By Seamus Hayes
Tom makes history in Kilrush
HISTORY was made at Kilrush Golf Club at the weekend, when Tom Prendeville won the captain’s prize for the third year in a row.
The local man who plays off a handicap of 15 returned a score of 103 and had three strokes to spare over Mark Shannon (7) who returned 106.33in the race for captain Cyril Kelly’s prize.
They were followed by John O’Sullivan (20) with 107. 67, Tom Cleary (20) with 2109.67 and Colm Murphy (19) with 11o.33. Jim Young junior (5) won the gross with 123 whle the leading qualifier was Anthony Gilmartin (20) with 64.
Greg Young (6) won category 1 with 114.00, Finbarr McMahon(17) won category 2 with 110.67 while Sean Moran (22) won category 3 with 70.
Other prize winners were Past Captain: Gearoid Williams (13) 112.23; Committee Prize: Joe Linnane(17) 116.67; Front Nine: Brian Scanlan (14) 29.00 ; Back Nine: Seamus O Doherty (12) 32.00 ; Nearest the Pin: Jim Young Jnr.; Longest Drive: Pat Brennan.
In the distance members section the winner was Tom Buckley (14) with 114.67, from John Donnelly (13) with 115.33 while third in this category was Joe Ryan (18) with 118.00
Freda Moran (36\0 won the captain’s prize to the ladies with 21 points from Muriel Kiely (30 with 20 and Mary Bolton (18) with 19 points. The winner of the guests section was Dylan Fox (13) with 65 from Gay Looney (12) with 70
In last week’s senior ladies scramble at Kilrush the winners were Mary McCarthy, Teresa Lyons and Marion Brennan with 37.56 from Mary Young, Anne Hogan and Rebecca Brew with 38.67 while third spot was filled by Clare Pyne, Anne Cooper and Mary Collins with 39.89
The senior men’s competition last week was won by Aeneas O’Connor, Mick McNamara and Gerry Duffy from Finbar McMahon, Pat Shannon (Cranny) and Dermott Hammond with third spot filled by Jimmy McSwiggan, Sean Moran and Tom O’Dea and all three teams returned scores of 62.
the ladies singles outing last Thursday was won by Maura McSwiggan (32) with 41 points from Ailish Lorrigan (17) with 38 points, Rebecca Brew (32) with 37 points, \Margaret Clune (32) with 37 points and Margaret Donnelly (18) with 36 points. Th category winners were Geraldine Burke (17) with 36 points, Mary G.Nolan (20) with 33 points and Freda Moran (36) with 35 points.
In the Friday mixed the winners were Joe Linnane and Mary Lyons from John Donnelly and Claire Pyne with Murt Collins and Lucy Blake in third spot
The Shannon Ferries team of two competition was won by Pat Mulcahy and Brian Scanlan with 45 points from Michael Hogan and SeanMoran who had a similar score.
This Friday marks the start of open week with the Rush cup, an 18 hole mixed. There will be open singles competitions on Saturday an Sunday.
Ennis
SUZANNE Deane (16) was the winner of the ladies singles at Ennis last week with 36 points from Rita O’Brien (21) who had a similar score. Ann Dunne (25) was third with 33 followed by Anne Casey (20) with 31 and Frances Bergin (36) with 31. Shannon Hegarty (6) won the gross with 21.
In the nine hole competition Mary Woulfe (28) with 18 points was the winner from Kathleen Frehill (34) with a similar score. Rose Enright (36) was the winner in the best improver category with 11 points.
Lat week’s senior ladies scramble was won by M.McMahon, D.Molyneaux, L.Kelly
and M.Colton from A.Casey, M,McEnery and E.McMahon with third spot filled by
P.Ryan, P.Butler, N.Linnane and P.Parks.
Fifty six members played in the senior men’s modified two ball scramble last week when the winners were Paddy Rynne and tony Kehoe with 39 points from Joe Carmody and Liam Pyne with 38. In third spot with 38 were Tony Blake and Eamonn Murphy followed by Ned Ryan and John R.Cullinan with 37, Gerry Scanlan and John Vaughan with 37, P.J.Garry and Tim Kelly with 36, Willie Donnellan and john R. Ryan with 35, Peadar Cosgrove and Paul McCabe with 35.
Ennis hosted the area final of the AIG senior cup last week but there was little joy for Clare sides all of whom were knocked out in the earlier rounds. . Ennis, Shannon and East Clare went out in round one where Woodstock and East Clare were the only Clare winners as Woodstock defeated Shannon 3/2 with East Clare beating Ballyneety 3 ½ to 1 ½ . They met in round 2 with Woodstock winning 3/2 while Dromoland Caatle and Lahinch went out in this round losing to Nenagh and Castletroy respectively.
In the semi-finals Nenagh beat Limerick while Castletroy accounted for Woodstock. Nenagh and Castletroy will play the area final on this Thursday evening
Spanish Point
THE weekly 18 hole stableford ladies competition at Spanish Point last week was won by Ann White (36), followed by Valerie Ross (33) and Maura Burke (29). The competition on Sunday, also an 18 Hhle stableford event, was won by Mairead Bergin (33) with 4 pars beating Valerie Shannon (33) on a card play-off and in third place was Fiona O’Boyle (32).
The ladies played for the President Len Wilson’s prize on Saturday last week and the winner was Val Shannon (33)
The club’s first open day this year took place on Monday and the winner was Maura Killackey (Roscrea) with 41points from Irene Neylon (Kilkee) with 40, Collette Colleran (Dromoland) 34, Kitty Quinn (Dromoland) 33 and Mary O’Brien (Adare) 32. Val Shannon won the gross with 26.
Shannon
THE winner of the men’s competition at Shannon this week was Gary Purtill (7) with 64 from Aidan Flynn (6) with 68, John Burns (20) with 69, Kieran Kirby (12) with 69, Larry Egan Junior (8) with 69 and Kevin Stanford (11) with 70. Lewy Halpin junior (3) won the gross with 76.
In the green tee challenge was won by John Yelverton (26) with 39
Woodstock
LAST weeks open singles at Woodstock was won by Colm O’Callaghan (13) with 42 points from Josh Bravender (8) with 41 and Michael Conroy (1`2) with 39. Bob Loftus (scratch) won the gross with 35 points. In the Woodstock cup singles matchplay qualifier Cormac Walsh (5) won category A with 36 points from Aaron Donegan (5) with a similar score. In category B the winner was Ruairi Breen (20) with 41 points from ronan O’Looney (20) with 36 points.
There will be a club singles competition this weekend
Doonbeg
THERE was a large turnout in Doonbeg Golf club for the Captain’s (Gearoid Williams) prize last Sunday. Played in balmy conditions the course was in excellent condition. Greens were exceptionally good and running fast and true on the day. Padraig Hayes emerged as the winner with 41 points. He was followed by Gabriel O’Looney, Ger Ryan and Sean Neylon while Donnacha Nagle won the gross. The nines were won by Michael Studdert and Michael Bermingham while Seanie Malone won the past captains. Francis McInerney won the long drive, Maurice Mangan was nearest the pin, John McGuinre won the committee prize while the guests prizes were won by Noel Kilkenny and John Callinan
Dromoland
CILLIAN Pender was the winner of the 18 hole v par competition at Dromoland Castle with 5 up from Kyle Neylon with three up and Peter O’Flanagan with two up. Fergal Reale won the 18 and over handicap section with one up. In the men’s nine hole competition the winner was Niall Cannon with 21 points from Cillian Pender with 19 and Niall Geraghty with 19.
Friday’s open singles was won b y Jason Twomey with 39 points from Alan Ryan with 38 and Sean Burns with 36
In the ladies 18 hole June medal the winner was Dervla O’Neill with 67 from Leslie O’Flynn with 69 and Fran Feighery with 77. Tina McGuire won the gross with 89
East Clare
THE ladies’ club champagne scramble at East Clare was won by Breda O Laughlin,Mary Jo Minogue and Margaret Lynch. In second place were Pauline Nugent, Maureen Clune, Mary Collins and Breda McCarthy. Helen Downey, Mary Hogan and Helen Conway were third.
The 18 hole stable-ford golfer of the year competition (Eleanor Tivy qualifier) was won by Margaret Lynch on 38 points. In second place with 36 was Catherine Murphy while Noreen Doyle was third, also on 36.
Lahinch
IN the Wednesday seniors at Lahinch last week the winners were Tom Saunders & Michael McDonagh with 42 points from Michael Cagney and D Lernihan with 39
the men’s singles on Saturday was won by Ian Morrisson (6) with 40 points from Stephen Hennessy (3) who had 39 points
Sunday’s fourball stableford winners were John Davis (8) and Bernard Whelan (7) with 43 points from Finbar Fitzpatrick (11) and Pat Connellan (18) with 42.
Club members Sarah Cunningham and Sinead Sexton qualified for the matchplay section of the ILGU Women’s Close Championship hosted by Enniscrone GC. Both won their first round matches but Sinead was defeated by the narrowest of margins in the last 16 by Deirdre Smith (Co. Louth). In the quarter-finals Sarah got the better of Deirdre Smith (2/1) to qualify for the semi-finalon Tuesday morning but a few unlucky bounces opened the door for the eventual champion, Sara Byrne (Douglas), who won 2/1. The Mixed Invitational Foursomes Stableford Competition takes place on thisw Friday, between 1pm and 4pm
JB Carr Tournament
The first quarter-final of the JB Carr Tournament took place in Ennis the home club entertaining Tralee. The quarter-final is played over two legs, home and away.
All the matches were fiercely contested with Tralee emerging victorious by winning three matches to two. At one stage it looked like Tralee would win all five matches but Ennis came back into the reckoning and looked like winning by 4–1 at one stage. The closeness of three of the matches ensured that the name of the winning Club was in doubt until the 21st hole of the last match.
The following pairings represented Ennis Golf Club: Pat G McInerney and Gerard O Brien lost on the 20th; Patrick Murphy & Tom Woulfe won on the 16th; Seán Daly & Tom Fox won on the 16th; Johnny McNamara & Brian Considine lost on the 17th; Flan Lyons & Charlie McEnery lost on the 21st
The second leg takes in Tralee
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.