*Photograph: Brian Arthur
AFTER months of planning the Arnold Palmer cup week at Lahinch has arrived.
A busy week of activity continues this Thursday with the College Am/Am from 9am in which all 48 collegiate players will participate two in each group, along with two amateur guests. The official opening ceremony will take place on the first tee at 5p.m.
The mixed fourball competition gets underway at 8.30am. on this Friday morning with the foursomes competition from 8.30am on Saturday while the mixed foursomes will be from 1:30pm on Saturday.
The singles competition will get underway from 7.30am on Sunday morning and will be followed by the closing ceremony.
To give a flavour of the exceptional talent that will be on show this week, eight of the top ten world ranking amateur male golfers and ten of the top twenty amateur women golfers are playing and that’s not including the recent winners of the Amateur Championship (Jacob Skov Olesen) and the Women’s Amateur Championship (Melanie Green).
All photographs by Brian Arthur
Woodstock Golf Club:
President Ken Horgan’s prize was played for at the weekend at Woodstock where the winner was David White (18) with 43 points. He won on a countback from Seamus Kelly (26) with third spot filled by Barry McNicholl (12) and they both also had 43 points. Joe Hurley (17) with 41 points was fourth Kieran Cunnane (2) won the gross with 33 points.
The category winners were Rob Cantwell (10) with 40 points, Seosamh O’Riordain (17) with 40 points and Tommy Flynn (21) with 39 points.
Other prize winners included Ollie McNamara (18) with 37 points (Past President), Johnny Clune (11) with 39 points (senior) and David Nihill (25) with 39 points (junior boys).
Hannah O’Brien with 39 points won the president’s prize to the ladies. From Chaye Kelly with 35 points and Deirdre Molyneaux, also with 35 points.
Una Patton with 16 points won the front 9 while Kathleen McEnery with 21 points was the winner of the back 9.
Imelda Duffy with 21 points won the 9 hole competition while Sarah Crowe with 43 points won the junior girls section.
Last week’s open singles at Woodstock was won by Ruairi Breen (19) with 41 points while the gross was won by Mark McInerney (7) with 32 points.
The category winners were John Clune (10) with 39 points, Nelius Butler (17) with 40 points and Frankie Slattery (21) with 39 points.
The open singles continues on this Thursday while the weekend competition this week will be a singles stableford.
Shannon Golf Club:
Lady Captain Suzanne McMahon’s prize was played for at Shannon last week when there was an excellent turnout.
Mary Fitzgibbon (36) emerged as the winner with 68 nett three better than Karen Dunne (39), Marlyn Kelly (47) was third followed by Pauline Kilmartin (31) and they both also had 71. Laura O’Brien (10) won the gross with 87 while the category winners were Debbie Reddan (14) with 73, Margaret Hope (17) with 72 Carole Bagnal (27) with 72 and Hilary Park (42) with 73.
The past captain’s category was won by Anne Jones (19) with 75, the front 9 by Dee O’Connell (42) with 37 and the back 9 by Honor Kinihan (33) with 32
The putting competition winner was Linda Doherty (28 Putts), nearest the pin was Máire McMahon, Longest drive Jane Kennedy, guests section by Aidan McMahon and the 2’s competition by Máire McMahon (4th Hole).
The 9 hole stableford competition was won by Jyoti Patel (20) with 18 points from Mary Murphy (27) with 17 points.
The lady captain’s prize to the men was won by Liam Leahy (17) with 43 points from Mark Wallis who had a similar score. They were followed by Ciara Coote (16) with 42 points and Pat Downes (16) who also had 42 points. Colm Hanley (scratch) won the gross with 34 points.
Kilrush Golf Club:
Tommy Downes ‘captain’s prize was played for at Kilrush at the weekend when Tomas Prendeville (16) emerged victorious with 99.
He won by two from Colm Murphy (23) with Seamus O’Doherty (20) in third place on 102. They were followed by Terry O’Hare (11) with 103, Alan F. Howard (37) with 104 and John K. Ryan (13) with 106.
Jack Foley won the gross with 113.
The category winners were Michael F Ryan (8) with 118, Brian Scanlan (12) with 109 and Jim Kelly (23) with 106.
The leading qualifier was Noel Kilkenny (22) with 66 while the nines were won by Jason Gallagher (19) with 31.5 and Jim Young Jnr (5) with 34.5.
The captain’s prize to distance members was won by Christopher Breen with 70 from Martin Morrissey with a similar score with third spot filled by Tom Buckley, also with 70.
East Clare Golf Club:
The overall winner of the ladies 18 hole stroke competition at East Clare on Sunday was Ann Harte (42) with 64.
The category winners were Evelyn Skehan (20) with 67 nett, Noreen Skehan (24) with 69 nett and Pauline Nugent (34) with 68.
Last week’s senior men’s competition was won by Martin McKeogh, Paddy O’Brien, and Richard Keating from Ailbe McDonnell, Brian Corry and Noel Earley with third place filled by Terry Coughlan, Pat Duggan and Jim Fahy.
The play in pink cancer research fundraiser was well supported and the ladies team of three winners were an East Clare team of Mary Bugler, Bridget Minogue, and Margaret Egan with 81 points.
They had a point to spare over the Woodstock team of Chaye Kelly, Eilis Neville and Anne Kilker with the Spanish Point team of Niamh O’Regan, Sinead O; Grady and Aine Burke in third spot with 75 points.
The men’s team of three winners were Jackie McHugh, Darren O’ Sullivan and Danny Minogue from the host club with 80 points.
Ennis Golf Club:
The winners of the captain’s fourball at Ennis at the weekend were Tommy Stack (19) and Raymond Power (19) with 48 points. They had one to spare over Paul Mockler (22) and Michael Neylon (18) with third place filled by John C McNamara (12) and Noel Normoyle (13) who also had 48 points. In fourth with 46 points were Brendan Pyne (13) & Thomas Gallery (18).
The Friday open singles winner was Patrick Cuddy (24) with 43 points from Declan O’Neill (20) (Dromoland Golf Club) with a similar score. They were one ahead of Pat O’Brien (16), Woodstock while the gross was won by Sean Myatt with 35 point.
The winners of the Tuesday fourball were Michael Irwin and Pat Murphy with 36 points and they were one ahead of Senan Ryan and John Gavin.
