A dramatic 45 foot birdie putt on the 18th green at Fota Island last evening by Ulster’s Ben Best foiled Connacht of a famous victory on the second day of the Interprovincial Championship. The match ended 5½ points apiece, leaving Leinster, who defeated Munster 8-3, the favourites to retain the title when they take on Ulster in today’s decider.

The Island’s Kevin LeBlanc is determined to prove the doubters wrong and become the youngest West of Ireland champion since Rory McIlroy.

Tiarnan McLarnan and Eugene Smith, both 23, and Robin Dawson, 20, and Alex Gleeson, 21, have qualified to meet in this morning’s semi-finals of the AIG Irish Close Championship at Tramore.

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.

“When it’s breezy, swing it easy” is a well-known golfing adage and it proved to be just the advice Alan Lowry needed to follow in the footsteps of his famous big brother and win the Mullingar Electrical Scratch Trophy.

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.

Munster pulled off a considerable surprise when they hammered host province Leinster 7½ to 3½ on the opening day of the Senior Interprovincial Championship at The Island yesterday.

A record-equalling seven under par 66 moved West Waterford’s Gary Hurley into joint fifth in the English Open stroke-play championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Seaton Carew, Hartlepool on Saturday.

Sligo golfer Barry Anderson birdied each of Little Island’s three par-three holes in yesterday’s final round of the Munster Open Stroke Play Championship to capture the title by two strokes from home club member Gary O’Flaherty and Royal Dublin’s Richard Knightley.

Reaching 100 years as a golf club is not a rare achievement but it is no mean feat either, and the hope is that longevity is a sign of an institution that has earned its success on and off the course.

Castle’s Daniel Holland broke the hearts of the huge home gallery when he left Des Morgan in his wake and cruised to a three-shot win with a brilliant final round performance in the Mullingar Scratch Trophy.

Daniel Holland, a 21 year-old landscape artist who, in his own words, “never won anything before in golf”, emerged the hero for Dublin club Castle as they captured the Irish Senior Cup for the first time in their 99 year history at Kinsale on Saturday.

Newcastle West finally reached their destination after 74 years of trying yesterday when they lifted the Pierce Purcell Shield at Kinsale Golf Club.

KEEPING Rathmore golfers out of the news these days is far from being an easy task.

Defending South of Ireland Championship champion Niall Kearney suffered a shock defeat in the third round of the 2009 event today at Lahinch.

PATRICK HOLLAND was sound asleep in bed when his father, Daniel, burst into the next room and shot his mother eight times.