Local golfer selected on Irish Home Internationals team
The Irish teams have been selected for the R&A Women’s and Men’s Home Internationals, which are taking place in Wales next week.
The action gets going at Machynys between August 9 and 11, with local golfer David Shiel of Enniscrone along with Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown) and Marc Boucher (Carton House) automatic selections from the Bridgestone Order of Merit.
Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin) were picked due to their World Amateur Golf Rankings. Matt McClean (Malone) would also have been selected as a result of his WAGR ranking but he is playing in the US Amateur beginning on August 14. Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin) and Mark Power (Kilkenny) are also away in the USA at the time.
Fresh off his South of Ireland victory, Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) has also been called up, as has Paul Conroy (Enniscorthy), Robert Moran (Castle) and Liam Nolan (Galway).
Emma Fleming (Elm Park) was selected automatically due to her Bridgestone Order of Merit ranking, while Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) and Anna Foster (Elm Park) were automatic selections via WAGR.
AIG Women’s Amateur Close champion Sara Byrne (Douglas) is also selected, as is Kate Lanigan (Hermitage), Mairead Martin (Kanturk) and Jessica Ross (Clandeboye). Aine Donegan will be playing at the US Women’s Amateur.
The men's team in full is: Marc Boucher (Carton House), Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), Paul Conroy (Enniscorthy), Max Kennedy (Royal Dublin), Alex Maguire (Laytown & Bettystown), Robert Moran (Castle), Liam Nolan (Galway), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and David Shiel (Enniscrone). The team captain is Niall MacSweeney (Athenry), while John McKinstry (Cairndhu) and Michael Collins are team coaches.
On the women's team are: Sara Byrne (Douglas), Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle), Emma Fleming (Elm Park), Anna Foster (Elm Park), Kate Lanigan (Hermitage), Mairead Martin (Kanturk) and Jessica Ross (Clandeboye). The team captain is Naoimh Quigg (City of Derry), with Helen Jones of Royal Portrush the team manager and Donal Scott the team coach.
LEADER
David Shiel became the new leader of the Men's Bridgestone Order of Merit after a solid performance in the South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship at Lahinch last weekend.
The Enniscrone golfer lost his quarterfinal clash to Paul Coughlan but still earned enough points to surpass Alex Maguire and open up a 129-point lead over the Laytown & Bettystown man.
Castleknock's Coughlan was one of the big movers after the event, climbing from 17th to fifth in the standings as a result of his semi-final loss to eventual winner Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint), who himself catapulted to T18 from T78.
Meanwhile, in the Women's Bridgestone Order of Merit, there was little change at the top after the latest event, the Leinster O18 Women's Amateur Open Championship.
The quartet of players at the summit remains the same, with Emma Fleming leading the way, but Lahinch's Aideen Walsh has broken into the top five courtesy of a T4 finish at Bunclody.
Tramore's Anna Dawson claimed the Leinster O18 title and with that moves up a place into seventh, whilst Emily Murray's (Co. Louth) T2 result is rewarded with a place in the top 10 having previously been 12th.
The next women's event is the Ulster O18 Women's Open Championship at Warrenpoint on Sunday, whilst the men head to Westmeath for the Mullingar Scratch Cup, which will be played over both Sunday and Monday.