Ireland are on the brink of retaining their Ladies’ Home International crown heading into this morning’s showdown with Scotland at Ballybunion.

Peter O’Keeffe can become the first man since Pádraig Harrington to complete a famous double after he saw off Kinsale’s John Murphy to reach the last 16 of the AIG Irish Amateur Close at the European Club.

Royal County Down starlet Olivia Mehaffey secured herself another top-10 finish at the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship.

Alex Gleeson and Rowan Lester are three strokes off the lead heading into today’s second round at the European Amateur Championship after a good opening 18 holes at Royal Hague, Netherlands.

It is 100 days until the World Amateur Team Championships, which tee off at Carton House on August 29. 

Ireland's Paula Grant and Olivia Mehaffey have been named in the Great Britain and Ireland team which will attempt to retain the Curtis Cup.

Miguel Angel Jimenez has his own record as the oldest winner in European Tour history in his sights after making a flying start to the Omega European Masters.

A clash with hosts Sweden awaits Ireland today with a place in the semi-finals of the European Senior Men’s Team Championship at stake.

Golf

Leading qualifier Mairead Martin (Kanturk) is safely through to the last 16 at the Irish Women’s Close Championship at Mullingar.

Paul McBride is the only Irish star left standing in the 122nd Amateur Championship at Royal St George’s on the Kent coast.

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.

Olivia Mehaffey surrendered the Helen Holm Trophy with England’s Olivia Winning snatching Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship victory from her grasp at Troon.

Northern Ireland teenage star Olivia Mehaffey made a sensational start to the defence of her Scottish women’s open stroke-play championship over Troon’s Portland course yesterday.

Open Championship hero Paul Dunne will attract much of the attention at Royal Portrush in two weeks as Ireland bid to defend their Home Internationals title on home soil.

Whatever about her Olympic hopes, Leona Maguire is certain to be an inspiration for Ireland in the European Ladies Team Championships at Helsingor Golf Club in Denmark today.

Olivia Mehaffey carries Irish hopes into the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship semi-finals at Portstewart this morning – after world number one Leona Maguire suffered a shock last 16 defeat in round three.

The two-year wait to earn a ticket to Gleneagles will finally come to an end today for some of the world’s best golfers, just as an Irish club pro and his six-handicapper team-mate tee off at the Scottish resort in search of silverware.

Cork teenager Jean O’Driscoll led the Irish challenge on the first day of the British Ladies Open Amateur Golf Championship at Ashburnham in West Wales yesterday.

Irish teenager Niamh McSherry finished a highly-creditable fifth in the girls event at the European Young Masters in Hamburg.

Two double bogeys in the first three holes prevented teenage sensation Olivia Mehaffey from being among the leaders after the first round of the European Ladies Amateur Championship in Estonia yesterday.

European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has been voted into the Distinguished Services category of the Irish Golf Writers’ Association and will accept his specially designed Tipperary Crystal award at the annual dinner, sponsored by Carr Golf Group, at Portmarnock Golf Club on Mar 6.

Paul McGinley’s love/hate relationship with the PGA Centenary course continued with Europe’s Ryder Cup captain delighted to make the cut in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

Ireland finally produced their best golf in the European Team Championship week, winning their final matches in all four tournaments.

Ireland suffered an inexplicable singles collapse at Silkeborg in Denmark yesterday to crash out of contention for the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship.

A brilliant two under par 70 by former British champion Stephanie Meadow gave Ireland a chance of qualifying for the top flight — the last eight — in the European Ladies Team Championship at Fulford, York today.

Lisburn’s Paula Grant staged a magnificent rally and defied gale force winds at Ballybunion yesterday to defeat Lisa Maguire (Slieve Russell) and capture the Irish Ladies Close Championship for the first time.

Two Irish internationals made history for the wrong reasons in the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship at Machynys Peninsula in South Wales yesterday.

England’s Meghan MacLaren survived a final round charge by Lisburn’s Paula Grant to win the Irish Women’s Amateur Open Strokeplay Championship at Castle.

There is one word of warning Ada O’Sullivan will offer to whoever succeeds her as the ILGU’s first High Performance director when her four-year term ends next January: your golf game will suffer.

UCC’s Ian O’Rourke smashed the men’s course record at Strandhill Golf Club with a dazzling eight-under-par 62 to coast to victory in the second event in the Intervarsity Series.

The Irish Ladies Golf Union is sending a strong international side to compete in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships at the Gloria Golf Resort in Antalya, Turkey, (September 27-30).

Ireland’s women selectors have sprung a surprise by dropping Lisa Maguire from the side for the World Amateur Team Championships in Turkey next month.

Paula Grant secured a healthy top 10 finish and was the leading Irish competitor in the Ladies British Open Strokeplay Championship at Shandon Park in Belfast yesterday.

A six over par 77 for an aggregate of 225 at Slovenia’s Diners Club wrecked any chances Irish girls champion Jessica Carty had of surviving the 54 hole cut in the European Ladies Individual Amateur Championship.

Adrian Morrow flew home from Austria yesterday on cloud nine after conquering a top class field to clinch the European Seniors Amateur Championship.

Rory McIlroy will have Michael Bannon as his full time coach after the Bangor professional announced he would leave his club job to hit the road with the reigning US Open champion.

LEINSTER are the toast of Irish golf after winning the Women’s Interprovincials following their thrilling 5½ to 3½ win over Ulster on the final day of play at Cork Golf Club yesterday.

Ulster’s ambition to win a third consecutive Women’s Interprovincial golf title this week at Cork Golf Club has been dealt a blow with the withdrawal of two of their more experienced players.

Leona Maguire stepped up the defence of her Portugese Ladies Open Amateur title in difficult conditions in Lisbon yesterday.

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.