Sunday’s win by Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans came just three days after a historic gathering of former West of Ireland champions at County Sligo and put into context the massive contribution of that championship to Irish golf over the past 100 years.
The West of Ireland Championship is just over four weeks away and golfers looking to hone their games for the opening amateur “major” will have a chance to prepare by teeing it up on links terrain in the 36-hole Laytown and Bettystown Senior Scratch Cup on Sunday, March 27.
In a stellar golf career spanning over six decades, Clandeboye's David Jackson, Jacko, Davy or Stonewall as some journalists liked to label him, has demonstrated over the years that the overriding importance of having a secure short game is more important than length.
Born in 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.
Des Smyth and Declan Branigan in their younger days
Des Smyth will be bidding for his seventh title when the 100th Ladbrokes.com Irish PGA is played at Seapoint–the course he co-designed with childhood friend Declan Branigan–from September 23-26.
