Kearney the man to beat at Roganstown

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP: Niall Kearney has slipped snugly into the favourites’ seat for the Cassidy Golf PGA Irish Region Championship title this week, at Roganstown.

His string of recent successes has greatly shortened his odds of taking the national title for the first time. The Royal Dublin attaché clinched the HBE Risk Management Ulster Championship title at The Hilton Templepatrick, with a course record 65 on the way, a week after leapfrogging the overnight leaders at the two-day Connemara pro-am event.

Kearney also cleared the first hurdle, in Germany, at the European Tour Qualifying School and, at home, he also won the charity tournament at St Margaret’s.

However, he will have stiff opposition at Roganstown with a number of players producing good results in recent months. With his consistent form, John Kelly leads the Irish Order of Merit from Brian McElhinney and both players will feel they have the game to take the honours.

McElhinney won the PGA Irish Club pros’ tournament at Dundalk and the Irish Assistants’ Championship at Nuremore while Mark Staunton won the Southern Championship, at Powerscourt.

Colm Moriarty also has serious credentials. He carded a course record 61, his lowest score of the season, when winning the Newcastle West STL Logistics 75th Tournament.

One of the most consistent players in the championship over the years has been Brendan McGovern who was beaten by Pádraig Harrington for the title in a play-off at The European Club in Brittas in Co Wicklow.

The 72-hole championship will be staged from Thursday until Sunday with the usual curtain-raising pro-am tomorrow.