Golfing family Kelly
Next year will be a busy year in the Kelly household, with Kieran captain at Rathsallagh and his wife Anne lady captain at Kilkea Castle.

Son Michael, who last October took to the professional ranks as assistant professional to Kevin Kelliher in Dun Laoghaire Golf Club, will no doubt be keeping a keen eye on their progress.

During the summer Kieran and Michael won the Father and Son Open Matchplay Championship at St Anne's, so all in all an interesting year for this golfing family.

Davy takes Oyster pot

Good scoring appears to be the order of the day for the Oyster Golf Society no matter the course or playing conditions. So perhaps it wasn't surprising their last outing of 2007 at Connemara last Thursday should once again produce a high points total.

It was also a close run thing as two players finished on a highly impressive 40 points. However, a better back nine from 13 handicapper Gerry Davy ensured he won from Paul Carney, playing off 14.

In third place was the ever consistent Gerry King (13), with Ted Walsh (15) next best on 37. Derek O'Kelly (5) was the gross winner.

Bohane ends year well

Delgany's Eileen Bohane enjoyed a good end to the golfing year at County Wicklow, featuring in a couple of the final events of 2007.

Last Saturday week, herself and Bernadette Harmon fired 27 points to finish third in the 15 hole fourball event, losing out on a countback to Anna Rooney and Eleanor McMahon and runners-up Mary Courtney and Mary Morrow.

But on Tuesday, in the 12 hole turkey event, the 19-handicapper won class one with 23 points.

The other class winners were Joan Browne (22) in class two with a best of the day 25 points, while Nora Crumlish (29) took class three.

Six for Orange Blossom

Six golfing students from Scottish universities are to compete on Florida's Orange Blossom Tour for women amateurs next month. Alford's Laura Murray (Robert Gordon University) and Edinburgh's Stephanie Crolla (Heriot-Watt University) will team up with University of Stirling players Rachel Cassidy, Holly Calvert, Stephanie Farrar and Lynsey Hunter in two events.

These are the South Atlantic Amateur Championship - known as "the Sally" - at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach, from January 9th-12th and the Jones/Doherty matchplay championship at Coral Ridge Country Club, Fort Lauderdale from January 14th-19th.

PGA Trainee of the Year and Stirling graduate and past Scotland amateur international Lesley Mackay will accompany the group to offer guidance and coaching support.

It is 16 years since Catriona Matthew, then a Stirling golf scholarship student, made the same trip and brought home the Jones/Doherty Cup. She has gone on to become the most successful Scottish player in the history of the LPGA Tour.

Stirling team captain Rachel Cassidy from Ireland said: "It is an excellent opportunity to play competitive golf during the winter period and to test our skills against the best that American has to offer."

McLaughlin to the fore

Four seemed to be the lucky number at Rosapenna on Saturday as the North Western Golfing Alliance held their final outing for 2007, over the Sandy Hills Links course. Taking the spoils in the nett section was Letterkenny 16-handicapper Danny McLaughlin, whose round of 70 was four better than Brian Wallace, playing off nine out of Dunfanaghy. Ballybofey & Stranorlar seven-handicapper Pauric McHugh was the best of a host of players on 77 in third place.

And in the gross, a 74 was good enough for Enda McMenamin, a one-handicapper from Ballybofey & Stranorlar, to claim victory four clear of the host club's John G McBride (scr), with McMenamin's clubmate John McGaughan (3) third on 81.

Next up for the Alliance is a visit to Dunfanaghy on Saturday, January 5th.

McDermott inspired

Stackstown's Michael McDermott had it all his own way at Emerald Pro Tour outing at The Heritage in Killenard on Friday. McDermott secured his first win on the Tour with a remarkable five-under-par 67, birdieing seven of his last 11 holes for a two-shot victory over Team Ireland's David Mortimer, while Gary Cullen (Beaverstown) was third on 72.

In the amateur section, Knockanally's Paul Brennan, playing off six, with 36 points, edged out the host club's Paul Nugent, with Fintan Lacey of Donabate third on 34 points. The gross winner was Esker Hills' Paul O'Hanlon.

Next up is a visit to the East Course at Powerscourt on Friday.

Hansen makes Masters

Denmark's Anders Hansen can look forward to a Masters debut at Augusta in April after clinging on to 50th spot in the world rankings today by just 0.01 points.

With no more ranking events this year, Swedes Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez and Hansen's compatriot Soren Hansen also clinched places in the first major of next year by being in the world's top 50 at the end of 2007.

Robert Allenby had the chance to push Anders Hansen out of the top 50 when he shared the lead with a round to go in the Australian Open, but a closing 75 on Sunday dropped him to 11th place and down to 51st in the rankings.

Other Europeans in the Masters field are Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Nick Dougherty, Niclas Fasth, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Ian Woosnam.