Robin Dawson picked up the biggest prize in his professional career to date and with it the motivation to make his appearances on the European Tour a lot more regular.

Having just made the cut yesterday, Waterford's Robin Dawson has shot up the leaderboard on day three of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open.

Galway’s Ronan Mullarney will take a healthy four-shot lead into today’s second round at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open Championship after setting the pace with a course-record and career-low 62 in Sligo.

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.

Caolan Rafferty pushed aside disappointment and made a little piece of history with a 20th-green victory over Rowan Lester, in yesterday’s final of the 117th South of Ireland Championship, in Lahinch.

Kinsale teenager John Murphy led a quintet of Irishmen safely through to the matchplay stages of the 123rd Amateur Championship at Royal Aberdeen and Murcar Links.

Mallow’s James Sugrue and Peter O’Keeffe (Douglas) have been nominated by the Golfing Union of Ireland to compete in the 36-hole Dubai Duty Free Irish Open qualifier.

Rowan Lester is just five shots off the lead at the 123rd Amateur Championship after a superb opening round at Murcar Links.

Eoghan Long won the 36-hole Douglas Senior Scratch Cup on Sunday.

Robin Dawson is determined not get ahead of himself as he takes a two-stroke lead into the third round of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open at Royal County Down.

Tramore’s Robin Dawson stamped his authority on the Radisson Blu sponsored West of Ireland Amateur Open when he fired a championship record equalling 64 to take a three-stroke lead after the first qualifying round at Rosses Point yesterday.

Robin Dawson might be the world No 98 and a recent star performer in the Bonallack Trophy but he admits he’d love to add an amateur “major” to his trophy cabinet should he eventually make the move into the professional ranks.

Some friendly advice from Paul McGinley has set up South of Ireland champion James Sugrue for an all-out assault on Irish domination in 2018.

So near and yet so far. It was very disappointing coming so close to making it through to the next round of the European Tour Q-School, but the upshot is my professional ambitions are on hold for a year and I have an opportunity to dedicate a year to elite amateur golf.

Not making the GB & Ireland Walker Cup team that faced the United States at the weekend was disappointing but it was nothing I wasn’t expecting.

The great Lahinch links, especially when it is swept by a seriously strong wind from the Atlantic, never fails to provide great matches over the closing stages of the Pierse Motors South of Ireland Championship. 

A spectacular chip in for eagle at the final hole for a round of one under par 71 enabled Rowan Lester of Hermitage to ensure his place at the head of affairs after the second and final qualifying round of the Pierse Motors South of Ireland Championship at a wet and windy Lahinch yesterday.

Not a single member of one of the strongest fields to contest the Pierse Motors South of Ireland managed to break the par of 72 in yesterday’s first qualifying round of the 116th championship.

Ten years ago, Peter O’Keeffe was omitted from the Irish team for the Home International Championship.

Nine of the eleven-strong Irish team that achieved a Grand Slam in last year’s Home Internationals and in the process completed a hat-trick of successes in the championship have entered for the Pierse Motors South of Ireland, starting with the first of two qualifying rounds at Lahinch next Wednesday.

I’m happy with the way I’m playing but the Brabazon Trophy did not go to plan, writes Robin Dawson.

Royal County Down has a habit of punishing aggression but big hitting Douglas man Peter O’Keeffe kept his love of attack in check to open with a fine 70 in the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in idyllic conditions at the firm and fast Newcastle links.

Lismore (Waterford) 2-14 Kilmoyley (Kerry) 0-13: Lismore are the new Munster Club IHC champions after an impressive victory over Kerry side Kilmoyley at Mallow’s GAA Complex on Saturday.

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.

It’s torture and in a way he’s tortured, but Pádraig Harrington has the good grace and awareness to realise he’s still one of the lucky ones.

Douglas’ Peter O’Keeffe showed again he is a talent worth monitoring after sharing top spot in the Munster PGA’s inaugural Morgan O’Donovan Perpetual Trophy at Monkstown GC.

The list of illustrious casualties was of no comfort to Ballymena’s Chris Devlin as he limped away from the European Tour Qualifying School facing an uncertain future after a devastating quadruple bogey eight wrecked his tour dream.

Simon Thornton loves the challenge, but David Higgins believes you’d have to be mad to say you enjoy the experience of battling for your livelihood in the marathon European Tour Qualifying School.

Waterville golfer David Higgins landed in Spain on Wednesday ahead of his bid to bring the curtain down on a memorable season by emerging from the infamously torturous Q-School with a prized European Tour card.

An ailing Rory McIlroy will be looking to the horizon and hoping continuing Singapore storms abate just long enough to leave the way clear for him to secure the Race to Dubai title.

Irish amateur star Alan Dunbar finished just one shot off the bottom of the leaderboard after yesterday’s first round of European Tour second stage qualifying at Lumine Golf & Beach Club in north-east Spain.

Ireland took a remarkable 1-2 in the European Tour School’s qualifying phase stage one at Roxburgh Hotel in Scotland yesterday, with Mark Staunton and Peter O’Keeffe occupying the top two spots.

Three Irish golfers, Peter O’Keeffe (Muskerry), Damian Mooney (Ballyliffin) and Mark Staunton (Ballinasloe), take part in the first European Tour School at the Roxburghe Hotel, Kelso, Scotland today.

Having withstood the worst the wet weather can throw at it, Fota Island’s Deerpark course welcomes the return of the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour today for the second Audi Cork Irish Masters.

Waterville’s Mark Murphy is desperate to turn an encouraging performance at the Irish Open into more tournament invitations and a shot at a European Tour card.

The Siege of Ennis is set to replace the polka as a band from Co Cork prepares to encourage Russians to wet the shamrock.

ST BRENDAN’S CS, Birr were the convincing inaugural winners of the All-Ireland Community and& Comprehensive Schools U-17½ hurling championship title after they overwhelmed Blackwater CS of Waterford at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny yesterday.

THE Team Ireland Golf Trust yesterday announced grants worth €217,000 to 17 aspiring men and women pursuing careers on professional tours around the world.

IF Blackwater College lose out to St Caimin’s of Shannon on scoring difference for a place in the play-off stages of this year’s Harty Cup (the Clare school play Our Lady’s of Templemore today), then they can surely curse Doon CBS keeper Colm Cummins.

A SPECTACULAR eagle two at the ninth proved crucial as Waterville’s David Higgins yesterday made it through to next week’s Open Championship at Turnberry with a splendid performance over the Glasgow Gailes links in the final local qualifying round.

MUNSTER men Peter O’Keeffe and Niall Turner are hoping to make hay while staying out of the long stuff in the €150,000 Challenge of Ireland at Moyvalley in Co Kildare.