Irish sextets set sights on European amateur team championships

Irish Times

11 hours ago

Ireland will seek to end a drought dating back some 17 years since its last win in the European men's amateur team championship when the event takes place at
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
this week, starting on Tuesday, with two days of strokeplay qualifying before the matchplay phase, which concludes on Saturday.
The six-man Irish team features John Doyle (Fota Island), Stuart Grehan (Co Louth), Thomas Higgins (Roscommon), Matthew McClean (Malone), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk) and Gavin Tiernan (Co Louth) on what is the 50th anniversary of the championship's last staging on the shores of Lough Leane.
Ireland hasn't won the title since 2008 when Shane Lowry was part of the winning team for a second straight year, having also playing in 2007 when Rory McIlroy was also a member of the victorious sextet.
'The game plan is just to go and get after it. We have to be positive and aggressive. The course lends itself to some positive play. There are plenty of opportunities out there,' said Ireland team captain Damien Coyne.
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Meanwhile, a strong Ireland women's team – all six of whom played in last week's KPMG Irish Open at Carton House, where Emma Fleming finished as leading amateur – compete in the European Team Championship at Chantilly in France.
Fleming (Elm Park), Áine Donegan (Lahinch), Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle), Rebekah Gardner (Clandeboye), Anna Dawson (Tramore) and Marina Joyce Moreno (Llavaneras) form a strong team seeking to win the title for the first time since 1983.
'They've travelled the world, most of them are in college in the States. They all know how to manage themselves ... the game plan is one day at a time, so we'll just try to keep them focused. It's just taking your opportunities when they come without forcing it. It's just a matter of time until we win again, and hopefully it'll be this week,' said team captain Gillian O'Leary.
Two other Irish teams are also involved in European team championships this week: the boys – William O'Riordan (Greystones); John William Burke (Ballyhaunis); Caelan Coleman (Galway Bay); Adam Fahey (Portmarnock); Louis Goodman (Co Louth); and Isaac Oliver (Glasson) – are in the Czech Republic, while the girls team – Kate Dillon (Oughterard); Zoe McLean-Tattan (Romford); Olivia Costello (Roscommon); Róisín Scanlon (Woburn); Kayleigh Mulholland (Moyola Park); and Hannah Lee-McNamara (Royal Portrush) – are in Slaley Hall, England.
Brian Campbell celebrates with the trophy after winning the John Deere Classic 2025 at TPC Deere Run on July 6th in Silvis, Illinois. Photograph:Word of Mouth
'[I had] to start thinking about am I going do something else? Maybe pro golf or this route is not going to work out? It really was at second stage Q-School about two, three years ago. I made like a quintuple bogey on a par 3 and I thought my career was over in that moment. That night I just kind of had a self-talk with myself. Said, 'you know what, whatever happens is okay. Trust yourself'. The next round I went out there and shot 8-under and got myself right back in there. I guess I was like, 'maybe golf is not over for me'. That moment was when everything changed.'
– Brian Campbell
on persevering in his dream to be a PGA Tour player. His win in the John Deere was his second of the season, adding to his breakthrough win in the Mexico Open. Both wins came in playoffs.
By the Numbers: 9,000,000
That's the amount – in US dollars – of the prize fund at this week's Genesis Scottish Open, a tournament sanctioned on the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
On this day: July 8th, 2001
Golfing karma came Darren Clarke's way as he finally managed to win the Smurfit European Open at The K Club.
Two years previously, in 1999, Clarke had carried a six strokes lead into the final round only to slump to a closing 76 and for his best friend Lee Westwood to come from seven behind at the start of the day to take the honours.
Clarke – a winner already in Japan and South Africa that year – took one of the most prestigious titles on the European Tour with rounds of 68-68-71-66 for a total of 15-under-par 273, three shots clear of Pádraig Harrington, Ian Woosnam and Thomas Bjorn.
En route to winning, Clarke made the most of a kind bounce. On the sixth hole, he hooked his second shot which hit a tree trunk – 'an outrageous bit of fortune', the player later admitted – and the ball rebounded kindly to finish 8ft from flag. He holed the birdie putt.
After winning, Clarke soaked in the applause of the large gallery assembled around the 18th. 'I took my time there, absorbing the moment. It meant a great deal to me to win at home and I can't tell you how much it means to get the monkey of two years ago off my back. That was the lowest I've ever felt in my golfing life and it was great today to play as well as I did after the disappointment I had then.'
Social Swing
Take a bow @LottieWoad Just the -21 and winning by 6 on the @LETgolf
–
Justin Rose
suitably impressed by the world amateur number one's win at Carton House.
Fourth this week at the @kpmgwomensopen @letgolf Overall had such a good week playing in Ireland for the first time competitively as a professional which was made even better by the fans
– Charley Hull
, who proved very popular with the fans at the KPMG Women's Irish Open.
Know the Rules
Q:
In a match while waiting to play on a par-3, a player gets their caddie to lift the towel covering the opponent's clubs to see which club their opponent is going to use. What is the ruling?
A:
The player loses the hole (As covered under rules 10.2a and 10.3c, a player must not touch another player's equipment to learn information that would be advice if given by or asked of the other player. A player is also responsible for their caddie's actions).
KPMG Women's Irish Open 2025, Carton House, Maynooth, this month where
Lottie Woad posted impressive numbers.
Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
In the Bag: Lottie Woad (KPMG Women's Irish Open)
Driver:
Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees)
3-Wood:
Titleist TSR2 (15 degrees)
7-Wood:
Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees)
Hybrid:
Titleist TSR2 (18 degrees)
Irons:
Titleist T150 (5-PW)
Wedges:
Titleist Vokey SM10 (50 and 54 degrees) Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58 degrees)
Putter:
Odyssey White Hot OG #5
Ball:
Titleist ProV1