Mullingar Grant Thornton Scratch Trophy this weekend
The finest crop of Ireland"s amateur golfers this weekend will descend on Mullingar Golf Club in a bid to emulate many of the country"s greatest golfers, including current hero, Padraig Harrington, by winning the Mullingar Scratch Cup, which this year is being generously sponsored by Grant Thornton.It"s now 45 years since the great Joe Carr won the first staging of this 72-hole event back in 1963. This tournament has attracted all of Ireland"s leading amateur golfers and, in years past, many notables from overseas.Entries to date include five members of the team which captured for Ireland the men"s European Team Championship in Italy, where they were defending the title won in Scotland in 2007. Gareth Shaw, winner of the Mullingar Scratch Trophy in 2005 has since turned professional. Therefore he will not be joining Paul O"Hanlon (Curragh) the Irish Close Champion and holder at Mullingar, Shane Lowry (Esker Hills) West of Ireland and North of Ireland Champion, Johnny Caldwell (Clandeboye), Niall Kearney (Royal Dublin) and Paul Cutler (Portstewart).Other notables include Eoin Arthurs (Forrest Little) the East of Ireland Champion, Seamus Power (West Waterford) Irish Youths Champion, Simon Ward (Co. Louth), Dara Lernihan (Castle), Cathal O"Malley (Westport), Paul O"Kane (Moyola Park), Cian Curley (Newlands), Fergal Rafferty (Dungannon), Jim Carvill (Warrenpoint), Paddy Gribben (Warrenpoint) and two from California, John Adams who has returned to the Amateur game after a period as a professional and Austin Graham.John was beaten in a play-off by Paul McGinley in 1991 and plays off plus 2 while Austin Graham, a college student plays off the same mark. Both play out of the Pacific Golf and Country Club, Clemente, California.This event was won 14 years ago by our double Open Champion, Padraig Harrington in 1994. Padraig is the first European to win back-to-back Open Championships since the great James Braid, the designer of Mullingar Golf Club.Mullingar Golf Club - LadiesOn Sunday last we had a very large turnout in glorious sunshine to honour our Lady Captain Miriam McManus. Her beautiful prize was won by Breda Conlon with a fantastic 69.Results Lady Captain"s Prize 18 hold stroke1st Breda Conlon (16) 69, 2nd Helen Moorhead (20) 70, Gross Lucy Tormey (6) 80, 3rd Kathleen McKeon (23) 71, 4th Hilary Shekleton (33) 73, 2nd gross Patience Collier (12) from A. Grehan, F. Burke 89, 5th Ann Grehan (16) 73, 6th Jeanette McDonnell (20) 73. Category 1 Doreen Casey (18) 75, Category 2 Rita McCormack (22) from M. Hamill, P. O"Hara, C. Reidy 74, Category 3 Anne McHugh (31). Past Captains Lily Gilleran (16) 76, Seniors (18 hole) Breda Hawkshaw (25) 75. Best 36 H/cap Ann Tyrell (36) 82, Front 9 Marjorie Donoghue (24) 33, Back 9 Siobhan Ruane (23) from A. Bennett, M. Witter, M. Hamill, K. Jameson 37.5. Seniors 9 hole Marie Woods (30) from M. Hunt 15pts. Junior/Student Sarah Dromey (36) 86. Beginners 6 hole Antoinette Dalton 41.Weir"s PharmacyMonday, July 21st - 4 ball better ball Stableford Competition1st Ann Marie Fagan (14), Mary McCauley (13) 43pts. 2nd Katherine Kavanagh (9), Geraldine O"Donovan (22) 41pts. Gross Patience Collier (12), Cathy Smyth (14) 31pts. 3rd Fiona Burke (11), Geraldine Bell (14) 38pts. Front 9 Regina Healy, Mary Witter 22pts. Back 9 Mary Lalor, Breda Jones 20pts.Days Bazar18 Hole Stableford, Wednesday, July 23rd1st prize Siobhan Ruane 41pts. 2nd prize Dorothy O"Keeffe 40pts. Gross Ann Marie Fagan 24pts. 3rd Lily Donoghue 40pts.