There were smiles all round at the EMC Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup as newly-crowned champion Colm Campbell got the perfect boost for a busy schedule ahead and tournament organisers got a winner of the calibre they feel their event deserves.

Memories of the 1987 final at Tramore will be revived this week when the AIG Irish Close Championship takes place over the outstanding seaside layout for the third time.

With the majority of young amateurs nowadays turning professional as soon as they make any kind of mark in the championship arena, the days of course specialists have more or less dwindled away to nothing. 

With handicaps ranging from plus 4 to 1.1, the high quality of the entry for the West Coast Hotels sponsored South of Ireland Championship beginning at Lahinch this morning is a source of considerable satisfaction for the organising committee.

Almost exactly two years ago, Paul Dunne was making a name for himself at Lee Valley Golf Club during the second day’s play in the Interprovincial Championship.

Greystones’ Paul Dunne fired an eagle and six birdies in a sensational second round 65 to top the final qualifying for The Open at Woburn and clinch his place at St Andrews later this month.

Gary Hurley’s charge towards the European Amateur title was halted as thunder and lightning forced an early finish on day three on the Dukes course at St Andrews.

Gary Hurley is still very much in contention to become the first Irish winner of the European Amateur Championship for eight years after finishing day two on the Dukes Course at St Andrews in a four-way tie for the lead.

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley stormed into the lead in the European Amateur Championship on the Dukes Course at St Andrews yesterday following a stunning opening round.

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.

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 captured the Senior Interprovincial Championship for the second time in three years when they pulled off a magnificent 7-4 victory over hot favourites and holders Ulster in an epic decider at The Island links in North Dublin yesterday.

Ulster players have been the dominant force in Irish golf in recent years and the trend looks set to continue judging by developments over the opening two days of the Senior and Boys Interprovincials at the Island links in North Dublin.

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.

Jack Hume sets out at Royal Portrush today in the 119th Amateur Championship determined to continue his summer of consistency and book his place in the St Andrews Trophy team to take on the Continent of Europe later in the year.

East of Ireland champion Colm Campbell and leading qualifier Stuart Grehan were forced to dig deep to make it into the last 16 of the AIG-sponsored Irish Amateur Close Championship at a sun-kissed Seapoint.

Munster interprovincial Geoff Lenehan has no qualms about lifting what could cynically be termed an asterisk AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Seapoint Golf Links.

Gary McDermott defied rain squalls and winds gusting up to 30 mph to shoot a sensational 69 for a one shot lead after the opening round of the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin.

Local teenager David Brady made a sensational debut in the Radisson Blue sponsored West of Ireland Championship when he racked up nine birdies in a seven under par course record 64 at Rosses Point.

Dermot McElroy hopes to celebrate his call-up to the St Andrews Trophy squad by challenging for his first amateur major when the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open gets under way at Rosses Point today.

Ulster withstood a late rally by Munster at Lee Valley yesterday to dethrone the home team as Irish Interprovincial champions and regain the title they last held in 2010.

After some controversial incidents on the professional front in recent times, golf’s reputation as a game of honour and self-regulation has come under a little bit of fire.

Ulster and Leinster played out a thrilling tie on the opening day of the Interprovincial Championship at Lee Valley yesterday while defending champions Munster survived a few anxious moments in mid-afternoon to emerge 7 ½-3 ½ winners over Connacht.

Even though they are the defending champions and will be performing on home territory, Munster are regarded as underdogs in the Senior Men’s Interprovincial Championship beginning at Lee Valley this morning.

Brian Casey had to be content with second spot in the English Open strokeplay championship for the Brabazon Trophy at Formby after a final round hiccup.

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.

Robbie Cannon’s superior fitness proved to be the difference as he came through two gruelling rounds and four play-off holes to win a thrilling Irish Amateur Open in sensational style at Royal Dublin.

Kevin Phelan will look to carry momentum from his top-five finish at Carton House into the European Amateur Championships into this week’s Home Internationals.

A third-round, seven-under-par 65 from Sweden’s Pontus Widegren may have pushed hopes of a home win in the European Amateur Championship beyond leading Irish men Kevin Phelan and Alan Dunbar.

Alan Dunbar bounced back from a poor opening round to equal the course record at Carton House’s Montgomerie layout and leap into contention at the European Amateur Championship.

Gary Hurley and Geoff Lenehan carried their senior interpro-winning form with Munster into the international arena, being the only Irishmen to go under par on the opening day of the European Amateur Championships at Carton House yesterday.

Simon Ward (Co Louth) and Muskerry’s Niall Gorey, a member of the Munster team that won last week’s Interprovincial Championship at Royal Co Down, yesterday came through two testing encounters in the South of Ireland at Lahinch to set up a mouth-watering 5th round clash this morning.

Only one member of the Irish team for next month’s Home International Championship turned up for the South of Ireland at Lahinch over the weekend.

Six members of the triumphant Munster team in this week’s Interprovincial Championship at Royal Co Down are included in the field for the South of Ireland Championship starting at Lahinch this morning. And yet, they will all have to take a back seat behind the remarkable Ennis man, Noel Pyne, who is competing for the 50th successive year.

Captain Phil Cooney and his superbly balanced Munster team were celebrating at Royal Co Down last night after they completed a clean sweep in the Interprovincial Championship by beating a hotly fancied Ulster side by 7 matches to 4.

Brilliantly led from the front by Kevin Phelan, Munster got their Interprovincial Championship campaign off to the best possible start when beating holders Connacht with two matches to spare at Royal Co Down yesterday.

Connacht, who bridged a 28 year gap when capturing the title at Rosses Point last year, begin their defence of the Interprovincial Championship this morning with a difficult match against Munster at Royal Co Down.

The Irish duo of Shane Lowry and Peter Lawrie are now fighting for one of the last remaining places into next week’s British Open after posting similar scores for similar second round totals in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart.

Recently crowned Irish Close champion Chris Selfridge hit a wonder shot on the final hole of a three-hole aggregate play-off to match the 1988 feat of Ulster great Garth McGimpsey and complete a famous double by lifting the East of Ireland title at a sun-kissed Co Louth.

Local teenager Sean Flanagan is still on track to claim the Co Sligo club’s first West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship since 1950 following his terrific showing in yesterday’s two matchplay rounds at Rosses Point.

THE FIVE major titles at stake were evenly distributed around the country when the Chartis Irish Cups and Shields festival came to a conclusion at Castlerock, Derry, on Saturday.

WOODSTOCK Golf Club from Ennis were celebrating last night after pulling off a superb victory in the final of the Chartis Pierce Purcell Shield.

THE youngest and oldest players in the field met with mixed fortunes in yesterday’s second round of the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch.