By SHAY KEENAN
Mortimer best of Irish trio at play-offs
THERE was no joy last week for the three Irish professionals competing in the Srixon PGA play-offs at Little Aston near Birmingham. Irish PGA Champion David Mortimer finished best of the Irish trio on two under par after rounds of 70 and 72 to finish five adrift of the winning total, but still good enough for a share of seventh place.
Waterville’s David Higgins – who won this year’s Irish PGA Region Order of Merit and who had been hoping to improve on last year’s sixth place finish in the play-offs – finished a shot further back after rounds of 71 and 72 to finish on one under par and in ninth place.
Damian Mooney shot two rounds of 74 to end on four over par.
Victory at the end of the 36-hole event went to Scotland’s Greig Hutcheon. The PGA Scottish Region Order of Merit winner birdied the first play-off hole to win the event and edge out Richard O’Hanlon and James Harris after all three had finished on seven under par.
That play-off birdie earned Hutcheon the top prize of £2,000 (€2, 319) as well as places in next year’s Celtic Manor Welsh Open and three Challenge Tour events.
He had already won spots in next season’s BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth and Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, his bonuses for winning the Order of Merit crown in Scotland.
Golf business conference aims to pitch solutions
AS ALL those involved in golf strive to find solutions to the present business challenges, a golf business conference will be held at the Convention Centre in Dublin on November 19th. Promoted by Carr Golf Services and FGS, the objective is to offer a solutions-driven platform to those involved in the golf industry.
Chaired by Roddy Carr, the agenda will address the status of the golf market and will feature international and domestic speakers, including Irish businessman Dermot Desmond, Kiawah and Doonbeg owner Buddy Darby, and Mike Lousalot from the Golf Channel. Also speaking are Ian Duffy and Declan Taite, restructuring specialists from FGS, Mark Nolan from Dromoland, Keith McCormick of Fáilte Ireland, Marty Carr of Carr Golf, and Frank Bowen and Sinéad Heraty of the GUI and ILGU.
The conference will also offer networking opportunities and lunch to 200 stakeholders in the industry. The agenda will also include; the results of the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the Irish golf market; business restructuring; operating efficiencies; revenue growth; membership retention and online opportunities.
Prices for the one-day conference start at € 125 and bookings are being accepted online at www.golfconference.ie.For further information contact: Maria Cahalan – info@golfconference.ie or 087 689 3236.
Team Ireland Trust scheme
THE Team Ireland Golf Trust scheme, which was established to assist Irish professional golfers in the early stages of their careers, is now inviting applications for funding for 2011. The scheme, administered by the Irish Sports Council, provides financial and non-financial support to professional tour golfers, both male and female, wishing to achieve success at an international level.
Application forms and details of the scheme are available from Team Ireland Golf Trust on (01) 8608880 ext: 8813 or 8812, or by email info@irishsportscouncil.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is December 3rd.
Co Meath to host World One Arm event
CO MEATH Golf Club in Trim hosts the World One Arm Golfers Championship next year. Brendan Swan, a member of the Co Meath GC, won the event when it was staged at Headfort, Kells, in 2001 and has participated in the event at many venues throughout the world since. To mark his achievements in 2010 Co Meath GC honoured him at the Captain’s Dinner last Friday. Gerry Renehan GUI, who was captain at Headfort GC the year Brendan won, made the presentation to him watched by Captain Bill Goulding and Lady Captain Patricia Westphal.
THERE was a family double at Milltown this year. Ursula O’Reilly (8) won Aileen Dawson’s Lady Captain’s Prize with a total of 72 points over 36 holes and her 12-year-old daughter Sarah (25) won the Lady Captain’s Prize to the juniors with 40 points. Sarah was crowned junior golfer of the year having reduced her handicap from 36 to 25 over the season.
Meadow finishes in 16th place in US
NORTHERN Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow, a student at the University of Alabama, finished joint 16th in a field of 108 players for the Pac-10 college women’s championship at the Stanford University course, California, over the weekend.
Bad weather forced a two-hour suspension of play during the final round of the 54-hole event.
Meadow, a freshman at Alabama, had rounds of 71, 72 and 75 over the par-72 course (yardage 6,148) for a total of five-over-par 218. Germany’s Sophia Popov from Southern California was the individual winner with a total of six-under 207 after rounds of 72, 68 and 67, by one shot from Stephanie Kono (UCLA), who carded rounds of 73, 67, and 68 for 208.
There was consolation for Kono in that her effort helped UCLA (856) win the team title by 11 shots from Alabama, with Southern California (875) third in a field of 21 teams.
EMMA GILMORE from Mountbellew finished joint 15th on 238 with scores of 77, 73 and 88 at the Spider Invitational women’s college tournament at Independence GC, Midlothian in Virginia. Isabel Hann (Pennsylvania) won by three strokes with rounds of 72, 77 and 71 for 220. Pennsylvania (902) also won the team title by 30 shots from Bradley University.
British Open tickets on sale
TICKETS are now on sale for the 2011 British Open Championship at Royal St George’s, Sandwich, on July 14th-17th, with discounts available for early purchases. The Open sees a return to the Kent coast for the first time since 2003, when the USA’s Ben Curtis, playing in his first Major championship, overcame Vijay Singh and Thomas Bjorn to lift the Claret Jug in a thrilling climax.
Spectators who purchase before December 31st can take advantage of daily tickets at a special rate, with as much as €12 (£10) off the price spectators will pay on the gate. And for those who do not want to miss a shot at Sandwich, season tickets offering entry on all eight days are available for €225 (£195) if bought before December 31st, a saving of almost 20 per cent.
Early purchase reductions also apply to a number of concessionary tickets. Tickets purchased before December 13th will arrive in time for Christmas.
