Lahinch playing host to international team challenge

Lahinch Golf Club is this week playing host to the 2013 Women’s International Team Challenge (WITC) in conjunction with The Gathering.

The event is proving a great boost to the North Clare area, with the influx of supporters for the visiting clubs.
This year marks the fourth staging of the event and golfers from clubs across the USA, including The Olympic Club, the Country Cub, Southern Hills, Fisher’s Island, Merion, Pennsylvania, who were hosts to last year’s US Open, Nairn from Scotland and Royal Liverpool, which is the venue for next year’s Open Championship, are competing against the host team, which is led by Aedin McCarthy (captain) Valerie Hassett (president), Jenny Cagney (vice-captain), Mary Sadlier, Maria Nolan and Jacqueline Joyce.

The opening ceremony took place on Monday evening while visiting teams had an opportunity to play a practice round on the course on Tuesday.

The competition got underway yesterday, Wednesday, and concludes this Thursday evening. Lahinch won the tournament in Fisher’s Island in 2011. The current holders are Southern Hills.

Woodstock
Last week’s open singles at Woodstock was won by David McCarthy (8) with 45 points ,from Gary Flynn (16) with 42 and Paddy O’Malley (16) with 41 points.

In the weekly 16-hole competition for the seniors, a fourball event this week, the winners were Willie Thompson and Udo Umlawski with 44 points from Michael Cullinan and Brian Logue with 41.

Lahinch
Brian Whitaker was the winner of the Arnott Cup at Lahinch last week. In the final he beat Robert Browne. The beaten semi-finalists were Ger Maher and Conor Lucey while the leading qualifier was Padraig Hayes.

In the Ladies singles Stableford competition for the Lady Harley Cup, the winner was Olivia Lucas (5) with 39 points, from Mary Gibson (14) with 37 points with third spot filled by Connie Fahy (19) with 35 points. Rose Doyle won the gross with 23 points.

In the silver division, the winner was Yvonne Morrison (17) with 33 points, from Edel Banim (12) with 33 and Aedin McCarthy (13), also with 33.

The winner in the bronze division was Patricia O’Donnell (27) with 34 points from Lynn Slattery (34) with 34 and Karina Doyle (22) with 33.

Last Monday’s men’s singles competition was won by Jack Connolly (14) with 40 points from John McCarthy (20) with 34 and Philip Collier (4) with 33 points.

The ladies’ fourball for the Kilcreene Cup on Tuesday last was won by Pamela Morgan (8) and Angela Cullinan (12) with 44 points. In second place were Olivia Lucas (5) and Aedin McCarthy (13) were 42 points.

In third spot, a further two points back, were Mary O’Meara (1) and Rachel Maher (17) with 40 points and they were followed by Miriam (8) and Elizabeth Abernethy (14) with 40. In fifth spot, also with 40 points, were Niamh Whelan (9) and Gráinne Hennessy (13). The gross was won by Sinéad Sexton (scratch) and Jenny Cagney (1) with 37 points.

The ladies’ singles Stableford on Wednesday on the Castle Course was won by Gillian Cashman (32) with 40 points from Isobel O’Grady (32) with 38 points, Ailbhe O’Reilly (27) with 38 and Gráinne O’Donovan (27) with 37. Miriam Abernethy won the gross with 27 points.

In the Dr Browne Cup, a men’s fourball competition, the winners were Hugh Fenton (14) and Mark MacGrath (2) with 40 points. They won from Cathal Hegarty (5) and Paul O’Brien (5) with a similar score. In third spot, also with 40 points, were Gary (5) and Eric Lavelle (15).

The winners of the Chernobyl rumble on the Castle Course on Thursday were Aedin McCarthy (13), Donncha Carey (28) and Alan O’Doherty (20) with 82 points.

The Bogberry Cup, a singles competition, was won by Mark MacGrath (2) with 39 points from Philip Collier (4) with 38 points, Martin O’Sullivan (12) with 36, Kiran Sarma (13) with 36 and Michael Waters (7) with 36. The gross was won by Noel Pyne with 33.

Saturday’s men’s singles competition was won by Philip Collier (3), from James Kiernan (10), both with 42 points. Bryan Tiernan (16) was third with 41 points.

On Saturday, the ladies played for the Nancy Connole Trophy when the winner was Connie Fahy (19) with 38 points from Aedin McCarthy (13) with 37 points and Valerie Shannon (8) with 37 points. Sinéad Sexton won the gross with 34.

In the silver division, Elizabeth Abernethy (14) was the winner with 36 points from Frances Wood (16) with 34 points. In the bronze division, Carmel Burke (24) with 31 points won from Maria Kurd (21) with 30 points.

There was a team-of-four competition on the Championship Course on Sunday when the winners, with 92 points, were Jos Kirby (8), Des Fogarty (7), Gary Scott (5), and Noel Fogarty (14). They had three to spare over Bill Noone (24) Jimmy Murray (17) Noel Murray (12) and Paul McCormick, who were followed by Olivia Lucas (5) Jerry Foley (8) Mary O’Brien (20) and Alan O’Brien.

Ennis
President Kitty Morris’ prize was played for at Ennis last weekend when the winner, with 43 points, was John Dempsey. He had one to spare over Anthony Coote, who was followed by Sean O’Gorman with 42, Brian Higgins with 40 and David Hoey with 39. John Hoey won the gross.

In category A, Liam Pyne was the winner with 38 points from Gerry Bredin with 37. Colm McNevin won category B with 39 from Andrew Hester with a similar score. Michael Dempsey won category C with 37 points from Tom Purcell with 36. Vera Madden won the past president’s prize while the guests’ section was won by Pat McCarthy with 34 points.

A total of 372 members played over the two days.

In the ladies’ section, Imelda Coleran was the winner with 42 points from Eileen Corry (Ennis) with 38, Eileen Corry (Tulla) with 37 and Margaret Cooney with 37. Valerie Hassett won the gross with 22 points.
In category A, Carmel Verline won with 36 points from Maura Ryan with 34. Berry O’Reilly won category B with 35 from Norah Lynch with 34.

Dromoland
The weekend competition at Dromoland was won by Michael Donnelly with 37 points from Nicky Duggan with 35 and John O’Shaughnessy with 34.

Alan Purcell won the junior scratch cup with 75 from Nicky Ryan with a similar score. Seamus Cusack was next with 78 followed by Eric Walshe with 79 while the nett was won by Gerry Barrett with 72.

In the senior scratch cup, the winner was Sean Burns with 150 (78 and 72). He had two strokes to spare over Tony Cleary (78, 74). Lewy Halpin was third with 154 (75, 79), followed by Dave O’Donovan (79, 76) for 155.

This weekend, the competition will be a men’s 18-hole singles Stableford while entries for the club senior matchplay are now being accepted.

In the ladies’ stroke competition, the winner was Mairéad Bergin with 72 gross from Joan Ryan with 75 and Mary O’Donnell with 76.

The previous week’s ladies’ winner was Kitty Quinn, from Ber McDermott, while the ladies’ singles Stableford competition was won by Cora O’Toole with 38 points from Joan Ryan with 32.

Kilkee
In the intermediate scratch cup at Kilkee the winner was Martin McGivern (12) 80, from Michael Reidy (15) 83 and John Garvey (15) 84.

The junior scratch cup winner was Darragh Murphy (5) 76 from Pat Haugh (8) 77 and Nigel Pollock (6) 77.

The nett winners were Gerry Madden (10) 72 (junior) and Bobby Fleming (15) 72 (intermediate).

In the ladies’ Hydro Cup competition, the qualifiers were E Lyons (34) 68, A Leyden (19) 70, E Gilligan (23), 71 and J Eakins (25) 72. Ann Leyden (19) went on to win the title.

Shannon
Shannon Golf Club presidents’ (Mary O’Looney) prize to the ladies was won by Suzanne McMahon (16) 68 nett ,from Patricia Enright (34) 71 nett, Eileen Carey (21) 73 nett, Carmel Regan (20) 75 nett B9 and Hilary Park (23) 75 nett. The gross was won by Michelle Pyke (10) 86.

Spanish Point
The winner of the Tuesday seniors open singles Stableford competition at Spanish Point was Christy Mohally with 39 points. In second place was Patrick O’Dwyer with 36 points.

The Friday Open singles Stableford competition was won by Eoghan O’Loughlin with 39 points. On Sunday, the winner was Eoghan O’Loughlin with a similar score from Donal Burke, with 38 points. This weekend, there is an 18-hole team of three or four modified scramble and the usual timesheets are on operation by ringing the clubhouse on 065 7084198. The captain’s prize is on the weekend of August 30/31. Spanish Point Golf Club is also having a fundraising poker classic at the clubhouse this Friday.

Kilrush
In the senior men’s outing at Kilrush last week the winners were Finbarr McMahon, Sean Moran and John Donnelly from Tom Cleary, John O’Neill and Tom Prendeville with third spot going to Ollie McNamara, Pat Shannon and Brendan McNamara.

Captain Michael Hogan’s prize was played for at the weekend when Ollie McNamara emerged as the winner with 104, from Tom Prendeville on 113, with John Stapleton third on 115 and Pascal Looney on 115. The gross was won by Jim Young senior with 126. The leading qualifier was Sean Moray with 65.

The category winners were Seamus O’Doherty with 116, Michael Coghlan with 118 and Paddy O’Shea with 118. The nines were won by Noel Thornton and Denis Motherway. Jimmy McSwiggan won the past captain’s prize, while the committee prize was won by Finbarr McMahon. Sean Rynne won the long drive and Tom Prendeville won the nearest the pin award.

In the distance members’ section the winner was James Murtagh with 114 from Shane McGibney on 117 and John Donnelly with 117.

The ladies’ prize was won by Peggy Mulqueen with 40 points from Margaret Donnelly with 35 and Ger O’Byrne with 33. In the visitors’ section the winner was Donal Brogan from John Cunningham and Damon Murphy.

In the captain’s plate the winner was John McGrath with 39 points from Derek Lyttle with 38 and Finbarr McMahon with 36.

This Sunday, the ESB Inaugural Cup, a men’s singles competition, will take place, while the ladies will have a singles next Thursday.

Portumna
In the men’s centenary singles stroke competition at Portumna the winner was Willie Carty (9) 69 from Dan Hogan (12) 70 and Sean McEntee (13) with 71. Paul Porter (5) won the gross while the seniors’ prize was won by Martin Carty (26) 76.

The ladies’ competition was won by Bernie Kilmartin (35) 65 from Ciara Magill (6) 70 and Mary Jo Kelly (29) 71. The seniors prize was won by Elizabeth Ryan (36) 75.

There will be a gent’s and ladies’ 18-hole open singles competition this Sunday in aid of cancer research and on Sunday, September 1, the gents will have an open singles.

Gort
Last week’s ladies’ open 18-hole singles Stableford winner at Gort was Helen McCormick (21) with 34 points.

In the weekend’s singles, the winner was Ann Jordan (29) 38 points from Siobhán O’Connor (10) 36 points and Jane Joyce (14), also with 36. The gross was won by Maura Hanrahan (12) 23 points.

Last Thursday’s open singles was won by Ann Marie Moran (32) 34 points, from Róisín Walsh (29) 33 points and Gabriele Warnock (23) with 32 points. The gross was won by Jane Joyce (14) 14 points. This Sunday, the ladies will play in the president’s qualifier.

In last week’s men’s singles, the winner was Sean Cahill (8) with 39 points, from Derek Kinsella (16) with 37 points while the gross was won by David Quirke (3) with 32 points.

The weekend competition was won by Richie Glynn (18) with 42 points from Colm Grealish (11) with a similar score and James C Roger (12) with 41 points. David Quirke (3) won the gross with 31 points.

The weekend singles was won by Mattie Larkin (10) with 42 points, from Sean Cahill (9) 37 points and Kevin Mulkerrins (14) with 36 points. The gross was won by Enda Cradock (1) 33 points.

Friday’s four-man Texas scramble was won by Ann Marie Cradock, Josie Collins, Enda Cradock and Pat Cradock with 111 points, from Michael Daly, Christina Daly, Sara Broderick and Gerry Broderick with 110 points. In third spot were Brendan McDonagh, Michael Ryan, Gerry O’Donnell and Pat McCarthy with 108 points.

The Wednesday singles were won by Sean Daly (19) 66, from Kevin Moran (8) 67, with third spot filled by Aaron Fitzgerald (Oughterard) 68. The gross was won by Enda Cradock (1) with 72.

The president’s prize qualifier takes place this weekend.

Clare Hurlers
Ahead of the All-Ireland hurling final, there will be a golf classic to raise funds. The classic will take place at Shannon on Sunday and Monday week, September 1 and 2. Teams can be entered by contacting Shannon Golf Club or Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald.

Doonbeg Society
Derek Garvey won the O’Dea Cup at the Doonbeg Society outing at Kilkee at the weekend. Donal Cahill was second, followed by Michael Horgan, with Michael Carigg in fourth spot. In the ladies’ section, Elizabeth Williams won from Irene Neylon, with Liz Blake third. The nines were won by Maureen Morgan and Stephen Molone.

Pitch and Putt
At the Clare Road Pitch and Putt Club on Sunday, the stroke play competition was won by Michael Kerin from Gerry Kearse, with Marty Fawl winning the gross.

The club scratch cups will be played for this Sunday.