McElroy takes Portuguese Seniors title
Sheena McElroy, from the Grange, captured the 25th International Portuguese Senior Ladies Golf Competition after a play-off against Minna Kaarnalahti from Finland at Vilamoura on the Algarve.
McElroy shot rounds of 81 and 77 with Kaarnalahti carding 82 and 76 for 158 with Sue Spencer of England third on 160 (80, 80) and Mary MacLaren on 163. Kaarnalahti was in the clubhouse, having birdied the last hole for a second round 76, and McElroy in the group following got up and down out of a bunker to force a play-off.
The wind had got up by the time the two leaders returned to the play-off hole, the 18th. Both drove down the right and put their second shots into a bunker short and left of the green. Kaarnalahti flew her ball over the green and McElroy also came out too to 35 feet from the hole. Kaarnalahti failed to get down in two, and McElroy’s putt just stayed in the lip, but a bogey was good enough to give her the title.
McGovern top of the class at Q-school
Ireland’s Brendan McGovern dedicated his Senior Tour Qualifying School Final Stage victory at Pestana Golf Resort, Lagoa, Portugal to his uncle after finishing top of the class with a score of 11 under par 273. The 51 year old successfully made his way through Q-School for the second consecutive year, going wire-to-wire with rounds of 66-66-73-68 to finish six strokes ahead of the chasing pack.
“It was a different Brendan McGovern out there today,” he said. “Last year, after finishing Q-School, nobody had told me that my uncle had passed away while I had been practising.
“He was buried a year ago today and I have to dedicate this to him. He was my 15th club. He was the one who got me into golf, and that kept me going today.” McGovern finished six strokes clear of Clark Dennis, Gary Rusnak and Peter Wilson who shared second place on five under par, securing their places on the 2017 European Senior Tour.
A play-off determined the final card as Frenchman Jean Pierre Sallat beat Jeff Hall and David Shacklady with a birdie on the first extra hole.
Dennis and Wilson will make their Senior Tour debuts when the season begins at the Sharjah Senior Golf Masters presented by Shurooq in March.
Noonan elected President of ILGU
A Co. Longford Golf Club member since 1970, Vonnie Noonan was elected as 35th President of the ILGU at the National AGM of the ILGU Ltd and she expressed her excitement about her tenure, “It is with great eagerness and anticipation that I start my term as your President for the next two years. It is an incredible honour and distinction for me and for my home club - Co. Longford”.
Her passion for the administration of golf came quite early as she became involved in handicapping and rules in her club in the late 1980’s. “Once my five children had flown the nest I had more time to dedicate to golf”. She wanted to give more to the game in the early 2000’s and joined the Connacht Executive in 2004. “The ILGU were looking for Rules Officials so I qualified as a Rules Official in St. Andrews in 2007”. Vonnie went on to become the Chair of Rules in Connacht and shortly after that was asked to be National Chair of Rules in 2009, where she stayed for five years.
Noonan acknowledges that 2017 and beyond sees a change for the Union with the potential of a One Governing Body and she expressed the importance surrounding this potential change, “A joint One Governing Body could have a hugely positive impact on all clubs and members and could promote equality, enhance the game and provide greater support to clubs into the future”.
Turner back on track in Dhaka
Niall Turner gave his season a boost with a second successive 68 to finish tied 15th in the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open. The Muskerry professional made seven birdies and four bogeys in a three under par closing effort to finish 12 strokes behind Thai talent Jazz Janewattananond at Kurmitola Golf Club in Dhaka.
Jazz led by four strokes overnight and had enough with a final round 67 to win by four shots from local hero Siddikur Rahman (66) on 17-under par.
He won the $54,000 top prize while Turner won $4,065 and now moves on to Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur for next week’s $3m Maybank Championship where he will be joined by Paul Dunne will also be teeing it up in Malaysia thanks to an invitation
Bagnoli sets Junior Solheim pace
Italian Letizia Bagnoli has claimed an early lead in the race to earn a place in the European PING Junior Solheim Cup team. The 17 year-old, tops the European Ranking following the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur Championship at Montado Golf Resort with 50 points and is followed by Line Toft Hansen, Denmark, 40 points; Beatrice Wallin, Sweden, Mathilde Claisse, France and Julia Engström, Sweden 20 points each; Maja Stark, Sweden 9 points; Aline Krauter, Germany, Agathe Laisne, France and Karoline Lund, Norway, 7 points each and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, France 5 points.
The next counting event is the Spanish International Ladies’ Amateur, at Sherry Golf, Spain (March 1-6) followed by the French International Ladies’ Junior Championship, at GC St Cloud, France (April 13-17), the German Girls’ Open, at GC St. Leon-Rot, Germany (June 1-3), the Helen Holmes Scottish Women’s Open Championship, at Troon GC (April 21-23), the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship, at Pale & Kenfig CC, Wales (June 13-17), and the ANNIKA Invitational Europe, at Halmstad GK, Sweden (June 20-22).
The qualifying season will come to a close with the European Girls’ Team Championship, at St Laurence GC, Finland (July 11-15), and the European Ladies’ Team Championship, back at Montado Golf Resort (July 11-15th).
Hume under par again at Portmarnock Links
Former Walker Cup star Jack Hume showed his class when he fired a four under 67 to win the gross in the Tuesday Winter Series outing at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links. The 23-year old from Naas finished one ahead of Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty with Laytown and Bettytown’s Cian Geraghty taking third with a two under 69.
Sutton four handicapper Jamie Taylor claiming the best nett with a superb 66 while former European Tour winner Damien McGrane was second with a 67 while Ballinrobe’s Shannon Burke, playing off two, had a fine 69 to finish third.
