AIG Ladies Cups and Shields Day 2

 Rose Devaney (Mountbellew)  -- Pat Cashman Photography

Helen Geoff with her Lee Valley Team. - Pat Cashman Photography

Carton House, Cahir Park, Killarney, Roscommon, Lee Valley, Mountbellew, Malahide, Ballykisteen and Limerick are one step closer to winning an AIG National Pennant after their wins at the AIG Ladies Cups and Shields today.

 

Three finals, the AIG Intermediate and Minor Cup alongside the Senior Foursomes, are set for tomorrow. Carton House face Cahir Park after an extraordinary comeback win over Shandon Park in the Intermediate Cup and Mountbellew face Lee Valley in the Minor Cup final.

 

Anne Marie Murray, Lady Captain of Mountbellew is delighted to have 3 teams represented at the AIG Cups and Shields National Finals let alone have any of them reach a final, "It's been a fantastic year, to have 3 teams win a District Pennant and reach Malone, it is a great achievement for the club." With only 60 female members, approximately 30 of them actively playing, most of the club has travelled as part of the teams or to support, "It's a great buzz to have everyone here, there is great support for the teams. We have young 14-year-old Katie Coleman on the Minor Cup team who won 8&6 today and Emma, another youngster on the Challenge Cup team, so the future is bright for the club." While the Mountbellew Intermediate team suffered defeat in yesterday's quarter-finals, the AIG Minor Cup team will hope to tomorrow emulate the success of their 2012 all-Ireland win, their Challenge Cup team takes on Ulster Champions Fintona in their semi-final.

 

Roscommon, who are no strangers to All-Ireland finals, have reached their first AIG Senior Foursomes National Final having beat a strong Lucan team today. "We're absolutely delighted to have eventually made it to a final," said an elated Rosemary O'Brien. "It was a tough match today, the Lucan players were very strong and we just managed to come out the other side, really looking forward to the match against Killarney tomorrow."

 

ILGU President Vonnie Noonan spoke about the success of the 2017 AIG Ladies Cups and Shields to date; "We welcomed over 1000 spectators to Malone to support their clubs today and with three finals and six semi-finals, Friday will be another busy day. The support of Malone Golf Club, and their 100 volunteer members, has been second to none, reinforcing the fact that Irish amateur golf could not be run without volunteer support, we are all excited for what the final two days hold."

Friday's matches begin at 8:00am with the final match teeing off at 2:10pm

 

 

AIG LADIES CUPS AND SHIELDS DAY 1 RESULTS

AIG Intermediate Cup Semi Finals

Shandon Park (2) Carton House (3) (Shandon Park names first): Debbie Sweeney beat Emma Fox 3&2; Mel Rooney beat Maura Bruton 3&2; Gillian Harron lost to Siobhan Plunkett by 2 holes; Mary Thompson lost to Ros McCarthy by 1 hole; Claire Waterworth lost to Ann McQuillan 3&2

Cahir Park (3) Wicklow (2) (Cahir Park names first): Susan Carey lost to Maeve O'Boyle by 2 holes; Michelle Keating beat Katie Roche 3&2; Breda Keating beat Una Doyle 3&2; Joanne Noonan beat Deirdre Carroll 3&2; Patricia Browne lost to Mary Stapleton 6&5

 

AIG Senior Foursomes Semi Finals

Lurgan (1) Killarney (2) (Lurgan names first): Maeve Cummins & Orla O'Dowd beat Deirdre Prendergast & Eimear O'Donnell by 1 hole; Cara Murphy & Bronagh McKavanagh lost to Mary Sheehy & Fidelma O'Connor 3&2; Niamh Ward & Fiona Cummins lost to Ann Moynihan-Rudden & Amy Arthur by 2 holes

Roscommon (2) vs. Lucan (1) (Roscommon names first): Sinead Benedetti & Mary Lalor beat Kate Whyte & Sandra McCaffrey by 2 holes; Ruth Lennon & Ciara Hereward-Ryan beat Ada Bowler & Mary Kyne 3&2; Paula Quinn & Rosemary O'Brien halved with Molly Dowling & Una Murphy (called-in)

 

AIG Minor Cup Semi Finals

Donaghadee (2) Lee Valley (3) (Donaghadee names first): Fiona McGhee beat Rose Driscoll 5&3; Brooke Stranaghan beat Deirdre Lee 2&1; Jill Heron lost to Jane O'Neill 8&7; Helen Dunbar lost to Breda O'Callaghan 4&3; Janet Adams lost to Helen Gough by 1 hole

Mountbellew (4) Wexford (1) (Mountbellew names first): Katie Coleman beat Una Robinson 8&6; Kathleen Raftery halved with Therese Glasheen (called-in); Geraldine Coyne beat Geraldine O'Brien 3&1; Patricia Burke halved with Deirdre Colfer (called-in); Rose Devaney beat Breda Devoy 4&3

 

AIG Challenge Cup Quarter Final

Malahide (4) Courtown (1) (Malahide names first): Vanessa McCann beat Therese Steedman 5&3; Niamh Clarke halved with Clare Kinsella (called-in); Louise Lynch halved with Rosie Maher (called-in); Maire Falvey beat Tina Smith 4&3; Louise Young beat Mary Cooper 4&3

 

AIG Junior Foursomes Quarter Final:

Shandon Park (0.5) Ballykisteen (2.5) (Shandon Park names first): Debbie Sweeney & Debbie Thompson halved with Jane Cowhey & Catherine Murphy (called-in); Lesley Anderson & Lorraine McCaffrey lost to Catherine English & Nessa Fahy O'Donnell 4&3; Karen Simpson & Claire Waterworth lost to Sarah Toomey & Mary Toomey 5&3

 

AIG Junior Cup Quarter Final:

Lurgan (2) Limerick (3) (Lurgan names first): Sian Mulholland lost to Emma Guinnane 6&5; Christine Hagan beat Fiona McGann 4&2; Lynne Hanna lost to Siobhan Conway by 1 hole; Susan McMorrow beat Emily Walsh by 1 hole; Orla O'Dowd lost to Heather Fitzgerald by 2 holes

 

AIG LADIES CUPS AND SHIELDS DAY 3 DRAW

08:00 Junior Foursomes Semi-Final: Ballykisteen vs. Woodbrook

08:30 Junior Cup Semi-Final: Limerick vs. Stackstown

09:15 Junior Foursomes Semi-Final: Portumna vs. The Heath

09:45 Junior Cup Semi-Final: Athenry vs. Royal Curragh

10:30 Minor Cup Final: Lee Valley vs. Mountbellew

11:15 Challenge Cup Semi-Final: Malahide vs. Doneraile

12:00 Challenge Cup Semi-Final: Fintona vs. Mountbellew

13:15 Intermediate Cup Final: Carton House vs. Cahir Park

14:10 Senior Foursomes Final: Killarney vs. Roscommon

MerseyGirl Poppy gets into the swing at Poppy-G-Driving-Range

Poppy Gerrard 

Teenager Poppy Gerrard, from the dance group MerseyGirls who made it to this year’s finals of Britain’s Got Talent, is getting behind the drive to encourage more girls to take up golf.
Poppy and the MerseyGirls first hit the headlines when they earned a golden buzzer from judge Alesha Dixon in the audition stages. Now Poppy is using her fame to share her new love of golf with other girls.
Poppy was persuaded to go along to the local driving range at Moreton Hills Golf Centre on the Wirral with her dad and brother, where she was spotted by the eagle eyes of the head PGA Professional Daniel Adams.
Poppy enjoyed her introduction to golf and some healthy competition as she tried to catch up with the skills of her bother. Now, the 15-year-old, who loves being outdoors and sporty, wants to be a role model for other young girls and encourage them to try something different and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
After talking to Daniel and her mum Kath, Poppy is promoting a taster session for girls at Moreton Hills in October where the girls will be able to come along to the golf centre, meet Poppy and take part in some dancing and golfing with her.
The places filled up in record time after Poppy took to Instagram to say: “When I have not been training/dancing with MerseyGirls I have been spending some time learning a new hobby. Golf is actually a lot harder and cooler than I thought it would be.” She then invited girls to join her at Moreton Hills to “hang out, take photos and have some fun hitting golf shots.”
Since the Instagram invitation Poppy and Daniel have been busy planning the event at Moreton Hills and have been on a photo shoot around the Wirral to show what a beautiful part of the country it is to visit and play golf.
Alison Lysons, England Golf’s Cheshire Club Support Officer, said: “It’s really exciting to see someone like Poppy enjoying learning to play golf and wanting to encourage other young girls to try a new sport and become more active.
“I’m sure the event at Moreton Hills will be a great success and hope that the girls who come along will not only enjoy the event but will want to return and take advantage of the great range of classes that Daniel has on offer.”
Lauren Spray, Women and Girls’ Participation Manager at England Golf added: “Poppy’s use of Instagram has demonstrated the importance of choosing the right way to communicate with youngsters and recruit them to our sport.
“By coming directly from Poppy, her peers they have trusted her opinion and signed up to come along to have a go at golf. Poppy has presented golf in a cool, accessible way which has encouraged these teenage girls to take part and enjoy themselves. This is something England Golf is working hard to achieve through Girls Golf Rocks, our girls’ national recruitment campaign which we run jointly with the Golf Foundation.”
For more information about this event and other taster opportunities please contact Daniel Adams, Head PGA Professional at Moreton Hills Golf Centre at daniel.adams42@hotmail.com
To find out about other opportunities across the country visit www.getintogolf.org Get into golf is England’s Golf’s campaign to inspire more people to take up golf and it offers a range of low-cost beginner activities delivered by PGA professionals.
Girls Golf Rocks is a joint initiative run by England Golf and the Golf Foundation to encourage girls aged 5 to 18 to learn golf in a fun and social way, supported by amabassadors from county girls' squads.
It currently runs in 15 counties across England. Girls are invited to take part in free taster sessions and if they want to learn more, to move on into fun, informal group lessons at a golf club or driving range. Find out more at www.getintogolf.org/ggr or follow Girls Golf Rocks on Twitter at @GirlsGolfRocks1 or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GirlsGolfRocks

GOLF MEDIA RELEASE - AIG Ladies Cups and Shields

The AIG Ladies Cups and Shields National Finals in Ireland take place at Malone Golf Club from September 27 – 30. Thirty teams from across the country are hopeful to experience the success and prestige associated with winning a National Pennant.

 

On the first day of competition Cahir Park, Headfort, Carlow, Lurgan and two Mountbellew teams, teed it up in less than favourable conditions. In the AIG Intermediate Cup (handicaps 16 – 21) Cahir Park prevailed to deny the first of 3 Mountbellew teams a semi-final place. It wasn't to be a day of disappointment for the Connacht club however as their AIG Minor Cup (handicaps 22 – 27) team turned out to be too strong for Headfort. The final match of the day between the Carlow and Lurgan AIG Senior Foursomes teams was in favour of the Ulsterwomen all day and despite horrendous conditions, they held their nerve to win 2 of the 3 matches and now face Killarney in tomorrow's semi-final.

 

The AIG Ladies Cups and Shields National Finals continues tomorrow with 18 teams going head to head in a big to become All-Ireland AIG Champions.

AIG LADIES CUPS AND SHIELDS DAY 1 RESULTS

AIG Intermediate Cup Quarter Final

Cahir Park (3.5) Mountbellew (1.5) (Cahir Park names first) Susan Carey lost to Margaret Harkin by 1 hole; Michelle Keating beat Connie O'Brien by 1 hole; Breda Keating beat Mary Hyland 3&2; Joanne Noonan beat Caroline Delaney 6&4; Patricia Browne halved with Mary Costello (called-in)

 

AIG Minor Cup Quarter Final

Mountbellew (3.5) Headfort (1.5) (Mountbellew names first) Katie Coleman beat Patricia O'Doherty 4&2; Kathleen Raftery lost to Mary Bird 3&1; Geraldine Coyne beat Pauline Mullan 3&2; Patricia Burke beat Vanda Armstrong by 1 hole; Rose Devaney halved with Oonagh Clarke (called-in)

 

AIG Senior Foursomes Quarter Final

Carlow (0.5) Lurgan (2.5) (Carlow names first) Karen Delaney & Bernie Cox halved with Maeve Cummins & Orla O'Dowd (called-in); Helena Burke & Madeleine Brennan lost to Cara Murphy & Lynn Hanna 3&2; Leigh Bolger & Dolores Lacey lost to Niamh Ward & Fiona Cummins 5&4

 

AIG LADIES CUPS AND SHIELDS DAY 2 DRAW

08:00 Intermediate Cup Semi Final: Shandon Park vs. Carton House

08:45 Senior Foursomes Semi Final: Lurgan vs. Killarney

09:15 Intermediate Cup Semi Final: Cahir Park vs. Wicklow

10:00 Minor Cup Semi Final: Donaghadee vs. Lee Valley

10:45 Minor Cup Semi Final: Mountbellew/Headfort vs. Wexford

11:30 Senior Foursomes Semi Final: Roscommon vs. Lucan

12:00 Challenge Cup Quarter Final: Malahide vs. Courtown

12:45 Junior Foursomes Quarter Final: Shandon Park vs. Ballykisteen

13:15 Junior Cup Quarter Final: Lurgan vs. Limerick