Top golfers confirmed for July tournament at Adare

JIM Furyk, the world’s number six ranked golfer and winner of the Chevron World Challenge earlier this month and triple Major champion Ernie Els have confirmed their participation in the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort on July 5 and 6.

They will be joined by in-form Australian Robert Allenby, recent back-to-back winner of the Nedbank Challenge in Sun City and the Australian PGA Championship, in the elite field. Pádraig Harrington, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy have already committed to play in the tournament.
The aim of the JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am is to support Mid-Western charities and groups in their work with the underprivileged. All proceeds are donated, in their entirety, towards the development of these services and over €55 million has been raised since its inception in 1990.
Once again, the beneficiary charities are organising prequalifying tournaments throughout the country in a bid to enter teams in the Pro-Am.
The golf event, which has a prize fund of €1 million, is comprised of 54 teams of four players competing over two days (one professional and three amateurs per team).
Spectators can choose from one of eight different coloured two-day entrance caps representing Ireland, Munster Rugby and each of the Munster counties. At a cost of €50 each, they can be purchased from the website on www.jpmcmanusproam.com or at selected retail outlets.

Lahinch
THE ladies’ Christmas hampers competition was held last week at the championship course and the winner was Therese Quinn with 34 points from Michelle Collins who had a similar score. In third spot, a point back, was Jenny Cagney followed by Ann Vaughan with 33 points, Barbara Foley with 31 and Gráinne Hennessy with 30.
In the silver section, Mary Sadlier was the winner with 29 points from Anna Glynn on 29, Yvonne Morrison on 28, Connie Fahy on 27 and Jacqueline Joyce on 27.
Margaret Cooney won the bronze category with 29 points from Ann O’Sullivan on 25, Eileen Corry on 24, Janet Cavanagh on 23 and Anne Vaughan on 22.
The nines were won by Pat Elmes with 14 points and Mona Davis with 16 points. Nollie McCarthy won the nearest the pin at the eighth, while Gráinne Hennessy and Yvonne Keohane won nearest the pin on the 16th. Frances Haugh won the par threes while Trish Taylor won the nine-hole competition. Geraldine O’Brien was the winner of the category for the 30-36 handicaps.
The men’s monthly medal, a singles Stableford competition, was won by Ger Maher last Saturday with 65 nett from Shane Duggan on 69 ,with Stephen Hennessy in third spot on 70 – the same score returned by John Gilmartin, Frank Keane and Peter Hennessy.

Gort
THE ladies’ Christmas hampers competition was played for at Gort last week and resulted in victory for Marie Hannon Healy with 50 points. She was one ahead of Ger Lynch with Mary Geoghegan, also with 49 points, in third spot. They were followed by Mary Kilroy on 48, Siobhán Forde on 47, Patricia Skehill on 45, Deirdre Ryan on 44, Teresa Gill on 42, Brenda Morrissey on 41 and Margaret McMahon on 38 points.
In the weekend’s men’s singles hampers competition for men, Michael Brennan was the winner with 33 points from Gerry Broderick on a similar score and Adrian Conway on 32 points.
There will be an 18-hole four-ball competition for hampers this weekend.

East Clare
DESPITE frost and fog, there was a big turnout for the captain’s (Seán Ahern and Mary Beatty) drive in at East Clare on Sunday.
There was a Christmas scramble held in conjunction with the drive-in. The front nine competition was won by Breda O’Loughlin, William O’Brien and Pádraig Hession from
Mary Hogan, Paul Husband and John Sherin while the back nine competition was won by Peggy Ryan, Barra McHugh and Tony Cleary from Phil Burke, Ludwig Pfvetzer and Stephen Moloney.
Last week’s men’s seniors winners were Michael Fitzpatrick, Brendan Moloney, Kevin Burke and Noel Enright.
There will be a men’s 14-hole singles Stableford competition this Sunday while the ladies will have a nine-hole scramble at 11am followed by lunch in the clubhouse.
There will be an open three-ball scramble running from next Thursday (Christmas Eve) to Friday, January 1.

Spanish Point
WITH a big entry for the annual Christmas hampers men’s singles played last Sunday, Eoghan O’Loughlin continued his good form and with a return of level par gross off five handicap won with 41 points. In second place, with 40 points, was Michael Hehir (9), followed by Oliver McNamara (12) with 39 points and  PJ Killeen (15) with 38 points.
The parent club held their AGM recently and the officers for 2010 are: captains: Mary Saunders and Gary Carroll; secretary. Tom Mernagh; treasurer: Michael Hillery; vice-captains: Breda Murphy and Mike Hennessy; committee: Kieran Madigan, Clare McNamara, Kathleen Twomey, JJ Skerritt, Dolores Bolton; trustees: Seán Treacy, Denis Gallery, Gerry O’Loughlin, Seamus Cleary.
Lucia Cronin, Maura Burke and Geraldine Reddan won the Christmas scramble competition last Sunday. A nine-hole competition will take place during Christmas week.

Portumna
DUE to frost on the course, there were no competitions at Portumna at the weekend. This weekend, the Christmas hampers will be played for over Saturday and Sunday.
Marie Kelly is the new lady captain for 2010.

Woodstock
JOHN O’Connor was the winner of the weekend’s 18-hole singles Stableford competition at Woodstock with 39 points from Hugh McGrath who had a similar score.
This weekend the Christmas spirit competition will take place on Saturday and Sunday and this will be an 18-hole stroke competition. The presentation of prizes will be at 6pm.
The men’s club annual general meeting was held last week when the following were elected. Captain: John O’Connor; ex-officio captain: Tony Nugent; president: Jimmie Kelly; ex-officio president: Danny Moran; secretary: James Meade; treasurer: Brian Ahearne; handicap secretary: Eugene Quinn; competition secretary: Joe Kelly; committee: Kieran Cunnane, Seamus Kelly, Brian McElhinney and Cathal O’Loughlin.

Clare Teachers
THERE was an excellent turnout for the Clare Teachers Society team-of-three competition at Ennis on Saturday. The winners were Seán Cleary, Tom Pilkington and Martin Mason with 91 points and they had three to spare over Seán Daly, Seamus Frehill and Mary Glynn. In third place, with 85 points, were John Finn, Tim McGillicuddy and Jim McMahon and they were followed by Fintan McEvoy, Joe Brady and Noel Pyne on 84 points; Lena O’Reilly, Michael Kilmartin and PJ Garry with 83 points; Mairtin Concannon, Tom Glynn and Michael Cummins with 83 points; John Doyle, Eileen Daly and Kathleen Frehill with 80 points.
The society’s next outing will be on Wednesday, January 6 and the venue will be the Castle course in Lahinch.

Clarecastle
KEN Ralph was the recent winner of the Clarecastle Christmas hamper outing at Spanish Point. Niall McMahon came second with John McGrath in third spot. Prominent young golfer, Joseph Barry was the winner of the guests’ section. Society stalwart, Roger McMahon, was declared golfer of the year.

The Nora Daly Society
THE Nora Daly Society Christmas outing was held at Woodstock last week, when the winners were Berry O’Reilly, Micheál Neylon and Tony Lawlor from Noel Moloney, Stephen Clancy and Emmett Pyne, with third place filled by Vincent Hennessy, Eoin Burke and John Neylon.
The society’s first outing of the new year will take place on January 30 to Lahinch.

Corofin
THE curtain came down on the playing season for members of the Corofin Society when their annual two-ball Christmas scramble was played last Saturday in Gort.
Brendan Kearney and Gerard Kennedy emerged winners from Deirdre Ryan and David O’Dell with John Daly and Michael Gillespie in third.