McTernan's target: Local Seán McTernan, Darren Crowe (Dunmurry), Rory McIlroy (Holywood) and defending champion Paul McDonald (UCD/Woodbrook) will be among the favourites to lift the Standard Life-sponsored West of Ireland Championship which tees-off on Friday at Co Sligo Golf Club in Rosses Point.
In one of the strongest fields in the event's history McTernan will be keen to add to his second-place finish in the New South Wales Amateur Championship earlier this year. A record low handicap cut-off point of 0.8 for the 129 competitors will see intense competition for the 64 qualifying places for the matchplay rounds starting on Monday. The lowest entered player tag is shared by Rikard Karlberg of Sweden and Crowe on plus 3.3, and the next lowest is 15-year-old McIlroy on plus 3.1.
The Swedish Federation are again to the fore with a 10-strong entry ranging in handicap from plus 3.3. to 0.5. As Co Sligo also play host to the Golfsure Interprovincial Championship in August most of the top players on the Irish national panel are also entered.
Dunne shines in US: Irish international Maria Dunne from Co Dublin continued her good form on the American women's circuit by winning the North/South Women's Collegiate tournament at Jacksonville Beach GC in Jacksonville, Florida.
The tournament was a triumph for Bethune-Cookman College players who filled three of the first four places in the field of 82: Dunne, with rounds of 75 and 76 over the 5,903 yard par-72 course, shot 151; Fiona Brunton from Cornwall shot 72 and 80 for 152 and Becky Dowell from Thornecombe, England with 75 and 80 earned a tie for third place on 153 with Lynnsey Showers (Butler).
Not surprisingly, Bethune-Cookman (632) won the team event easily from Longwood University (644) and Jackson State (662).
Nikki Taggart from Belfast helped her college, Pfeiffer, win the team event in the Lady Falcon Invitational at Old North State Club, Badin in North Carolina last week.
Taggart tied for fourth place in the individual with 82 and 80 for 162 - five shots behind winner Paige Haverty (Catawaba, 76-81).
Dawn-Marie Conaty from Ashbourne and The Island, a student at North Carolina State University, tied for ninth place on 165 with scores of 85 and 80.
Pfeiffer (679) won the team event by four shots from their nearest challengers, Berry College.
Cullen makes mark: Three twos on an excellent card of 68 won Beavestown's Gary Cullen the professional prize at the BMW-sponsored Hilary Golf Society outing to Co Louth on Sunday. Cullen's 68 gave him a one-stroke win over the amateur nett winner, Gerry O'Dwyer (Royal Dublin), Richie McDonnell (Laytown and Bettystown) and John Grant from The Island. Jim Mulready from the Castle took the amateur gross with a 71. Cullen teamed up with O'Dwyer and Aidan Williams (Sutton) to win the team prize with a nett 62. The final outing of the Hilary season takes place at Sutton GC on Friday, April 1st, followed by dinner and presentations.
Novel promotion: Beaverstown GC in Donabate in north county Dublin have announced a novel approach to welcome visitors to Ireland during the Ryder Cup 2006.
The club have agreed to make the course available at a 50 per cent reduced green fee to all Ryder Cup ticket holders travelling from overseas or within Ireland for the period leading up to and immediately after the main event itself, which, of course, takes place in September next year at the K Club.
It is hoped that this golfing promotion will encourage visitors to arrive early or to extend their holiday and make it a memorable golfing experience in every respect.
With the Ryder Cup coming to Ireland for the first time next year, Beaverstown felt that an opportunity had arisen for the golfing fraternity in this country to show the golfing world what was on offer. The Donabate club believe Ireland has a unique opportunity to build on the wonderful reputation the country already has as a golfing destination.
The club's captains, Pat Lynders and Marie Doolan, are also encouraging other clubs in the Leinster region to provide similar arrangements, while at the same time urging airline companies to waive their surcharge on the carriage of golf equipment during the period of the Ryder Cup.
Ballinasloe classic: Ballinasloe GC are holding their Open Easter Golf Classic on Saturday through to Bank Holiday Monday. It will be a three-ball scramble with the handicap limit for women being 36 and 24 for the men.
The classic will be in aid of the club's course development and the cost will be €75 per team, or re-entry. A timesheet is in operation and anyone interesting in competing should contact the club on 0909 642126.
O'Keeffe in the swing: The St Patrick's weekend will have fond memories for one Baltinglass member. On St Patrick's Day Mary O'Keeffe competed in the 14-hole singles event and her 28 points gave her second spot behind winner May Stynes (35) who had 30 points. However, on Sunday the 31-handicapper took confidence from that second-place finish to win the weekend singles event, recording an impressive 37 points, one better than Assumpta O'Neill (35), with Lorraine Bowes (14) in third spot on 35 points.
Tighe in top form: The Cancer Care West Christy O'Connor Junior Oyster and Oyster Pearl Golfing Societies will conclude their season on March 31st at Galway Bay GC when over 150 members of the two societies will compete. Places on the timesheet are available from David at 091 529609 (phone) or 091 544524 (fax).
At the recent Oyster outing to Belmullet Tuam's Luke Tighe (17) was at the head of the 61 competitors with 40 points, two better than 13-handicapper Paul Carney from Castlebar, while County Sligo's Herman Demell (18) was third with 36 points.
Slattery on the ball: We all need every help if we're to win the weekly singles competition at our respective clubs. And one person who received that last week was Denise Slattery at Newlands GC in Clondalkin. The 29-handicapper competed in the 14-hole singles event last Tuesday and emerged victorious from the 80 competitors thanks in no small way to the hole in one at the fourth. It helped her to a total of 29 points, one better than the rest of the field. The other class winners were Alma Doyle, Nora MacPartlin, Fran Nolan and Hazel McLoughlin.
