another Dubliner Judy O'Carroll from Foxrock in third on 36 points, the same score as Bearna's Mary Mooney.