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. 

Paul McBride, a student at the famous golfing academy of Wake Forest in North Carolina which numbers Arnold Palmer, Eoghan O’Connell and Darren Clarke among its alumni, demonstrated once again at Lahinch yesterday that Malahide continues to produce young golfers of the highest calibre.

Ever since the distinguished golf course architect Martin Hawtree modified and considerably altered the famous old links in 2001, Lahinch has become a formidable challenge for the game’s finest, whether amateur or professional.

Defending champion Jack Hume is the bookies’ favourite and Rosses Point’s Gary McDermott the home hope but young Dubliner Kevin LeBlanc could surprise some in the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at County Sligo.

The joy etched on the faces of Muskerry’s Dave O’Donovan and Niall Gorey said it all. Their wait for an All-Ireland title was over, they had won a Barton Shield and ended their club’s 61-year wait for glory in the national senior foursomes competition.

Niall Gorey works for the company that makes the All-Ireland winners’ medals but yesterday he earned one to keep as Muskerry delivered one half of an AIG Cups and Shields double for Munster.

Muskerry Golf Club have the chance to bury their demons of three years ago when their quartet bids for an All-Ireland title in the AIG Barton Shield at Carton House today.

If Muskerry do not take the AIG Barton Shield back to Cork from the national finals at Carton House this week it will not be for lack of experience.

Weekend wins for Rosslare in Irish Senior Cup Leinster section and Warrenpoint in the Barton Shield in Ulster have confirmed the field for the national finals of the AIG Cups and Shields at Carton House, Kildare next month.

Munster Barton Shield and Junior Cup finals

Muskerry, Limerick and Doneraile are chasing elusive doubles at this weekend’s Munster finals of the AIG Irish Senior and Junior Cups, along with the Barton Shield, at Shannon Golf Club.

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.

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.

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

West Waterford’s Gary Hurley needed just 25 holes to blast his way into this morning’s semi-finals of the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at a sun-kissed County Sligo.

Dungarvan’s Kevin Stack and West Waterford’s Gary Hurley kept Munster interest alive in the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Championship at a sun-kissed County Sligo.

A definite whiff of cordite left behind by the announcement of the Irish team for next month’s Home Internationals before a ball was struck in the South of Ireland, combined with electrical storms that caused a suspension of play in both of the opening two rounds, injected a considerable deal of spice into the action at Lahinch over the past two days.

Stuart Grehan and Pat Murray are amongst the big names competing in the South of Ireland, which begins in Lahinch this morning.

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.

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.

Muskerry’s Niall Gorey got out of jail with a dramatic semi-final comeback against Reeve Whitson, but had no answer to a brilliant Rory McNamara in the final of the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point.

He might have been watched by 60 years-old Des Smyth, but Niall Gorey is determined to become the oldest swinger in town by breaking his championship duck in the West of Ireland Amateur Open at Rosses Point today.

He might be the last County Sligo man standing, but local hopeGary McDermott welcomes the pressure as he bids to become the first home winner of the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship for 63 years.

Rathmore’s Alan Dunbar leads a strong Irish contingent looking to score a home victory against a stacked international field at Carton House this week for the International European Amateur Championship.

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.

Noel Pyne reaches a remarkable milestone when he makes his 50th successive appearance in the South of Ireland Championship at Lahinch next Saturday.

Moyola Park’s Chris Selfridge took the title but not before West Waterford’s Gary Hurley hit one of the most dramatic birdies ever seen at Royal Portrush to set up a nerve-jangling finale to the Golfsure sponsored Irish Amateur Close at a sun-kissed Dunluce Links.

Muskerry’s Niall Gorey and West Waterford’s Gary Hurley are just five shots off the pace after a scorching start to the Golfsure-sponsored Irish Amateur Close.

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.

England’s James McCormick was the surprise leader after the opening stroke play round of the Radisson Blu-sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at a damp and gloomy Rosses Point yesterday.

The traditional first big event on the domestic annual calendar, the Radisson sponsored West of Ireland Championship, gets underway today with the first of two stroke-play qualifying rounds leading up to the final on Tuesday next.

Michael Hoey put his rivals to the sword, including fellow Irishman Damien McGrane, in being presented with a ceremonial dagger as his prize for winning the Hassan II Trophy in Morocco.

Big Break winning hero, Mark Murphy is living the dream after putting himself into contention in the weather affected Hassan II Trophy in Morocco.

There was not even the proverbial man and his dog on hand to witness Damien McGrane move to a two-stroke lead with a 65 on the opening day of the Hassan II Trophy in Agadir.

Shane Lowry has never played Augusta National but believes it would be easier to play a round of golf on next month’s Masters venue than to tee up on this week’s host Hassan II Trophy course at Agadir.

For the second day of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt in South Africa, Pádraig Harrington finished with a double-bogey seven and, having also dropped shots on the previous two holes, the Dubliner’s 73 left him, and Open Champion Darren Clarke (68), with eight shots to make up to leader Branden Grace.

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

A DISASTROUS result in the morning foursomes against Scotland cost Ireland dearly on the final day of the Home International Championship at Rosses Point yesterday.

IRELAND’S victory over Wales at County Sligo’s Rosses Point yesterday lacked the nail-biting tension of the previous day’s narrow defeat of England but it still put them very much in prime position to win the Home Nations Championship when they come up against Scotland in today’s final round of matches.

NIALL GOREY of Muskerry was the Irish hero as the host nation pipped reigning champions England in a dramatic climax on the first day of the Men’s Home Internationals at a wet and windy Rosses Point yesterday.