Thinking of turning professional?

Solheim Cup hero Catriona Matthew fired a sensational seven birdies in eight holes to snatch the lead at Killeen Castle.

GALWAY girl Alison Walshe may lead the way in Meath but she’s playing under an American flag and won’t be back at Killeen Castle for the Solheim Cup next month.

THE BATTLE for the 2011 Irish Open has yet to begin, but already potential venues are lining up for the 2012 renewal, including a Killarney bid for three-in-a-row.

LISA MAGUIRE continued her domination of the European Women’s Individual Championship in the Netherlands yesterday.

THE brilliant Maguire twins spearhead a powerful-looking Irish challenge for the European Ladies Amateur individual title over the Noordwijse course in the Netherlands, starting today.

IRELAND’S hopes of a third European Women’s Team title disappeared over the Murhof course in Austria yesterday after a titanic struggle with Sweden.

LADIES Irish Open boss Roddy Carr avoided some Chinese torture to deliver a world class field at Killeen Castle next month.

INSPIRED by a tip from compatriot Christy O’Connor Jnr, Des Smyth captured his fourth European Senior Tour title in thrilling fashion with a sublime round of 65 at the Van Lanschot Senior Open in Holland yesterday.

ALAN DUNBAR stepped up his challenge for the Brabazon Trophy at Burnham and Berrow on the Somerset coast yesterday with a stunning three-under-par 68 in his second round.

THE unpredictability of match-play was apparent again yesterday as three of the highly-fancied home competitors all lost in the first match-play round of the British Ladies Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

THE Maguire twins returned to their normal impressive form yesterday to progress comfortably into the knock-out phase of the British Ladies Open Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush.

PAUL DUNNE and Alan Dunbar held their nerve in Barcelona yesterday to qualify for the knock-out stages of the Spanish Men’s Open Amateur Championship with a stroke to spare.

US OPEN champion Graeme McDowell, his Rathmore clubmate Alan Dunbar; Danielle McVeigh from Royal Co Down and Bill Gibson from the Curragh have been chosen for their annual awards by the Irish Golf Writers Association.

IRELAND were pipped at the post in a gripping finale to the Women’s Amateur Home International at rain-sodden Whitchurch in Cardiff yesterday.

IRELAND made a flying start to their bid for a first Women’s Home International title for six years when they demolished England in the sunshine over the Whitchurch course in Cardiff yesterday.

ADMISSION is free, the quality of the field could hardly be better, the location is both new and spectacular.

THE AIB Ladies Irish Open gets underway on Friday at Killeen Castle, Co Meath, having attracted its strongest field ever.

IRELAND’S hopes of winning a third European Men’s Amateur team title in four years were dashed in Sweden yesterday when they failed to make the top flight for the matchplay phase.

DANIELLE MCVEIGH produced a brilliant singles performance in Boston last night to clinch a splendid Curtis Cup point but it was all in vain as Great Britain and Ireland’s woeful record in the bi-ennial transatlantic clash goes on.

THE remarkable Maguire twins, Leona and Lisa, from Co Cavan, will create a significant piece of Curtis Cup history when they make their debuts in the bi-annual clash with the US at the Essex Country Club, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachussetts on June 11-13.

RORY McILROY, who has risen from 39th to ninth position in the official world rankings in his second season on tour, has been voted the ‘Professional of the Year’ in the 2009 Irish Golf Writers’ Association Awards, sponsored by AIB Bank.

Fourteen-year-old Irish twins Leona and Lisa Maguire have been included in the squad for Britain and Ireland’s Curtis Cup match against the United States in Massachusetts next June.

DANIELLE McVEIGH faces a mammoth task over the next two days to lift the European Ladies Amateur Team title at Falsterbo in Sweden — but she is still very much in contention for a medal.

IRELAND lost their Amateur Home International title at Hillside on the Lancashire coast yesterday when they lost 9½-5½ to England.

DANIELLE MCVEIGH produced a dramatic rearguard action to snatch the Ladies British Open Amateur stroke-play title at Royal Aberdeen yesterday.

Ireland's Danielle McVeigh claimed the biggest win of her career with a one-stroke victory in the Ladies' British Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Royal Aberdeen.

THE amazing Maguire twins made sensational debuts for Great Britain and Ireland in the Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe in Hamburg yesterday. However, they could not prevent their team from trailing at the halfway stage.

THE stalls did well at the final day of the AIB Ladies Irish Open in Portmarnock links yesterday as play was suspended twice – at 9.50am for 30 minutes and for a longer period at 1pm until 4.15pm – due to dense fog coming in from the coast.

TWENTY ELEVEN, in association with the Ladies European Tour and the Ladies Golf Union, have completed a unique arrangement that will enable the top nine amateur golfers from Great Britain and Ireland to play in this year’s AIB Ladies Irish Open, (Portmarnock, June 26-28).

THE Irish Ladies Golf Union has allocated €74,800 to support the country’s top amateurs this year.

THE outrageously talented 13-year-old Maguire twins from Ballyconnell in Cavan have been named in a Great Britain & Ireland preliminary squad for the 2009 Vagliano Trophy match against the Continent of Europe in Germany next July.

Thirteen-year-old identical twins Lisa and Leona Maguire have been named in the Great Britain and Ireland senior squad for the Vagliano Trophy against the Continent of Europe in Hamburg next July.

IRISH golfer Danielle McVeigh made her mark among the best young women players in America as she scored a top-15 finish at the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Irish golfer Danielle McVeigh made her mark among the best young women players in America as she scored a top-15 finish at the NCAA Women's Golf Championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Danielle McVeigh saw her challenge at the NCAA Women's Championship halted by high winds yesterday in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Irish golfer Gareth Shaw climbed into the US collegiate top 20 rankings this week following his runner-up finish at the Administaff ASU Invitational in Georgia.

Irish women Tara Delaney and Danielle McVeigh enjoyed mixed fortunes in Texas this week as they battled the Lone Star State’s infamous winds at the Texas A&M ‘Mo’morial’ tournament.

Irish Walker Cup star Jonny Caldwell claimed a tie for fourth place at the Rio Pinar Invitational in Orlando, Florida, but his University of South Alabama team-mates could not follow suit.

Tara Delaney turned the tables in Las Vegas as she recovered from an awkward start to land her best finish of the autumn for the Kent State University women’s golf team.

Royal County Down's Danielle McVeigh took the individual gold in World University Games in Bangkok.

Irish college golfers have much to be proud of as they head into the summer.