The unseasonal wintry rains, which caused the event's curtailment to 36holes seemed a million miles away from the heat that her international colleagues are expected to endure in Minneapolis this week, but Suzie O'Brien (nee Fanagan) gained some consolation for missing out on the trip to the Curtis Cup by lifting the Irish Women's Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Waterford Castle on Sunday.
O'Brien, the second reserve on the British and Irish team for the defence of the title in the biannual match with the United States, which takes place at Minikahda on Saturday and Sunday, didn't have to lift a club on the final day when heavy early-morning rain forced the ILGU to abandon the final round, leaving O'Brien - last year's Irish close champion - as a six-shot winner over her successor to that title, Lillian Behan of the Curragh. Apart from completing the notable "double" of claiming the Irish close and Irish strokeplay titles in successive years, Fanagan O'Brien's win in Waterford Castle was notable for another feat. Amazingly, her second round 67 was the first time she'd ever broken 70 in a competitive round and it was also the first time she has set a new course record.
"I'd just birdied the 15th when I realised I had the chance to shoot a 69," she said, "so I was conscious of what sort of round I had going."
As it transpired, the Milltown player also birdied the 17th and 18th holes for the second round 67 that left her on the 141 mark and, without having to play a single shot on Sunday, the closest O'Brien got to any water on the Sunday was when she posed for a victory photo on the car ferry that links the course with the mainland.
O'Brien attributed her current good form to the intensive sessions which she undertook with the Curtis Cup squad in recent months. As part of the training panel, O'Brien was able to take part in all the coaching sessions but claimed she wasn't too disappointed when she failed to make the actual team.
"To be honest, the team really picked itself and I don't know how close I was in the end. It would have been fantastic if I had made the Curtis Cup team, but I probably would have had to reach the British final to force my way on," she said.
"The Curtis Cup sessions were so well organised that I simply had to benefit," added O'Brien. "In particular, I feel that my iron play has come on immensely. Instead of just finding the heart of the green, I'm now firing some shots at the flag and setting up birdie chances."
The immediate future offers plenty of opportunities for competition. Next week, Fanagan O'Brien will be part of a Leinster team seeking a fourth successive title in the Interprovincial championships in Donegal, after which the team for the Home Internationals at Burhham and Berrow in England in September will be selected.
Pamela Murphy, who has dominated girls' golf for the past few years and who collected her third title when winning the national championship last week, will lead the Irish team into the Home International Girls' Championship at Mullingar in two weeks time. The team is: A Burke (Charleville), C Coughlan (Cork), F Donnelly (Forrest Little), S Galvin (Limerick), M Gilhawley (Enniscrone), M Gillen (Beaverstown), D Judge (Roscommon), P Murphy (The Island). Reserves: M Riordan (Tipperary), E Butler (Donabate), U Marsden (Tullamore). Non-playing captain: E Bradshaw (Kilkenny). Manager: C Smith (Mullingar).
In what could prove to be a veiled hint towards possible selection for the Home Internationals at Royal Porthcawl in September, three of Ireland's "young guns" are among a six-strong team nominated by the GUI to compete in the European Men's Individual Championship at Golf de Medoc, south of Bordeaux in southern France, on August 22nd-23rd.
Royal Portrush's Ricky Elliott, a student at Toledo University and recent winner of the Leinster Youths' title, Shandon Park's Michael Hoey, winner of the Irish Amateur strokeplay championship this season, and Beaverstown's Gary Cullen, a semi-finalist in the Irish Close championship, have been given the opportunity to compete against the continent's top players. Elliott, Hoey and Cullen will be joined in the raiding party by season internationals Bryan Omelia (Newlands), the beaten Irish close finalist, Noel Fox (Portmarnock), winner of the West of Ireland championship this season, who also had the distinction of beating Justin Rose by 4 and 2 in last year's Home Internationals, and Paddy Gribben (Warrenpoint), the recently crowned North of Ireland champion. Meanwhile, two promising Irish teenagers will compete in the European Young Masters tournament in Milan which starts today and concludes on Thursday.
Philip McLoughlin, a 15-year-old member of Ballyliffin who plays off a 1.6 handicap, and Co Sligo's Martin McTernan, who is following in the footsteps of his brother Sean by playing in the tournament, are reckoned to be two of the most promising players on the Irish scene.
The Leinster finals of the Bulmers Barton Shield will take place at Powerscourt Golf Course on Friday and Saturday. The draw is: Friday - 9.00: Grange v Kilkenny. 9.20: Westmanstwon v Birr. 9.40: Bodenstown v Greenore. 10.00: Ballinascorney v Greystones. Semi-finals at 2.00 and 2.20. Final on Saturday at 10.00am.
The Leinster finals of the Fred Daly Youths Trophy will take place at Carlow Golf Club on Thursday. The programme is: Semi-finals - 10.00: Old Conna v Bodenstown. 10.35: Wexford v Royal Dublin. Final at 3.30pm.
A birdie three at the final hole, gave Leinster's junior girls victory over Connacht in the final of the May Fitzgibbon Trophy at Greystones yesterday. The Leinster girls, who had pipped Munster in the semi-final by just one hole, were involved in another tight match against their counterparts from Connacht. They were one up playing the 18th, but a magnificent second shot from Fiona Healy left Michelle Carroll with a five foot birdie putt which she coolly sank for victory.
