Noonan takes Alliance openerThe Leinster Alliance opened their season at the European Club on Sunday when Seán Noonan led home a large field with 35 points. The Slade Valley nine-handicapper won on the back nine from Derek Rath from Old Conna, with Ralf Lennon from Arklow third on 33 points. The Old Conna pair of Joe Drea and Conor Lynch took the remaining nett places with 30 points each.
With scoring always a test on the well manicured European Club, Dara Lernihan, a plus-two player from the Castle, shot a superb 37 points to win the gross by six shots from Jerome Counihan of Dun Laoghaire on 31 points and Paddy O'Sullivan from Bray on 29.
The next outing of the Alliance is at Knightsbrook GC in Kells on November 4th.
31 players for winter sessions
The ILGU have selected 31 players for their winter training sessions at the Heritage Golf Resort over the next six months. Under the watchful eye of national coach David Kearney, players will commit to an intensive programme which will focus on developing fitness, technical knowledge, psychology, nutrition, shot-making, goal-setting and rules of golf. Each player will attend three sessions with training matches planned in March as pre-season "sharpening" outings.
Training Panel A(November 3rd; January 5th and February 9th): Victoria Bradshaw (Bangor), Tara Delaney (Carlow), Karen Delaney (Carlow), Niamh Kitching (Claremorris), Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell), Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell), Danielle McVeigh (Royal County Down Ladies), Stephanie Meadow (Royal Portrush), Gillian O'Leary (Cork),
Training Panel B(November 10th; January 12th, February 16th): Ciara Butler (Newlands), Sarah Crowe (Tipperary), Kate Gallagher (Claremorris), Tara Gribben (Warrenpoint), Laura McCarthy (Muskerry), Emma O'Driscoll (Ballybunion), Carla Reynolds (Seapoint), Lucy Simpson (Massereene), Holli Snelling (Killarney), Sarah Louise Winter (Carnalea).
Training Panel C(November 17th; January 19th and February 23rd): Jessica Carty (Holywood), Erin Connolly (Co Armagh), Julie Coyne (Youghal), Edel Coyne (Youghal), Patrice Delaney (Birr), Sarah Helly (Enniscrone), Michelle McCarthy (Clonmel), Emma Murphy (Wexford), Sarah Murray (Co Louth), Megan Thompson (Ballyclare).
Delaney does her bit for Kent
Carlow's Tara Delaney helped Kent State University to fifth place in the Mercedes Benz women's college championship at Cherokee Country Club, in Knoxville, Tennessee, over the weekend.
Delaney had rounds of 73, 73 and 76 for a 222 total and a share of 27th place in the individual honours.
Parkinsons fourth in Shamrock
Ann and Stan Parkinson from the St Helen's Bay Club in Wexford finished fourth at the grand final of the Shamrock Golf Trophy in Killerig Golf Resort last week. It took place over two days with the scores from each day to count. The eventual winners on 79 points were the Glossop & District pair of Steven Wood and David Winterbottom. Kendleshire's Gary Caddick and John Pearse were second on 78 points, with Gavin Davies and Phil Mackie from the Parc Club in Wales just pipping the Irish pair with 76 points.
2009 seniors for Sunningdale
The Senior British Open Championship is to be played at Sunningdale in 2009, the first time the senior major event will be held on a heathland course, before moving the following year to Carnoustie, scene of this year's British Open championship victory by Padraig Harrington.
Since its inception in 1987, the British Senior Open has been held on links courses, and Carnoustie in 2010 will be the sixth Senior Open Championship venue to stage an event that is jointly administered by the European Seniors Tour and The R&A.
Royal Troon is the venue for 2008 and other Open courses to have held the Seniors are Turnberry, Royal Lytham and St Annes, Royal Portrush and Muirfield.
Aces in a row for Moore
It was a bit like the buses. You wait all your life for one and then two come along at the same time. Jennifer Moore of Greystones Golf Club had never had a hole in one in her career. But then lo and behold, she can now boast two to her name and both came on her home course and at the same hole.
The aces came in the space of as many weeks. An eight-iron at the par-three fifth hole, measuring 92 metres, was holed first in the Vice-President's Prize and then while playing the same hole a couple of weeks later in practice, Moore, a seven-handicapper, holed out with a seven-iron.
And in a strange twist to the whole story, the fifth green in Greystones is elevated so can't be seen from the tee, so Moore was unaware she had holed on each occasion. Her playing partner on the day of her first hole in one was Joan Kirby and watching the ball disappear from the sixth tee above the fifth green was Gavan McGirr - on day two when she aced she was playing with McGirr and Kirby was on the 6th tee!
Golfnet Challenge final
The national final of the Golfnet Charity Challenge takes place tomorrow around the Montgomerie Course at Carton House Golf Club in Co Kildare. The Challenge is the opportunity to compete in an All-Ireland Order of Merit based on scores you record in singles competitions. It runs from July 1st July to September 30th and players were ranked based on their top three scores (combined nett differentials) in qualifying singles competitions during that period.
Also, as an added bonus to tomorrow's competition, all finalists have been invited to participate in a clinic with the GUI national coach Neil Manchip prior to a shotgun start. Competitors will also be allowed to make use of the putting analysis and swing analysis systems at the National Academy.
All funds raised from entrance fees will be donated to the Irish Cancer Society, while there will be prizes awarded to the top three players in each of the four handicap categories.
Ridge Luttrellstown's best
It has been quite a year for Luttrellstown Castle's Moya Ridge. Not only has the year 2007 seen her have the honour of being Lady Captain Anne MacCanna's Vice-Captain at the Co Dublin club, but on the course she is certainly going to remember the past year as she has just enjoyed one of her best ever seasons having just claimed the golfer of the year crown at the club.
The battle for the Golfer of the Year went right down to the wire and it all boiled down to the last medal competition played on Saturday. Six women were in contention for the title, but a win for Ridge in Saturday's medal saw the 19-handicapper clinch the crown, edging out Helen Cosgrove (14) and Joanne Barrett (20) by winning with a nett 71.
It wasn't Ridge's first medal of the season either as she had also won the opening edition back in March, while she has also just won the singles matchplay competition. She will come in as Captain of the Ladies Club in the last week of November.
In Saturday's medal competition itself, Cosgrove - while missing out on the golfer of the year crown - had the small consolation of claiming the class one prize with a score of 73, while Anne White (25) was the winner in class two with a nett 73. But the season's plaudits went to Ridge.
MacAuliffe claims Gill's prize
Esther MacAuliffe, Lady Captain of Waterville Golf Club in Co Kerry, had an extra reason to remember her golfing year when she won Mike Gill's President's Prize to Ladies. The 24-handicapper fired an impressive 38 points for a two-point victory over Ann Horgan (21), with Eileen O'Riordan (12) back in third place with 35 points, while the best gross score was recorded by Noelle Golden (10) with 25 points.
European Pitch & Putt finale
The fifth European Pitch & Putt Team Championship takes place this week in Chia, Sardinia. Ireland have won every previous edition of the event and will be hoping to maintain this fantastic record.
This biennial competition is the flagship event not just of European pitch & putt but also of the world game. Competitors from 11 countries will take part this year. This is an increase of two on the 2005 championship. The newcomers are Andorra and Denmark. The other countries are hosts Italy, France, Catalonia, Britain, the Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and defending champions Ireland.
A 36-hole strokeplay qualifying round will be played on Friday to determine the seedings for matchplay on Saturday and Sunday.
Also on Friday, the Ireland ladies team will take on host country Italy and a team representing Rest of Europe in a 36-hole strokeplay challenge.
