West appeals to pastOver the Easter weekend of April 9th to 13th, 144 of the finest amateurs from Ireland and abroad will assemble for the playing of the 82nd West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, sponsored by Standard Life, at the famed Rosses Point Links of Co Sligo Golf Club.
And this year will see a significant change to the tournament conditions with the announcement that "all previous winners of the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship who enter, shall have a place reserved for them in the field so long as they meet the qualification requirements of Rule 15 (8 Card Rule) and hold a current exact handicap at the closing date for entries, which is within one full stroke of the handicap cut-off point for the championship".
The championship committee feel it is in keeping with the strong traditions of the West that it would like to see as many past winners as possible competing with the young guns of today for the coveted West of Ireland title.
Connacht have not had a home winner since Ken Kearney's triumph in 1992, and given the strong performances of the current senior players in 2003 (Mark O'Sullivan, Irish Close Champion) it is hoped they will be able to meet the challenge of the top national players and the Swedish national team, who will once again play in the championship. Mark Ryan (Grange Golf Club) will be keen also to defend his crown - a feat last achieved in 1990 and 1991 by Portmarnock's Niall Goulding.
Entry forms may be downloaded from www.gui.ie and are also available from the Connacht Branch office, telephone 094-9028141. The closing date for entries is Monday, March 15th.
Fingal youth camp
The Fingal County Council-owned Elm Green Golf Centre stages its first "Young Tigers Golf Camp" from Monday to Friday next week. Managed by Carr Golf, the junior camps aim to be a starter centre for young golfers and to provide tuition for existing juniors. Coaching will be given by the centre's experienced PGA professionals Arnold O'Connor, Karl Kelly, Paul McGahan and Phillip Ring.
Located just off the M50 at Castleknock, the Junior Golf Camps already have 60 children signed up for the mid-term programmes and a limited number of places remain. This project is endorsed by Junior Golf Ireland, the Golf Foundation and Fingal County Council. Private support from Carr Golf and McGuirk's Golf has also been secured.
The camp aims to teach juniors the fundamentals of the game, etiquette and the rules of golf, in an environment that is conducive to young people having fun while at the same time professional, safe and educationally beneficial.
Classes begin each morning at 10.30 and run until 2.30. Mid-term classes cost €25 per day which includes tuition, range balls, lunch and goodie bag, and each participant will receive an official digital photograph with a tuition certificate. The camps will run again during the Easter and summer holidays. Further information is available from Elm Green 01-8200797.
McGettigan pips it
Strabane's Maurice McGettigan managed the wind best to produce an excellent nett 77 to win the North Western Alliance outing over the Ballyliffin Links on Saturday. McGettigan won on the break of a tie from Keith Lapsley from Dunfanaghy, with Ballybofey and Stranorlar's Eugene Quinn taking third spot on 78. This trio were well clear of Seamus Farren (Letterkenny) and Odran McGettigan (Strabane) on 82. Padraig MacLochlainn from the North West Club won the gross, also on the countback, from Ballybofey's Enda Mcmenamin, with Malachy Mclaughlin from the North West third on 87.
Andrew to lead B&I
The Ladies Golf Union has appointed Kim Andrew captain of the Britain & Ireland team to play in the Espirito Santo Trophy at the Westin Rio Beach Resort and Golf Club, Puerto Rico, from October 20th to 23rd.
Andrew had a highly successful career as an amateur and represented B&I in the Curtis Cup in 1998 and again in 2000. The highlights of her career came in the two-year spell starting in 1997 when she won the English Ladies' Matchplay title and both the Helen Holm and St Rule Trophies. Twelve months later she won the British Women's Amateur Championship at Little Aston.
"It is a great honour to be appointed captain of the Espirito Santo Team and having worked with several captains over the years, I realise what will be expected of me," said Andrew. "Players nowadays are much more professional in attitude and training than might have been the case 10 years ago and I expect my role to be one of augmenting and implementing, rather than establishing, systems that are already in place."
O'Rourke's rare bird
What a day to remember for Royal Tara member Colin O'Rourke last Tuesday at the Srixon Winter Series event at the Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links. Not only did the five handicapper win the event, but he also recorded one of those rare feats, an albatross, on his way to victory. The first albatross of his career came on the 462-metre par five sixth hole, when he holed his five-iron second shot. The two paved the way for a fantastic round and he won the nett prize with an impressive score of 70, three better than Paul Deane (1) from Blainroe, with Michael Slatter (9, Corrstown) third on 76. James Nash claimed the gross prize with a 72, while Malahide's John Murray was second after a 75 and Bill Noble of Cavan third on 78. Further glory came for O'Rourke when he also won the longest drive prize, while Ashbourne's Charlie Redmond won the nearest the pin honour.
Local knowledge pays
Rosslare members used their local knowledge to good use to claim the two major prizes at the Rosslare Alliance event at the club last Monday. Resident professional Johnny Young won the gross with a score of 36 points, one better than Wexford's Damien McGrane. And to complete a double for the home club, Paud O'Brien won the gross with 37 points, on a countback over the final nine from Kilkenny's David Weir. The final Rosslare Alliance takes place on Monday, March 1st, and places on the timesheet are available from Johnny Young on 053 - 32032.
Strong team for Spain
Ireland will have three pairings in the Spanish Women's Foursomes Amateur Championship, to be played at the Mediterraneo Golf Club, which is about halfway between Barcelona and Alicante, on the east coast of Spain next week.
Mary McKenna teams up with Valerie Hassett; Rhona Fanagan partners Dorothy Hume while Helen O'Donoghue and Catherine Carty make up the six.
It is a quality field with partnerships of the calibre of McKenna and Hassett, England's Julie Sales and Vivien Saunders. who is the backmarker in the field with a plus-two handicap.
The Swedes will also be out in force with last year's British Seniors' Open champion, Christina Birke (handicap 1.6) partnering compatriot Barbro Rehnquist, heading their strong challenge.
skeenan@irish-times.ie
