Irish Golf News

Bobby Browne, beautifully captured by photographer Eimhear Collins at his beloved Laytown and Bettystown in 2014.

The death has of the great Laytown and Bettystown professional Bobby Browne, marking the end of a golden era for club professionals in Ireland. He was 73.

Having suffered from skin cancer for many years, Bobby passed away in the early hours of Christmas morning. We extend our deepest sympathies to his wife Carmel, sons Seán, Robert and Ciarán and daughters Annette, Elaine and Sarah.

I had the pleasure of working with him on the history of the club he called home for 48 years until his retirement just a few months ago. Very much his own man, he was a true character, a stalwart of the PGA and a highly respected player, commentator and teaching professional. He was also much loved and his love for the game shone through.

BOBBY BROWNE WITH HIS GRAND-DAUGHTER IN 2009. Picture: Pat Cashman

He was at his best working with children with his Saturday morning lessons now the stuff of legend. I recall him laughing as he recounted how his famous "stern" coaching style came back to bite him.

One of the dozens of young swingers lined up on the putting green, a six or seven year old child who had recently spent time in hospital with a heart complaint, didn't take kindly to one of Bobby's roars correctly his grip.

"Don't be shouting!" cried the youngster. "I've got a heart condition, you know."

And with that Bobby roared with laughter himself at the good of it all and another colourful day doing the job he loved.

Bobby Browne introduced hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people to the game of golf. But he will always be remembered for his incredible contribution as Captain of the Irish Professional Golfer’s Association in 1971 and chairman for 20 years between 1969 and 1989, representing the PGA of Ireland during its amalgamation with the PGA in 1984.

Chairman of the Irish PGA in 2000 and captain in its centenary year of 2001, he played a major role in improving the lot of professionals and their assistants and the setting up of training schemes with ANCO. He was rewarded for his dedication in 2008 when he became the first recipient of the Irish PGA’s Distinguished Service Award in a ceremony at The K Club. 

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam

The piece below is an extract from Out of Bent and Sand, A centenary history of Laytown & Bettystown Golf Club 1909—2009

Bobby Browne loved teaching the game 

Born on 29 September 1942, Bobby Browne grew up in the foothills of the Dublin mountains at Edmondstown and by the time he was ten years old, he was caddying regularly at the local club where characters such as Sydney Jackson, Maurice Cohen, Jackie Bloom and the pantomime baddie Vernon Hayden gave him regular employment.

The golfing bug bit hard and Bobby quickly decided that he wanted to make a career in the game. He joined Ernie Jones at Foxrock as an assistant in 1962 and moved across the mountain to Tibradden, commuting to work on an NSU “Quickie” and supplementing his wages by playing “shilling ones” on the practice putting green with the likes of John O’Leary, his first pupil and a future Irish Open winner and European Tour star.

Extra lessons and his prowess with the putter helped him graduate from the NSU to a Moto Guzzi. But he also boosted his income by looking after the young O’Leary, who had fallen in love with the game on a family holiday at Butlins, just a few miles from Laytown & Bettystown. 

“I remember John’s father Willie O’Leary used to give me a pound on Friday for looking after John,” Bobby recalled. “He was my first ever pupil and became my caddie in assistants’ championships and other events. I think I can claim some of the credit for helping him fall in love with the game.

“I remember he had an old wooden driver, a Willie Nolan model with a big open face that he used to hit miles. Now and again he’d skip school and play snooker and golf. He was a very good rugby player too at Blackrock College, on the wing as I recall.”

After a brief spell under Harry Murphy at Newlands, Bobby secured the professional’s job at historic Birr in November 1965 and remained there until 1967, when a vacancy became available at Bettystown following the death of John McGuirk. 

BOBBY BROWNE IN ACTION DURING LAYTOWN AND BETTYSTOWN'S CENTENARY YEAR IN 2009. Picture courtesy: Pat Cashman

His son Seán, who would go on to become a professional himself and now assists with the running of the shop at Bettystown, was just one year old when Bobby and his wife Carmel rolled into the club for the first time.

Carmel was expecting their second child, Robert, at the time and the family lived in a caravan next to the first tee before eventually moving to a home in Laytown.

While he had spent nearly three years at Birr, the 82-mile drive from Dublin to Offaly made it difficult to keep in touch with his old friends in the metropolis, such as Howth’s Johnny McGuirk.

In fact, Bobby clearly recalls driving McGuirk’s new car to Bettystown in those early years and watching in dismay as one of John Drew’s cattle got loose and destroyed not only Justice O’Hagan’s garden, but also McGuirk’s brand new motor.

DES SMYTH, ROBERT LEE, BOBBY BROWNE, DECLAN BRANIGAN AND IAN WOOSNAM, 1986. (CLICK TO EXPAND)

“It was pouring rain,” Bobby recalled. “And we were coming down by Justice O’Hagan’s when a bullock comes dashing out and jumps on the bonnet of the car, mashing the front of it. It was brand new with only 64 miles on the clock but even though I slammed on the brakes, it was too late.”

“Seconds later, the famous Justice O’Hagan appeared through the gate of his garden, followed by five or six more cattle and says, ‘Bobby, look at the state of my garden.’ But Johnny says, ‘Eff your garden, look at the state of my effing car.’”

In the end, good sense prevailed and McGuirk succeeded in having his car repaired at the farmer’s expense, though cattle continued to be a menace to the golfers before the course was enclosed completely.

Bettystown was a buzzing holiday resort in the 1960s and early 1970s, but the lack of fencing around the course made it difficult to hold on to pins and flags, which were regularly “liberated” by holiday makers in the early hours of the morning. This meant more work for the professional, who was forced to fashion pins from bamboo canes and make flags by cutting up plastic cement bags. Stones from the beach were used as simple tee markers before a child’s sandcastle bucket was used a mold for cement versions in later years.

Greenkeeping kept Bobby busy in those early years and admits that the extensive changes made to every hole on the course could never have taken place had it not been for the contributions of the members and the greens staff, especially Jim Reynolds and Tom Wilde.

“Jim was a genius,” Bobby recalled. “He cycled up here from Mornington every day and l reckon he knew more about grasses and chemicals than almost anyone else in the country at the time. He would cut his quota of nine greens with a push mower up until the late 60s and would have built most of the greens with a wheelbarrow and pure physical force. We would spend thousands on machinery now but it was a struggle to get a fiver at that time. Many of the members would have assisted in building greens and if we had an emergency job on, they would turn up in force to help lift and carry sods. It seems like a long time ago now.”

Money was still tight in those days and the treasurer, Con Murphy controlled the club’s purse strings with an iron fist, examining every expenses in forensic detail.

“I went to Lenehan’s hardware one day in the early 70s,” Bobby explained, “and I saw these red, aluminium signs with ILGU painted on them. So I took 18 of them at £2.50 each and the bill came into the club a few weeks later: Tee markers, £45. Mr Murphy comes out to me with the bill and tells me that £45 is far too much for tee markers. We had to send them back.”

SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD JUNIOR FRANKIE FLYNN WINS THE 1975 CAPTAIN’S PRIZE. L-R: BOBBY BROWNE, JOHN DALY (CAPT.), SEÁN TAYLOR, CON MURPHY (HON. SEC.)

The lengthening and upgrading of the golf course occupied much of Bobby’s time for the next 20 years, though the changes were not always welcomed.

“Some said that if the golf course was good enough for their ancestors, it should be good enough for us,” Bobby explained. “But they didn’t know the equipment was going to change or that the ball was going to change and it was vital that we carried out those changes.”

Apart from his work redesigning Bettystown and creating other courses, such as Bearna in Galway, Bobby continued to prove his worth as a coach, a player and an administrator. His work with junior golfers, which continues to day, made Bettystown synonymous with excellence in under-age golf. But he was also an accomplished player in his own right, winning the Southern Championship at Baltray in 1975 and the Moran Cup three times, including a fourball edition alongside his opposite number at Baltray, Paddy McGuirk. 

An enthusiastic competitor on the European Tour from 1962 until his final appearance at the Irish Open in Killarney in 1992, he once held more than a dozen course records in Ireland but would be the first to admit that his putting and mental game let him down. 

“There were other avenues to concentrate on apart from playing,” he said. “I loved teaching and I was heavily involved in improving the golf course here in Bettystown. As a player I suppose I was more accomplished as a one-round wonder. My attitude was poor but I enjoyed seeing pupils like John O’Leary do well. The game needed characters like John. He was flamboyant and he’d always have a bit of fun.”

Ironically, one of the highlights of Browne’s playing career came against O’Leary in the 1976 Carroll’s Irish Matchplay Championship at Tramore, when the master beat the student three and two in a first round tie that caused a storm of controversy.

Michael Hoey, who won the British Amateur as a pupil of Bobby's, took time out to play in the maestro's testimonial pro-am at Laytown and Bettystowen  in September. 

O’Leary was one of the leading players on the European Tour at that time and had only agreed to play in the event on the understanding that the draw would be seeded, guaranteeing him a reasonably stress-free first round tie against one of the weaker players in the field. The organisers agreed and made O’Leary the top seed. But the Foxrock man almost withdrew when he discovered that he would be facing his former coach in the first round. Without the benefit of a practice round, O’Leary had problems clubbing himself properly and while he went round in level par, R.J. was in inspired form and won easily. Having come to the tournament straight from a pro-am on the Channel Islands, O’Leary was incensed with the organisers afterwards, threatening never to play another event under the auspices of the Irish PGA. “I think he was a little bit afraid of me,” Bobby chuckled. “But it was all forgotten about soon afterwards.”

Bobby’s popularity with the members grew each year and he always gave 100 percent, especially in events such as the Pro-Captains tournament. John Daly was captain in 1975 and for two weeks before the big event at Grange, Bobby refused to allow him to practice with any club other than a four-iron.

“John would be the first to admit that he is not the greatest golfer in the world,” Bobby recalled. “So I hatched a cunning plan. I took him out on the range with a four-iron and every time we had a problem in the tournament, I gave him the four-iron and we were going brilliantly. In fact, we were going so well that by the time we got to the turn, an official manning the scoreboard didn’t believe me when I said we had 27 and a half on the front nine.

"‘Bobby, you’ve got that wrong,’ he said. ‘You mean 37 and a half.’ But I told him I had made no mistake. There were drinks on the ninth tee, we had a gin and tonic, and on we went. 

“Unfortunately, that’s when it all went downhill. John didn’t quite have a fresh air on the 10th tee, but he hit one right off the toe of the club and it scuttled through our legs into a big heap of nettles and we had a nine at the hole. Still, we finished third and John was so delighted to get a piece of Waterford Glass that it was just as big a thrill as winning. In fact, I won the Pro-Captains with Dick Walsh at Dundalk in 1993. Happy days indeed.”

Bobby Browne says a few words during his testimonial Pro-Am in September

Teaching gave Bobby even more pleasure than playing mid-week money matches with Des Smyth and Declan Branigan. And his coaching of players such as Philip Walton, British Amateur champion Michael Hoey, Philomena and Carol Wickham, Oonagh Purfield, Sheena O’Brien-Kenney, Deirdre Smith, Suzanne and Jody Fanagan, and Damien McGrane is still a source of great pride.

“Bobby is a wonderful club pro,” Des Smyth said. “He was great for the kids, great for the juniors. He had a fantastic interest in the game and he was a marvellous addition to the club.” 

Hoey recalled: “He was real old school but a great teacher. He didn’t complicate things and I’ll always be grateful to him for the time and encouragement he gave me.”

Walton was just 16 years old when he lifted captain Con Murphy’s prize in 1978, beating Val Smyth on a count back. Indeed, Laytown & Bettystown must be one of the few clubs in the world with two Ryder Cup players on the list of captain’s prize winners following Des Smyth’s victory in Derek Alwright’s prize in 1970. Recalling his win years later, Walton remembers being so confident of victory that he tried unsuccessfully to place a hefty bet on himself with R.J.

“I walked into the shop and I asked Bobby what price I was,” Walton said. “I was 66-1 as it turned out and I remember slapping one of those old tenners down on the counter and walking away. But Bobby whistles after me, telling me I’ve forgotten my change. It was a pound a man, he said. I still said I wanted a tenner on it, but Bobby was having none of it.” 

SATURDAY MORNING LESSONS ON THE 18TH FAIRWAY WITH BOBBY CONDUCTING AFFAIRS FROM THE CENTRE WAS A FAMILIAR SCENE AT LAYTOWN AND BETTYSTOWN.

When Robbie met Bobby

He was just a teenager when he hiked two miles from Laytown railway station with his clubs on his back to take lessons from Bobby Browne. Little did Robbie Cannon know then that nearly fourteen years after he first made that trek, he would win his first amateur major and his first Irish cap in the space of a month. In an age dominated by full-time amateurs, Robbie’s victory in the 2009 South of Ireland Amateur Championship at Lahinch at the age of thirty was an outstanding achievement for player and club. Not only did he become the first player from Laytown & Bettystown to etch his name on that famous old trophy, he was also the first member of the club to win a major men’s amateur championship since Declan Branigan’s famous triple crown of 1981.

While he played most of his club golf with Balbriggan, Robbie knew Bettystown well through his connection with Bobby Browne, and he jumped at the chance to join when Ray Moore suggested that playing more links golf over the winter months might help his game:

Robbie Cannon with the 2009 South of Ireland Championship

"I had been going down to Bettystown since I was sixteen to get lessons from Bobby. I used to get the train from Balbriggan and walk the two miles up the road with my clubs on my back. Bobby definitely played a big part in my early development as a player and I will always be grateful to him. He is a fantastic teacher because he can spot anything in your swing. I had made the Leinster team in 2001, but I didn’t feel like I was achieving my full potential in the championships. It was Ray Moore who suggested that I might like to come to the club and it was huge for me to be able to play links golf all year round. Without a doubt, the move to Bettystown played a huge part in winning the South and making the Irish team."

Robbie beat Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty by 4 and 3 in the final of the 2009 South and his performance was so impressive that the Irish selectors had no hesitation in calling him up for the Home International matches at Hillside in September. It was not a memorable week for the Irish team, but Cannon played his part, winning 2 1⁄2 points:

"To win a championship and play for Ireland were huge ambitions of mine. It was a great thrill to pull on that green sweater and represent my country. To do it in Bettystown’s centenary year made it all the sweeter."

Paul Dunne

Paul Dunne had a dream 2015 season, leading The Open through 54 holes and then following a winning the Walker Cup performance with a successful trip to Q-School.

He's now a fully fledged European Tour card holder but it was his challenge for The Open at St Andrews that really caught the imagination of the general public. The 23-year old Greystones golfer dropped in to RTE on Tuesday to chat with Ray Darcy about his breakout year.

Some of the highlights:

On The Open"I wouldn't see it as a personal achievement because I didn't finish it off the way I wanted to. But it was an eye-opening experience to see that when I did play well, I could compete."On thoughts of winning The Open on the final day"It was on my mind. But it wasn't any more on my mind that it was on Thursday.... People think I bottled it but I really feel that didn't give myself a chance going into the back nine. So once my chance was gone going into the back nine, the adrenaline was gone because I wasn't playing for any of the money. So whether I finished 15th or 30th, it didn't make any difference."

Well this arrival in the post this morning brightens up a dull day! Officially have my tour card! #happyman pic.twitter.com/LqkNNqGirU

— Paul Dunne (@dunners11) December 21, 2015 On fitness and nutrition"It's definitely turning into a more athletic sport. As it develops and the sports science improves, you can see the benefits — golf swings getting faster and people are hitting it further and the stronger you are the easier it is to control your golf swing."Ambitions of winning on tour"I am just going to keep concentrating on getting better. That's what my coach in America has emphasised the last few years. If you can just get better every year, the results take care of themselves.  Hopefully I go out and win this year or do well. But if not, I am just going to stick to the process of getting better and it will take care of itself over time."On ways of dealing with pressure"I do a lot of work on my breathing. I think that is quite important. Even the tempo of your walk. Simple things can have a big impact. If you find yourself walking quicker than you did the previous day then your heart race is going to increase and you are going to feel a little more shaky and nervous over shots. Small things that people wouldn't think of make a big difference."

Miami Beach Golf Club

Four dropped shots in the last four holes cost Waterford's Eanna Griffin his chance of making the cut in the South Beach International in Miami.

One of six new names on the 2016 Irish senior panel, Griffin began the day on three over after an opening 73 at Normandy Shores but a six over 77 at Miami Beach Golf Club saw him miss the halfway cut by three strokes. 

Scores

Griffin began his second round  with a birdie four but then bogeyed the second, third, fourth and seventh.

He birdied the 12th to move a shot inside the cut line at five over but a bogey at the 15th followed by a double bogey six at the 16th and another dropped shot at the last saw him miss out on six over par.

American Philip Barbaree (68-69) leads by one stroke on four under par from compatriots JHoshue Lee and Sarosh Adi while England's Sam Horsfield, who withdrew from the GB&I Walker Cup team for personal reasons. is just two behind in tied fourth after a 69 at Miami Beach Golf Club -

Shane Lowry

Shane Lowry’s breakout season, which was highlighted by a stunning victory in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, has earned the 28-year-old Offalyman the accolade of “Professional of the Year” in the 2015 Irish Golf Writers’ Awards, sponsored by Carr Golf.

In a year in which he rose from 44th in the official world rankings up to a year-ending position of 21st, Lowry’s performance in securing a win in the Bridgestone at Akron in August – along with top-10 finishes in the US Open and the BMW PGA Championship, the European Tour’s flagship tournament – resulted in him finishing a career-best fifth on the European Tour’s Race to Dubai.

This is Lowry’s first “professional of the year” honour from the IGWA, having previously earned “amateur of the year” honours in 2008 and 2009.

Lowry along with the other award winners Leona Maguire (Women’s Amateur of the Year), Paul Dunne (Men’s Amateur of the Year), and Claire Dowling (Distinguished Services to Golf) will receive their accolades at the IGWA Awards, sponsored by Carr Golf, which take place in Castleknock Golf Club on January 21, 2016.

Maguire, the number one amateur in the women’s world rankings, enjoyed a stellar campaign on the US collegiate circuit and also finished runner-up in the ISPS Handa European Masters on the Ladies European Tour.

The 21-year-old from Co Cavan, a student at Duke University in North Carolina, won three tournaments in her freshman year on the NCAA calendar – the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, ACC Championship and the NCAA South Bend regional – and was the recipient of the ANNIKA Award and named the WGCA National Player of the Year. Maguire added a fourth collegiate title when winning the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational in October.

Dunne – who graduated from University of Alabama-Birmingham with a degree in Business Finance – led into the final round of the Open Championship at St Andrews and was a quarter-finalist in the US Amateur championship, when he was beaten by eventual champion Bryson DeChambeau. The 23-year-old from Greystones, Co Wicklow, also had the distinction of claiming the winning point in Great Britain and Ireland’s success over the United States in the Walker Cup at Royal Lytham , which was his final action as an amateur.

The recipient of the “Distinguished Services” award is Claire Dowling (nee Hourihane). As a member of Woodbrook, Claire won the 1986 Ladies British Amateur Open Strokeplay Champion, won the Irish Ladies Close on five occasions and was a member of four Curtis Cup teams. Claire was among the first wave of five women from Great Britain and Ireland to become members of the R&A earlier this year after the club ended its 260-year ban on women members.

MICHAEL CONNAUGHTON (PRESIDENT, GUI) WITH TONY GOODE (TEAM CAPTAIN), JOHN WHITE (TEAM MANAGER), NEIL MANCHIP (NATIONAL COACH) AND THE WINNING IRISH HOME INTERNATIONAL TEAM AFTER THEIR VICTORY AT THE 2015 HOME INTERNATIONAL MATCHES AT ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB. TEAM MEMBERS DERMOT MCELROY, COLIN FAIRWEATHER, STUART GREHAN, ROBIN DAWSON, PAUL MCBRIDE, ALEX GLEESON, GAVIN MOYNIHAN, JOHN ROSS GALBRAITH, COLM CAMPBELL, ROWAN LESTER AND JACK HUME. PICTURE BY PAT CASHMAN

The GUI's Willie Gill Order of Merit says Cormac Sharvin was Ireland's top amateur in 2015 and it's hard to argue with that given the Ardglass man's stellar play, culminating in that record-breaking Walker Cup win over the USA at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

Still, there were many other great performances in the Championships, the Cups and Shields and on the Boys and Seniors scenes.

Here's a list of the top 29 names that spring to mind.

Feel free to vote for as many as you feel merit your vote. To help you, here are the Willie Gill, Michael Hennelly (Senior), Tom Montgomery (Under 18) and Joe Carr (Under 16) orders of merit for 2015 to remind you of this year's performances.

I've included a few players who turned professional at some stage during the season but feel merit consideration. We were limited to 30 choices so to make up for the guys that missed out, there's an "other" option and the chance to leave comments.

Who was Ireland's top male amateur in 2015?Cathal Butler (Kinsale)Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint)Tom Cleary (Cork)Robin Dawson (Faithlegg/MU)Paul Dunne (Greystones)Colin Fairweather (Knock)John Ross Galbraith (Whitehead)Alex Gleeson (Castle)Stuart Grehan (Tullamore/MU) Eanna Griffin (Waterford)Daniel Holland (Castle)Jeff Hopkins (The Royal Dublin)Jack Hume (Naas)Gary Hurley (West Waterford/MU)Peter Kerr (Royal Portrush)Kevin Le Blanc (The Island)Geoff Lenehan (Portmarnock) Rowan Lester (Hermitage)Paul McBride (The Island)Dermot McElroy (Ballymena)Tiarnan McLarnon (Massereene)Gavin Moynihan (The Island)Pat Murray (Limerick)Conor O’Rourke (Naas)Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk)Cameron Raymond (Newlands)Chris Selfridge (Moyola Park)Cormac Sharvin (Ardglass)Jonathan Yates (Naas)Other pollcode.com free polls

The second at Sandy Hills. Picture © Larry Lambrecht

The prestigious St. Patricks Plate — postponed from 28th November — took place on the Sandy Hills course in Rosapenna at the weekend with the continuing work on making that links even better necessitating in the competition being reduced to 16 holes.

This decision was made because of the ongoing work in respect of the remodelled 12th green, the designer of which is Beau Welling, an American course designer among whose creations is Quinta de Largo North.

The shaping and re-sodding of the green has been supervised by head greenkeeper Paul Travers and the work of stripping back the turf, shaping the green and surrounds and relaying it all took just four weeks. All members were unstinting in their praise of the work and the greenkeepers in the party were full of admiration for the way the work had been skilfully and speedily carried out.

The Alliance’s St. Patricks Plate was presented by the famous Jack Nicklaus on behalf of the Walsh family from Carrigart in November 2005. The defending champion was Eugene Corry from Newtownstewart while the first ever winner of this prestigious trophy was none other than the Alliance’s long serving secretary Barry Ramsay.

In all, it has been won by three members from Letterkenny GC while members from the following clubs have also been successful; Dunfanaghy, Ballyliffin, Newtownstewart and this year’s winner, Odhran Mc Gettigan, is the second member from Strabane GC to win it. Michael McGeady, from North West GC, has won it twice in succession.

The day itself, while blustery, was unseasonably warm with occasional light showers . The course proved to be playing at it’s toughest and only the most accomplished golfers were able to return scores near their handicaps. In the gross section, James Kelly was at the top of the leaderboard alongside Michael McGeady at the turn, both on 39, with Brian McElhinney just one behind.

Michael took the outright lead with a birdie at 10th when James recorded an ugly double bogey and Brian dropped two behind with a par. Brian then birdied the 13th while the other two ‘parred’. James then had another double bogey, Brian dropped a stroke while Michael parred and so with five holes to go the situation among the front runners was that Michael led on plus 2, Brian was +4 while James was now out to seven over.

A months work in 30 seconds! The new 12th green complex @Rosapenna1893 Huge thanks to @wsbens & @beauwelling #Links pic.twitter.com/LJxCL4QiXy

— Rosapenna (@Rosapenna1893) December 16, 2015

On the final holes, Brian birdied 16th and 17th to go to plus two while Michael had pars and a bogey, which he incurred at the par 3 17th, to compile a three over score. James chalked up yet another ugly seven at the par five 17th to finish third.

In the Nett section there was only one player at his best, that being the irrepressible Odhran McGettigan who won by a massive six points and holds the plate for 2015/2016 season. Brendan McCarroll Snr, making his late debut this year, felt he had played ‘out of his skin’ but was left toiling in the Strabane GC member’s wake.

In fact, Odhran, playing off a twenty six [26] handicap, could otherwise have been 5th in the Gross section

St Patrick's Plate, Rosapenna Golf Resort, Sandy Hills (16 holes, par 65)
Nett

1. Odhran McGettigan (26) Strabane 36 pts
2. Brendan McCarroll (5) North West 30 pts.
3. David Forbes (7) Faughan Valley 29 pts [b.o.t].
4. Kevin Hunter (10) Faughan Valley 29 pts
5. Eddie McHugh (17) Strabane 28 pts [b.o.t].
6. Trevor McFarland (11) Newtownstewart 28 pts.

Gross

1. Brian McElhinney (scr) North West GC. 67;
2. Michael McGeady (scr) North West GC. 68;
3. Stephen Martin (1) Foyle GC. 74; [b.o.t].
4. James Kelly (4) City Of Derry GC. 74;
5. Paul McGuigan (1) Foyle GC 77;
6. Clive Davison (12) Portsalon GC. 79.

Golfer of the Year standings 2015/2016 Winter Alliance Nett

• 21 points, Brian McElhinney and Clive Davison
  
• 20 Eddie McHugh
  
• 18 Odhran McGettigan

Gross

• 46 points, Michael McGeady
  
• 34 Brian McElhinney
  
• 25 Paul McGuigan
  
• 24 James Lindsey

The Alliance goes into hibernation now until it visits Portsalon on Saturday 6th February 2016. Whilst wishing the Alliance Captain, David Forbes, every good wish on his birthday he, in turn, and all the officers wish all golfers a happy Christmas and a prosperous new year and hope that they gain at least a two shot reduction in their handicaps in 2016.

NIALL TURNER. PICTURE VIA ASIANTOUR.COM

Niall Turner finished a season of progress by comfortably retain his Asian Tour card with a share of fifth place in the weather-reduced Philippine Open presented by ICTSI.

The 32-year old Muskerry player, finally injury free after several years of health problems, closed with a three under 69 to finish in a five way tie for fifth on 10 under and earn $8,922.

Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines won the event at Luisita Golf and Country Club near Manila, shooting a third round 66 to win by o e stroke from Australia's Scott Barr on 14 under. Scores 

It was Turner's second top five finish in 10 starts on the Asian Tout this season, leaving him 58th in the Order of Merit with $70,440, well inside the top 63 who kept their cards.

According to the Asian Tour:

Tabuenas, 21, fired six birdies on his homeward nine to seal the deal with a winning total of 14-under-par 202 in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event which was reduced to 54 holes due to bad weather earlier in the week.Barr of Australia missed out on winning his first Asian Tour title following a 68 but his lone second place result ensured that he would retain his Tour card for 2016 after jumping 15 spots to 49th place on the Order of Merit.India’s Himmat Rai produced the round of the week at the Luisita Golf and Country Club with a sparkling 63 to share third place with Chinnarat Phadungsil (67) of Thailand on 204, two shots from the champion.Lindsay Renolds of Canada, who held the lead in the opening two rounds, fired a disappointing 73 to finish in tied 10th place in the final Asian Tour event in 2015.Home favourite Tabuena became the first Filipino to win his National Open since 2008 after making a brave charge at the turn highlighted by three straight birdies from the 12th hole.“I’m glad the Philippine Open is my first Asian Tour title,” said Tabuena. “I’m really happy that my name will be on this prestigious trophy alongside some of the legends in golf in Asia’s oldest National Open.”“I gave myself a goal at the start of the day which was to shoot a 66 or lower. There are a lot of birdie chances and people can make a move. I was one-under after the turn and I thought I lost some ground. I knew I needed to go out with all guns blazing,” he said.The victory was a huge relief for Tabuena who fell short of winning his first Asian Tour title on numerous occasions including in Taipei this year where he settled for runner-up.“You have to take your defeats as a positive and remind yourself that it is part of the process. It definitely made me a stronger golfer mentally. It helped a lot that I had already saved my Asian Tour card for 2016 earlier this year. I knew I was playing for the win.“I played really well here before and I won on this course on the local circuit. I’m without words really. I’m happy and glad with the victory,” said Tabuena.Barr retained his Asian Tour card for the 12th straight season after finishing one-shot behind Tabuena. He was in a good position to pip Tabuena to the title but let the chance slip when he bogeyed 17 after finding water. A birdie on the last earned him his best result since 2006.“I couldn’t hole any putts for 14 holes. Once I did, it was game on and I holed my share. I did what I needed to do but it is a shame to finish one short. This week is a huge positive. I set very low expectations coming into the week but it is great that I’ve secured my card,” he said.Rai, who lost in a play-off two weeks ago in Vietnam, continued his good run of form by returning with a flawless card to finish tied third.“I didn’t have a number in my mind. I was thinking of eliminating my errors in round one and two. I wanted to play percentage golf and hitting it near the hole. I putted aggressively and that made a difference today,” said Rai, a one-time Asian Tour winner.Chinnarat was delighted to hold on to his Asian Tour card. He was ranked 62nd on the Order of Merit at the start of the week but moved to 56th place thanks to his result at the Philippine Open. The top-63 players on the final Order of Merit secured playing rights on the 2016 season.“It was an exciting week! There was so much pressure,” he laughed. After 13 holes I knew I had a chance to win but the putts didn’t drop. It is okay because my goal was to make the cut and get my Asian Tour card but this result will give me a better ranking on the Order of Merit!”Other players who safely retained their Asian Tour cards include Unho Park of Australia (63rd), Chawalit Plaphol of Thailand (62nd), Adam Groom of Australia (61st) and Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei (60th).There was heart break for 16-year-old Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, who ended the season in 64th place on the Merit rankings.Final scores, 2015 Philippine Open, Luisita Course course (Par 72, 7042 Yards)

202 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-69-66.

203 – Scott BARR (AUS) 69-66-68.

204 – Himmat RAI (IND) 71-70-63, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67-70-67.

206 – Seukhyun BAEK (KOR) 69-71-66, Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 70-68-68, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 67-70-69, Niall TURNER (IRL) 69-68-69, Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-68-69.

207 – LU Wei-chih (TPE) 70-70-67, Charlie WI (KOR) 70-69-68, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 70-67-70, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-69-71, Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN) 69-67-71, Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 66-68-73.

208 – Charles HONG (PHI) 71-68-69, Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 68-71-69.

209 – Brett MUNSON (USA) 70-69-70, Adam GROOM (AUS) 70-69-70, Janne KASKE (FIN) 71-68-70, Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 68-70-71, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 72-72-65.

210 – Wolmer MURILLO (VEN) 71-70-69, Taewoo KIM (KOR) 70-71-69, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 72-68-70, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 68-71-71.

NIALL TURNER. PICTURE @ ASIANTOUR.COM

Niall Turner is hoping Santa Claus comes early as he goes into Sunday's final round of the weather-reduced Philippine Open presented by ICTSI just three shots behind Canadian Lindsay Reynolds.

The Muskerry golfer made an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys in a four under 68 to move up four spots to joint seventh place on seven under par in the US$300,000 Asian Tour event, which has been reduced to 54 holes due to weather.

Scores

Bidding for his first win on the main Asian Tour, the 31-year old has secured his card for next year.. But he’ll be setting his sights on victory at Luisita Golf and Country Club. where Reynolds shot a four-under  68 to maintain his lead.

The Phuket-based Canadian leads by one stroke on 10-under 134 from Australian Scott Bar, who charged into contention with a superb 66.

Home favourite Miguel Tabuena was also in the title mix following a 69 as he shared third place with five-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar (69) of India, Kalle Samooja (67) of Finland and Giwhan Kim (68) of Korea on 136 at the Luisita Golf and Country Club.

Renolds, who needs a victory this week to secure playing rights on the Asian Tour next season, is prepared for a final round shootout in the weather-shortened Philippine Open.

“It is exciting to be in this position. My game feels good and I feel good. I’m not really worried or nervous. We will see what tomorrow brings. It is just another round of golf for me.

“It is a game which you win or lose. You can only think of it that way. Obviously there’s a lot on the line tomorrow but if I play good golf then things will work out the way it should,” said the 29-year-old, who is ranked 93rd on the Order of Merit.

Barr, ranked 64th on the Order of Merit, needs to better his rankings by one to retain his Asian Tour card which he has safely secured since 2004. The Australian rolled in 25 putts highlighted by a 15-foot eagle putt on the fifth hole to be in the running to claim a first Asian Tour victory.

“I’m pleased. Obviously this is a huge week. I got a great putting lesson from an old Asian Tour member Ahmad Bateman last week. Obviously when the putter starts rolling, the fairways get wider and everything gets easier,” said the Australian.

Canadian Lindsay Reynolds. Picture: AsianTour.com

The 21-year-old Tabuena chipped-in for eagle on the last hole but was disappointed not to take advantage of his birdie opportunities.

“I had about five lipped out birdie chances and got frustrated. It is easy to lose your temper here because there are so many birdie holes and if you miss it, you will lose ground. I have to be as patient as possible tomorrow. There will be players who will try and force things but I’ve been in this position before and I know I can come out on top this time,” said Tabuena.

Indian star Bhullar birdied the last hole to stay within striking distance of winning a sixth Asian Tour title. “I’m in the title mix. I played really well from holes one to nine. It got a big dodgy on a few par fours on the back. My two bogeys were a result of a miss-management with the clubbing. Other than that it is a good solid round,” he said.

The halfway cut was set on even-par 144 with a total of 68 players qualifying for the final round.

Philippine Open after two of three rounds, Par 72, 7042 Yards Luisita Course course (am – denotes amateur):

134 – Lindsay RENOLDS (CAN) 66-68.

135 – Scott BARR (AUS) 69-66.

136 – Kalle SAMOOJA (FIN) 69-67, Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 67-69, Giwhan KIM (KOR) 68-68, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 67-69.

137 – Keith HORNE (RSA) 69-68, Khalin JOSHI (IND) 70-67, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 67-70, Niall TURNER (IRL) 69-68, Jeunghun WANG (KOR) 67-70.

138 – Simon GRIFFITHS (ENG) 70-68, Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 68-70.

139 – Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 68-71, Charlie WI (KOR) 70-69, Charles HONG (PHI) 71-68, Janne KASKE (FIN) 71-68, Adam GROOM (AUS) 70-69, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 68-71, Brett MUNSON (USA) 70-69, Orlan SUMCAD (PHI) 72-67, GOH Kun Yang (SIN) 70-69.

140 – LEE Chieh-po (TPE) 74-66, Matthew GILES (AUS) 70-70, Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 70-70, Joongkyung MO (KOR) 71-69, KOH Deng Shan (SIN) 70-70, Mithun PERERA (SRI) 70-70, LU Wei-chih (TPE) 70-70, Namchok TANTIPOKHAKUL (THA) 72-68, Seukhyun BAEK (KOR) 69-71.

Rory McIlroy. Picture: Getty Images

Rory McIlroy has won the Association of Golf Writers trophy, joining Seve Ballesteros and Lee Westwood as the only golfers in the long history of the prestigious award to win it on three separate occasions.

The 26 year old, a runaway winner in 2012 and last year, was a narrow victor on this occasion, just edging Britain and Ireland’s Walker Cup team, who pulled off a record 16.5-9.5 triumph over America’s leading amateurs at Royal Lytham and St Annes in September.

Third place went to Englishman Andy Sullivan following his wonderful breakthrough campaign on the European Tour when, alongside McIlroy, he was the only three-time winner.

McIlroy’s tremendous performance in winning the season-ending DP World Tour Championship to claim the Race to Dubai was clearly the clinching factor, and the Northern Irishman was delighted to receive the news in Dublin yesterday.

"When you think of the contributions that Seve and Lee made to European golf over the years, I am delighted to be linked with them at such an early age, and clearly I’m hoping to do enough to win the AGW trophy in future years as well,’ said McIlroy.

"Winning in Dubai again meant a huge amount to me and enabled me to look at the year as a whole in a different light. It has also given me that bit of momentum going into next season. I’d also like to congratulate our Walker Cup team as well on their stunning success. It must have been a very difficult decision for the golf writers."

The AGW trophy, started in 1951, seeks to award the person or persons, born or resident in Europe, who have made the most outstanding contribution to golf over the previous 12 months. Mcilroy became just the fourth golfer to win it in consecutive years, following Tony Jacklin (1969 and 1970), Peter Oosterhuis (1973 and 1974) and Padraig Harrington (2007 and 2008).

Derek Lawrenson, golf correspondent of the Daily Mail and Chairman of the AGW, said: "This was the closest vote we’ve seen for the AGW Trophy in over a decade and while you get the feeling that come the end of his career this will not go down as one of Rory’s great seasons, the fact is he still won four times worldwide, which made him a worthy recipient. No golfer has ever won the AGW Trophy four times but, given his age and ability, this will surely prove to be one more European record Rory will hold in the not too distant future.'

6 birdies puts @lmrenolds in the clubhouse lead on 66. Great start by the Phuket-based Canadian. #PhilippineOpen pic.twitter.com/3DaACnBviW

— Asian Tour (@asiantourgolf) December 18, 2015

Muskerry’s Niall Turner is poised to secure his 2016 Asian Tour card after opening with a three under 69 in the weather-reduced Philippine Open presented by ICTSI on Friday.

The 32-year old Cork star, 59th in the Order of Merit with $61,000 from just nine starts, is tied for 10th spot with just two rounds to play after making seven birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey at Luisita Golf and Country Club, two hours from Manila.

Scores

The US$300,000 Asian Tour event was reduced to 54 holes as early as Wednesday due to persistent rain caused by Typhoon Melor, which hit central Philippines on Tuesday.

Most players teed it up on Friday without a practice round but the delay didn’t seem to bother Turner too much as he recovered from that late double  bogey six at the 15th with birdies at the 16th and 18th in a 27-putt round.

Canada’s Lindsay Renolds posted a flawless, six-under-par 66 to lead by one-shot fromChinnarat Phadungsil of Thailand, five-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar of India and Korean rising star Jeunghun Wang, who will represent Team Asia at the EurAsia Cup next month.

The 2011 Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines and Giwhan Kim of Korea trailed the clubhouse leader by two shots at the US$300,000 Asian Tour event staged at the Luisita Golf and Country Club.

Renolds, ranked 95th on the Order of Merit, is on a do-or-die mission to save his Asian Tour card .

The Canadian must win to break into the top-63 on the Order of Merit and retain his Tour card for 2016.

“It is a case of winning or going back to Qualifying School for me this week. I got nothing to lose this week. I’m trying to stay motivated and focussed,”  the 29-year-old said.

While Niall Kearney will be back at the Q-School as he’s 107th in the money list, Turner should avoid that trip by making the cut.

Renolds was lucky to play a practice round at the Luisita course as officials closed the course on Wednesday and Thursday due to heavy rain.

“It is always an advantage seeing the course at least once. I played a quick 18 holes on Tuesday but it was very wet. I was just trying to get the round over with because I didn’t have an umbrella!” Reynolds told AsianTour.com.

Rory McIlroy speaking to Newstalk

Rory McIlroy had a busy day in Dublin on Thursday. Not only did her visit Facebook's European HQ — he's now got 1 million "likes" on the social media channel — he also spoke to three British golf writers and Off the Ball's Nathan Murphy from Irish radio station Newstalk.

The Daily Mail, The Guardian and the Daily Telegraph all led on McIlroy's recent engagement to  in Paris recently and hear from the world No 3 about 28-year old Erica Stoll's "calming presence, a sereneness and that’s not just on me; it is noticeable in any company. She never wants to be the centre of attention and is always very comfortable in the background."

It's a presence he believes can help him become world No 1 again.

The 26-year old from Co Down spoke to Newstalk about his bittersweet year, how impressed he is with the mental strength of Jordan Spieth and how he's happy not to be completely level headed on the golf course all the time because if here were, he'd lose something that makes him who he is.

"I had nowhere near the mental capacity at 22 as he does and I've learned as the years have went [sic] on and I've had to overcome some obstacles to learn," McIlroy said, adding that Spieth "just seems to have that little mental edge. McIlroy will face Spieth in Abu Dhabi and hinted he'd defend the Dubai Desert Classic before playing the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club in LA for the first time. In all, he'll play seven events before the Masters rather than six as the WGC-Dell Match Play takes place in Texas in March.

Less inclined these days to throw in the towel when the going gets tough — "I’ve definitely gotten better at sticking at it and grinding it out and turning that 75 or 76 into a 70 and just not shooting my way out of a tournament" — his goals for 2016 may well be of the micro and the macro in terms of winning big events and majors and avoiding things like three putts.

"Lifestyle, fitness, eating better or trying to cut things out at tournaments," he said.

All in all, he appeared happier than ever and given his talent, his fitness and his off course happiness, a big 2016 season is on the cards for the four-time major winner.

Leona Maguire with the  Irish Independent Young Sports Star of the Year award at Croke Park last night

World number 1 amateur golfer Leona Maguire has been voted Irish Independent Young Sports Star of the Year.
 
Voting opened to the public on 24th November and the 21 year old from Ballydonnell in Co Cavan received the highest number of votes when voting closed on 8th December. 
 
Leona is the first Irish female golfer to hold the number 1 spot in the world. Her stellar achievements have been recognised throughout the golfing world, as she picked up the Mark H McCormack Medal as World Number 1 earlier this year and in the same month received the 2015 ANNIKA Award as the best golfer in American women's college golf.

Now 21, she gave up a promising swimming career at the age of 9 to concentrate on golf.

It's proved to be an inspired decision.

A native of Ballyconnell in Co Cavan, she finished third to her twin sister and current Duke University team mate Lisa in the Under-12 World Golf Championship at Pinehurst in North Carolina in 2006 and hasn’t looked back.

Following a string of domestic successes in 2007, she won the won the French Under 18 International title in 2008 at the age of 13 and beat Lisa to claim the Irish Ladies Close title later that season before both sisters represented Europe in that year’s Junior Ruder Cup.

Des Cahill interviews Leona Maguire

Since then her rise has been meteoric bringing her more than 20 amateur titles and a string of accolades including the 2015 ANNIKA Award and the Mark H. McCormack Medal given annually to the number one ranked female amateur player in the world.

In 2009, Leona helped Ireland win the European Girls Team Championship fo the first time and won the Helen Holm Scottish Women’s Open Amateur Stroke Play at the age of 14. 

Winner of the French Under 21 title in 2009 and 2010, she (along with her sister Lisa) became the youngest to compete in the Curtis Cup in 2010. 

In 2011, she won the Irish Women’s Strokeplay, became the youngest winner of the British Ladies’ Open Stroke Play and won Portuguese Women’s Amateur Open by 15 shots.

She retained the Irish Women’s Strokeplay title in 2012, when she was also a Curtis Cup winner. 

Her performances for Duke University on the US collegiate circuit made her the first Irish woman to reach No 1 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking in May this year following a spectacular freshman season that brought three victories and record nine top 5 and 10 top 10 finishes.

She has since taken her tally to four collegiate individual wins and is currently in position to represent Ireland in the Rio Olympics having spectacularly proved herself against the professionals this summer.

Playing on an invitation from the Ladies European Tour, she finished second, just a shot behind American Beth Allen in the ISPS Handa Ladies European Masters at the Buckinghamshire in May.

She won three events last season, the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate, the ACC Championship and the SCAA South Bend Regional and was leading qualifier for the British Ladies Amateur Match Play Championship at Portstewart.

She also represented Great Britain and Ireland in June at the Vagliano Trophy Match against the Continent of Europe in Malone and played for Ireland at the European Team Championships in Denmark.

Paul McGinley congratulates Wayne Westner on his win in the 1995 Dubai Desert Classic

Wayne Westner was one of the most talented players in the world, winning the 1995 Dubai Desert Classic and 1996 World Cup of Golf with Ernie Els. not to mention another 11 Sunshine Tour events in his native South Africa.

He agonisingly lost out of Nick Faldo in a playoff for the 1992 Carroll's Irish Open at Killarney and his career came it an end in unfortunate circumstances in 1998.

Playing in the Madeira Islands Open, Westner tore angle ligaments after falling over six feet when a railway sleeper crumbled under him as he played in the Pro-Am.

He played only once more that season and never recovered his best form, going on to open the Wayne Westner Golf Academy at Celbridge Driving Range before eventually moving back to South Africa in 2006 following a divorce.

Last week, 54-year old Westner was back on the Irish golf radar once more as coach to Royal Dublin's Jeff Hopkins, who attended the Wayne Westner Golf College this year and finished a brilliant sixth at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School.

Hopkins will turn professional now and Westner, who has patented a golf swing training aid he believes will allow anyone to hit a golf ball properly after just 20 minutes, has taken him under his wing.

As he told Compleat Golfer last year: "I’ve been working with Dennis Bruyns on a robot that teaches people how to play golf in just 30 minutes. It’s a robotic arm that gets you to swing the club in a perfect arc, set exactly for your size, plane, height, etc. It also shows you how and when to break your wrists and release your hands – it’s a phenomenal machine. It just needs some financial backing, but it won’t be long before it’s on the shelf, and I think it will revolutionise golf.”

Hopkins grooved his swing with Westner's training aid and the former tour winner is now also helping Lucan's Richie O'Donovan, the former East of Ireland champion, at his golf college at Selborne Park Golf Club on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast.

A lover of the game in all it's complexity and simplicity, we caught up with Wayne for a brief chat recently and his hopes for Hopkins, O'Donovan and his invention.

Q So how good is Jeff Hopkins, Wayne? That was an impressive result at Q-School.

He’s a class act and along the lines of Adam Scot — a very hard-working, very dedicated young man. He had a few problems so he came out in January this year and worked really, really hard. I’ve got a a very simple machine I’ve developed and I put him on that for a couple of months and worked on that and did a lot of work on his mental technique. 

The swing is one thing but the mind is very important as well and needs to be practiced as well. He’s come a long way with his mind.  The better your game is physically, the easier it is to teach the mind. The mind is purely a reflection of experience. If you hit 10 bad shots, your mind is not going to show you a good shot. You have got to hit eight or nine good shots for your mind to be able to show good shots. You can’t lie to your mind. You can only teach it how to be honest. 

Q How has your invention helped Jeff?

My machine is very simple. It’s a fixed arm that swings the golf club and keeps the golf club on plane. Jeff’s going now to pick one up to bring back to Ireland. He’s got a good golf swing now. Every bit as good as Adam Scott’s.  Everybody is talking about him over here. He hits the ball so far it’s not even funny. It’s not that he hits it far. He hits it straight. It’s like he’s holding a rifle. He’s lot better than I ever was. 

Q You're being modest. There’s a big step up from the Sunshine Tour Q-School to making it on tour. What does he have to do now? Just go out there and play?

To be honest, I know I was never this good. I played well with strength and guts and determination. I never had the physical technique that he’s got. Now it’s a case of competing and maybe winning an event. Now he’s got a card and he can play and compete and earn money from it. He’s certainly as good as anybody out there. If not better in my opinion.

Q What do he need to work on?

One of his flaws is that he finds it really hard to cut himself some slack. When he does hit a bad shot, because he hits so many good shots, it’s hard to accept it. I’ve told him it’s not a game of good shots, it’s a game of bad shots and he’s starting to accept that and control his emotions a lot more. I can see him going from strength to strength, if he keeps doing what he is doing. We’ve got him a really nice team — a management team (he knows everything about physical training), we’ve got him a caddie, some sponsors and perhaps a few invites.

Q There’s a lot of young talent in Ireland waiting to explode if they get the right people around them. Do you see that?

You’re right. Pádraig Harrington is the perfect example. He got his degree in his accounting. Then he got somebody to train his swing. Then he got somebody to train his mind and then he got his fitness trainer and he just stuck to it. In all fairness, Pádraig hadn’t the talent that a lot of the kids had but he decided that’s what he wanted to do and he just stuck to it and stuck to his routine. That’s what it is. Pick a team and just stay with it. 

Q How is life since you returned to South Africa from Ireland?

I was in Celbridge for about nine years and came home in 2006. Unfortunately, I separated from my ex-wife and I missed my son so much because he was only coming back on holiday. So I made the decision to go back home and it’s great. I loved my time in Ireland. I was very happy there, met some wonderful people and still have some great friends there. 

Q Life is good.

I’m in a fantastic part of the world. I have one or two players — I am also trying to help Richie O’Donovan at the moment. He’s another good player with the potential to be a great player. It’s just the mental game with Richie to be quite honest. So I am focussing at the moment on my swing aid which is called Instant Golfer. I’ve been working on it for give years and we hope to launch in January next year. It allows a beginner to hit the ball in 20 minutes. It folds up into a golf bag and you can put it in your car. It weighs on 25kg. My passion in life is to create more golfers. We only have around 120,000 golfers here and I think we should have 700,000. People don’t want to play because it is too expensive and takes too long. 

Q How can you get more people playing the game?

Well this machine doesn’t teach you how to play golf but it teaches you how to hit the ball in 20 minutes. So you can go tot he course and not make a fool of yourself which is one of the reasons why people don’t play. 

The South African equivalent of McGuirks is now selling bicycles as well as golf clubs. I want to change that a bit so the game becomes more affordable and more of the general public play. More normal people. Golf is in a massive down cycle at the moment but it will pick up again. It has to. And I would love to be part of it because I love it so much. I think the golf swing is such a simple thing but unfortunately everyone does exactly the opposite of what is natural when they touch a golf club. So if you can show them the natural way immediately, the game is not very complicated. the ball is just sitting there waiting to be hit. 

So the golf swing has been my passion my whole life. I’ve studied it and I love it. 

David Carey (left) and Killarney's Tommy O'Driscoll pictured with the President of the Alps Tour, Waltraud Neuwirth, at La Cala on Wednesday.

Teenagers Tommy O’Driscoll and David Carey produced the golf under pressure at to win their Alps Tour cards for 2016 at the Final Stage of the Qualifying School in Spain.

Killarney amateur O’Driscoll, 19, closed with a two over 74 on La Cala Resort's Asia Course  to finish 18th on level par and secure a full category for next season even though he will remain amateur.

Carey, who turned professional earlier this year and played 14 events on the Alps Tour for 64th place in the Order of Merit, needed a birdie-par finish to make the crucial top 35 and ties on the mark thanks to a gutsy, one over 73.

Scores

The 19-year old former Carton House player was three over par after four holes of the third and final round.

But while he would drop two more shots, he also made an eagle three at his 14th hole and birdies at his seventh and 17th to make it on the three over par limit.

O’Driscoll, who won the Ulster Boys in 2014, will not turning pro in the foreseeable future and plans to play the Alps Tour as amateur in 2016 having plotted his way through the final round.

Spain’s Javier Gallegos won the Final Stage, finishing with two birdies for a 68 and a one shot win on 10 under par from France’s Victor Perez on a day of perfect weather.

“My game plan was to be aggressive,” Gallegoes told AlpsTourGolf.com. “I wanted to do as many birdies as possible so I went for the pins on each hole. 

"Sometimes I missed and dropped shots, but all in all my goal is achieved, I wanted to win.”

Rory McIlroy. Picture: Getty Images

Rory McIlroy has been named The 2015 European Tour Golfer of the Year for the third time in four years.

The Northern Irishman won three times during the 2015 season, including an enthralling victory in the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai last month which ensured he successfully defended his Race to Dubai crown – an honour he also claimed for a third time in four years.

McIlroy finished 1,056,943 points clear of his nearest rival, Englishman Danny Willett, in The Race to Dubai, becoming only the seventh player in European Tour history to be crowned European Number One in consecutive campaigns.

He has now added The European Tour Golfer of the Year award to his trophy cabinet after a panel consisting of members of the golfing media unanimously voted for him as the 2015 winner.

“It is a huge honour for me to be named European Tour Golfer of the Year again,” said McIlroy. “I feel very proud to have won this prestigious award for the third time - it is always special, no matter how often, to be recognised this way.“After a good first half to the season, the injury was obviously a setback for me, so to finish the year strongly with my second victory in Dubai – plus picking up The Race to Dubai title again - was very satisfying. This was an objective I successfully fulfilled this season. To now win the Golfer of the Year award, too, is a great way to sign off the year. I am already looking forward to starting the new season and trying to achieve even more in 2016.”Olivia wins at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links

It's been an amazing year for Royal County Down's Olivia Mehaffey who won again when the plus three handicapper claimed the best nett in the weekly Tuesday winter outing at Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links.

The world No 11 defied gale force wins and shot a level par 71 to take the honours as Carton House's Declan O'Neill took the best gross with a one over par 72.

Great day in portmarnock with these four #windy#5clubber @NeilOBriain @OliviaMehaffey @nathanmccann123 & Noel Murray pic.twitter.com/ozH6QFEuwy

— Chris Jelly (@chrisjelly29) December 15, 2015 Tuam's special offer

Times are tough for golfers and golf clubs but Tuam Golf Club is willing to go the extra mile to get members and produced a special 2 for 1 offer — €700 for membership of the magnificent Galway club for 2016 and 2017.

The offer, which is valid until 31 May 2016, is certainly enticing, just as the club planned.

"We are introducing this new offer to entice new members to play at Tuam Golf Club," the club writes. 

"Due to economic adversities, golf has become an expensive sport and we feel that our package outlined below is extremely affordable and will give people the opportunity to play golf once again or for the first time in some cases.

• Full membership
• 2 years (2016 & 2017) membership for the price of 1
• Available only up to 31st May 2016; €400 on application
• €300 to be paid on or before 31st August 2016
• Includes GUI levies and development levies
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Killarney's Tommy O'Driscoll. Picture: Pat Cashman

Killarney amateur Tommy O’Driscoll guaranteed himself an Alps Tour category for 2016 when he a level par 72 in round two of the Qualifying School at La Cala.

The former Ulster Boys champion made three birdies and three bogeys on the Asia Course to share 16th place and make the cut for the top 60 and ties by six strokes on two under par.

O’Driscoll’s gaol is now to finish inside the top 35 and ties after today’s third and final round and clinch category six membership of the developmental tour.

Scores

David Carey, who has just completed his first season on the Alps Tour, shot a one over 73 on the Asia course to make the cut with ease and share 35th spot on two over par.

The other Irish failed to progress with Declan Loftus (11 over) going out in 45 en route to an  81 on the Asia Course while amateur Kevin Le Blanc from The Island finished on 13 over after an 80 on the Europa Course.

At the top of the leaderboard, 20 year old French amateur Alexandre Daydou shot a bogey free, six under par 65 on the Asia Course to lead by two shots from countryman Victor Perez.

“My game plan was simple and I stuck to it,” Daydou told AlpsTourGolf.com. “I worked on it with my coach, Renaud Gris. Here, you have to be careful with tee shots and that was my routine for these past two rounds. I kept of targeting the safe places on fairways to have good angles to hit the greens.

“Most of the time, I did not hit the driver and I have to admit it was a good thing because I am so sick, sinusitis, that I would not have been able to finish my round.”

Exactly 65 made the cut on four over par with 16-year old Austrian Laurids Lohr, the youngest player in the field, missing out by one.

Tommy O'Driscoll

Killarney amateur Tommy O’Driscoll fired an eagle and five birdies in an opening 69 to move into the qualifying places after the opening round of the Alps Tour Q-School in Spain.

The former Ulster Boys champion began with two bogeys at La Cala Resort’s Europa Course but birdied the third,  fifth and eighth to get back to one under.

His last 10 holes were a rollercoaster but he played them in one under as he mixed birdies at the 11th and 12th and bogeys at the ninth, 13th and 16th with an eagle three at the 17th.

He ended the day tied for 15th on two under par, five shots behind England’s George Twyman (65) but inside the top 35 and ties who will win Alps Tour cards after three rounds.

The top 65 and ties make the cut on Tuesday and Declan Loftus and David Carey are a shot inside the mark on one over after a pair of 72s.

However, The Island’s Kevin Le Blanc has work to do after making just one birdie in a four over 76 on the Asia Course.

The Boys international is tied for 94th place. Scores

Jeff Hopkins with Wayne Westner following his IGT Pro Tour win in February

Jeff Hopkins plans to turn professional as soon as possible following his graduation from the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School and his great partnership with former tour player Wayne Westner.

The Skerries talent, who helped Royal Dublin win the AIG Barton Shield this season and played a big role in Leinster's victory in the Interprovincial Matches at Rosapenna, hopes to be playing for pay on the South African circuit in January.

Hopkins was added to the GUI's senior panel recently but following his impressive sixth place finish in the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School on Saturday, his amateur days are over.

"I've been working really hard with Wayne Westner, focusing on mental techniques and his new swing machine which has showed me exactly what I am trying to do with the club," Hopkins reported from South Africa.

"I had him on the bag all week which was great he kept me patient and focused and I am now starting to see results. I intend to turn pro shortly and start in January."

Hopkins' sixth place finish at the Qualifying School will get him into all regular 2016 Sunshine Tour events and allow him to try and qualify for all the co-sanctioned European tour events such as the the BMW SA Open hosted by City of Ekurhuleni from January 7 or the following week's Joburg Open.

"I'Il play a full season in SA and then head back to Europe at the end of next year," added the 23-year old, whose game has been transformed by former tour star Westner. 

Hopkins travelled to South Africa back in January and spent seven weeks working with Westner at the Wayne Westner Golf College, winning an 18-hole event on the IGT Pro Tour in February.

He returned to South Africa in October to prepare for Q-School and had two top 10s in seven events on the IGT Pro Tour, a developmental tour that has been in existence for six years and appears to be making a difference to players looking to make the step up.

Johannesburg native Westner turned pro in 1983, winning the SA Open in 1988 and 1991, the Dubai Desert Classic in 1993 and the 1996 World Cup in a record-breaking partnership with Ernie Els . 

He won 14 tournaments through his career and represented South Africa seven times before his career was cut short by injury.

He remained focused on golf and set up a golf school in Celbridge in Ireland, that accumulated 1100 students.

A student of the swing for more than 25 years, he has studied and implemented all the top mental techniques and now teaches at the beautiful Selborne Estate.

The Sunshine Tour, which is one of the world's six main tours, currently co-sanctions six tournaments with the European Tour: the Nedbank Golf Challenge, the Africa Open, The Alfred Dunhill Championship, the Joburg Open, the Tshwane Open and the South African Open, which is the second oldest championship in golf.

The Sunshine Tour will also co-sanction the €1m AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open with the Asian Tour and the European Tour the week before the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in May 2016, 

The tour currently runs through all twelve months of the year.

Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood finished 1-2 in the Thailand Golf Championship to return to the world’s top 50 and qualified for the Open alongside 16-year old Thai Phachara Khongwatmai and Clement Sordet.

Donaldson closed with a brilliant, seven under par 65 to win by three shots on 21 under par from Westwood (67) and Clement Sordet (70) of France with Sergio Garcia (69) and Korea’s Byeonghun An (70) tied fourth on 14 under.

Darren Clarke, who had a chance to record his first ranking top 10 for more than two years, ended up slipping from 14th to tied 30th on four under after making four birdies, one bogey and three double bogeys in a closing 75.

The Ryder Cup skipper has had a busy four week stretch and now heads to the Bahamas for Christmas with his family.

Bahamas bound @TheAbacoClub with @AlisonACANI @tyronebclarke @Conor241Clarke might have the occasional Seabreeze

Jeff Hopkins

Royal Dublin’s Jeff Hopkins was one of five amateurs to win one of 30 cards at the Sunshine Tour Qualifying School in South Africa.

As Limerick’s Tim Rice (71) missed out by three strokes, former Skerries player Hopkins closed with a five under par 67 to finish sixth at Bloemfontein Golf Club and give himself the chance of playing some tour events on the Sunshine Tour in the new year.

Taking to Facebook, Hopkins wrote:

“Great end to a long year of hard work, full sunshine tour card and a great day in the office today 67 bogie free that’s how we roll Wayne Westner can't thank this man enough slogged my bag around for 126 holes (7 rounds) in 40 degrees heat