Shaw selected for Palmer Cup

Irish Walker Cup panellist Gareth Shaw has earned further recognition by being selected to represent Europe in the 2007 Palmer Cup.

The annual Ryder Cup-style competition between European collegiate golfers and their American counterparts will be played June 7-8, at Caves Valley Golf Club, near Baltimore.

Shaw, from Lisburn, will have East Tennessee State University team-mate Rhys Davies alongside him for his debut in the event as the Welshman becomes just the fourth player to compete in four Palmer Cups.

Davies was this week named number one-ranked collegiate golfer in the USA by Golfstat.com.

And a week on from West Waterford's Seamus Power individual victory and ETSU's team title at the Atlantic Sun Conference championships, the Irishman entered the rankings top 50 for

the first time, at 46th, one place behind Shaw.

With three players in the top 50 for the first time, ETSU are also rated America's No 13 collegiate team this week as they prepare for the NCAA Regional in Atlanta, Georgia, beginning May 17.

There were other Irish golfers gaining conference recognition this week. Belfast's University of South Alabama junior Johnny Caldwell was named to the 2007 Sun Belt Conference men's golf all-conference team for the third year in a row and Old Dominion freshman Laura Holmes was

selected second team all-conference by the Colonial Athletic Association. The Ballina native was ODU's top golfer in seven events this year but finished tied for 32nd this week at the CAA

Championships in Hot Springs, Virginia.

Dubliner Dawn-Marie Conaty helped the University of Memphis to the Conference USA Championship in Alabama. Conaty finished in 16th and was named to the All-Conference USA Third Team, while Memphis advances to one of three NCAA Regionals, to be announced on Monday.

The Southeastern Louisiana University men's team will have to wait a week longer than that to see if they will receive an invite to the regionals after finishing second at the Southland Conference

Championships last week. They did receive a boost on Wednesday, however, when the Lions, including Cork duo Aaron O'Callaghan and Peter O'Keeffe, were ranked No. 3 in the NCAA South Central Region.

Southeastern, currently ranked No 33 in the nation by GolfStat, will learn their fate on May 7.

Hoping to make it to the regionals automatically this weekend will be Kent State's Carlow sisters Tara and Karen Delaney and Ciaran McAleavey of Banbridge.

Irish Curtis Cupper Tara Delaney enjoyed an encouraging tune up for the defence of her Mid-American Conference title as she and Kent State finished third individually and as a team at the Lady Buckeye Spring Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, last Sunday.

The Golden Flashes go for their ninth straight Mid-American title on Friday. Toledo's McAleavey, meanwhile, bids for the MAC Championship title next Thursday, May 3.