Consistent Coughlan gets just reward
They will be presented with their awards at a dinner hosted in Elm Park on January 30, by O2
Claire Coughlan, from Cork Golf Club, previously won the IGWA award in 1999 when she captured the Lancome Irish Championship.
She has maintained a remarkable level of consistency and in 2003 captured the Irish Stroke Play Championship before making a crucial contribution to Ireland’s remarkable victory in the Home International Championship at Cruden Bay.
Ireland had lost all three foursomes to England on the final day and needed five points from a possible six in the singles to claim the Triple Crown.
The team pulled it off in style with Claire shooting five birdies on the way to beating Curtis Cup star Kerry Smith by two holes. This performance allied to her outstanding consistency must give her every chance of a Curtis Cup debut in 2004.
Darren Clarke joined Tiger Woods as the only golfers to win two World Championships when he prevailed in the NEC Invitational at Akron, Ohio, in August.
The 35 year-old Dungannon man played inspired golf over the extremely difficult par 70 Firestone lay-out and his rounds of 65, 70, 66 and 67 for a total of 12 under 268 left him four strokes ahead of Jonathan Kaye and six better than Woods.
The victory was largely instrumental in improving Clarke from 23rd to 11th in the world rankings and even a slight improvement in the putting statistics could see him make an even bigger impression in 2004 when he will be a regular competitor in the United States.
Noel Fox has been the most consistent amateur in Ireland for the best part of a decade with a year rarely passing when he hasn't picked up at least one major championship.
In 2003, he captured the Irish Amateur Open at Royal Dublin, holding his nerve in great style coming down the stretch when he came under considerable pressure from Welshman Stuart Manley.
Fox led at one stage by eight shots but this was whittled down to two before the Portmarnock man regained the initiative and got home by two strokes.
The win was a big help when it came to Walker Cup selection later in the year and it was a great thrill to help Britain and Ireland to a third successive triumph over the Americans at Ganton while he also played his part as Ireland captured the Home International title at Ballybunion and Portmarnock regained the Irish Senior Cup at Lisburn.
This is Noel’s first IGWA award.
Garth McGimpsey was the inspirational captain of the Walker Cup team and has been retained for the defence of the trophy in the States in 2005.
An automatic winner of the Distinguished Services prize, McGimpesy previously picked up the IGWA amateur award in 1985 (the year he capped a whole host of championship successes with victory in the British Amateur at Royal Dornoch) and again three years later.
He played for Ireland from 1979 to ’99 and was a member of European Championship winning sides in ’83 and ’87. He also helped Britain & Ireland to victory in the Walker Cup and the Eisenhower Trophy for the amateur world championship.
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