Stuart Grehan fired in a flawless three-under-par opening round of 69 in tough conditions to lead the Irish assault on the European Amateur Championship in Estonia.

Participation numbers continue to drop, but the Munster Branch of the GUI celebrated another good year in 2015, with Gary Hurley, John Murphy, and clubs Tramore and Dooks presented with awards during the annual delegates’ meeting at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, last week.

As a player accomplished enough to win the prestigious Mullingar Scratch Trophy over the August Bank holiday weekend and having seen his brother Shane thrill the golfing world both as an amateur and professional, Alan Lowry is no stranger to outstanding deeds and shot making on the golf course.

Maurice Kelly will be aiming to complete a magnificent quick-fire double when he competes at the British Seniors Amateur Championship, which gets underway at Ganton, Yorkshire, this morning.

Four golfers whose names don’t really ring a bell for followers of the amateur game have qualified for this morning’s semi-finals of the Clare Coast Hotels South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.

Arthur Pierse has been coming to Lahinch for more than 40 years in search of the Clare Coast Hotels South of Ireland Championship.

When you are one of the championship favourites and things are going against you, there is always a good time to produce a shot out of the ordinary.

The withdrawal of favourite Gary Hurley and Irish Close champion John Ross Galbraith has come as a major disappointment to organisers of the Clare Coast Hotels South of Ireland at Lahinch, which begins this morning.

Kieran McCarthy defends his title against another high-class field in the Munster Stroke Play Championship at Cork Golf Club tomorrow and Sunday.

Ireland made golfing history at the weekend by becoming the first country to win both the senior men’s and women’s Team Championships in the same year.

Pádraig Harrington sent his penultimate shot a dozen rows deep into a final hole grandstand but then chipped-in for birdie to be just three strokes from the lead after two rounds of the Omega European Masters.

Holder Pat Murray (Limerick), Stuart Grehan (Tullamore) and Robbie Cannon (Balbriggan), the three players with most reason to feel aggrieved at the announcement of the Irish Home Internationals team before the South of Ireland began, all bit the dust on an eventful day at Lahinch yesterday.

Ireland were denied a fifth consecutive senior men’s Home International title at Southerndown on the south Wales coast yesterday by a much-improved England outfit.

Arthur Pierse faltered in the final round of the British Seniors Open Amateur Championship at Machynys Peninsula in West Wales but still finished as the top Irishman.

IRELAND won the Men’s Senior Home International Championship for an unprecedented fourth successive year at Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire yesterday and completed the Triple Crown with a 7-2 trouncing of England.

TIPPERARY’S Arthur Pierse came agonisingly close yesterday to claiming his second British Seniors Open title. The former Walker Cup player was pipped by a stroke at Royal Portrush as he attempted to add to his triumph of 2007.

IRELAND made a winning start to the defence of their R&A Trophy in the Boys Home Internationals over the Royal and St David’s links at Harlech yesterday — but they were made to fight hard for victory over hosts Wales.

FOR a pleasant change, all four South of Ireland semi-finalists at Lahinch this morning are career amateurs, men who work during the day and play golf in their spare time.

PAT MURRAY has the ideal opportunity to show the Irish selectors the error of their ways in the 108th South of Ireland Championship which begins at Lahinch today.

IRISH golf had a day to remember at Baltray yesterday and, incredibly, Pádraig Harrington was not part of the feel-good story.

SHANE LOWRY, the leading Irish contender for the Walker Cup team to take on the Americans at Merion next August, entered the 3 Irish Open record books at Baltray yesterday by shooting an opening round of five under par 67.

IRELAND set out on the hunt for more silverware today bidding to extend their amazing run of international golf success.

IRELAND remain very much in contention for a second successive European Seniors Championship but luck was very much on their side in yesterday’s semi-final against Germany at Shannon.

CHAMPIONS Ireland are ideally poised to figure among the leading four countries who will remain in contention for the European Seniors Amateur Championship after today’s second round at Shannon Golf Club.

IRELAND will be well fancied to retain their title when the third European Amateur Seniors Team Championship takes place at Shannon Golf Club this week.

AT a time when so much focus in the world of golf is on the professional game, it is good to see that the amateurs are not being forgotten.

All six members of the victorious European seniors team have been selected in the Irish side for the Seniors Home Internationals which will be played at Caldy Golf Club, Merseyside from October 2 to 4, 2007.

Ireland won the European Seniors’ Team Championship at Bled Golf Club in Slovenia today.

WHILE they celebrated at Clandeboye Golf Club last night after the inclusion of Jonathan Caldwell in the British & Irish team to play the US in the Walker Cup at Royal Co Down on September 9 and 10, there was disappointment at Banbridge when Richard Kilpatrick was omitted.

Lurgan's Gareth Shaw made two visits to the 20th before progressing to the last 16 of the South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch.

YOUTH invariably has its fling in the major championships these days but yesterday’s second round of the South of Ireland was an opportunity for those beyond their best playing days to show their worth.

LIMERICK teenager Cian McNamara faces strong opposition in his bid to retain his South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch over the next five days.

GOOD enough to stage any event — even the Ryder Cup. That was Sam Torrance’s considered view about the Seve Ballesteros designed Heritage course yesterday, after he opened the AIB Irish Seniors Open with a four under par 68 in blustery and often showery conditions.

Charlie Mulqueen, The Heritage

GARDAÍ in Tipperary town are following a definite line of enquiry following a vicious, unprovoked assault on former Walker Cup golfer Arthur Pierse.

IT'S little wonder golfers can't wait to reach their 50th birthday these days. Carl Mason won just twice on the regular European Tour, but when he turned 50 at the end of June last year he quickly fattened up his pension fund.

England's Carl Mason has won the AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor Golf Club today.

Christy O’Connor Jnr's hopes of making an immediate imprint on the €330,000 AIB Irish Seniors Open at Adare Manor this afternoon were dashed as the 55-year-old three-putted on four occasions for a round of 75.

IRELAND’S Arthur Pierse was crowned leading amateur at the Senior British Open in Turnberry for the third year in succession when he closed with a four-over-par 74 to finish in a share of 62nd place on six-over-par 286.

Noboru Sugai from Japan has taken a firm grip on the MasterCard British Seniors' Open Championship at Royal County Down.

Ian Stanley has maintained his effort to win the British Seniors' Open Championship at Royal County Down as he has picked up two birdies against

Just nine players finished under-par last night after the third round in the British Seniors' Championship at Royal County Down.