McIlroy six behind Rose; Caldwell and Maguire contending

Justin Rose. Picture © USGA

Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are six shots behind an impressive Justin Rose after the opening round of the Dell Technologies Championship at a windy TPC Boston.

McIlroy was one-under par with six holes to play but while he bogeyed the 13th and 15th, he got up and down from greenside sand at the 18th, making a seven-footer for a closing birdie to post a level par 71 and match FedEx Cup leader Bryson DeChambeau.

It was a struggle for the Co Down man, who hit just six fairways and failed to hit his approaches close in the second FedEx Cup playoff event, racking up 32 putts on slick greens.

He could have his work cut out to catch Rose, who birdied the 17th and 18th for an immaculate, six-under 65 and a one-shot lead over Abraham Ancer and Russell Knox as he seeks a win that could make him world No 1.

Knox is one of several Europeans hoping for a Ryder Cup wildcard and he was also impressive, picking up five shots in his last six holes for his 66 with the highlight a 109-yard hole-out for an eagle two at the 15th.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Credit, Getty Images

Rafa Cabrera Bello shot three-under 68 and Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey both posted 69s to give Bjorn food for thought while US skipper Jim Furyk got confirmation of Woods’ fighting qualities when the veteran came back from three over after seven holes to card a one-over 72.

"When I did miss it, I missed it in bad spots," Woods said. "Hopefully, I can miss in the correct spots and make a few more birdies than that tomorrow."

Bezuidenhout leads in Denmark

On the European Tour, South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout carded seven under 65 to lead the Made in Denmark by two shots from Lee Westwood (65) and Jonathan Thomson (68) on 13-under. 

That's bad news for Ryder Cup hopefuls Eddie Pepperell and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who must win to overhaul local hero Thorbjørn Olesen and qualify automatically. Scores

As Olesen recovered from his opening 73 with a 68 to make the cut, Pepperell shot 69 to trail Bezuidenhout by eight shots with Fitzpatrick a shot further back after a 68.

“Obviously I need a very low scoring weekend to win but that is not impossible," Fitzpatrick said. "It will take a silly low weekend though. I think if I could shoot a couple of 64s then I would have a chance.”

Adri Arnaus © golfsupport.nl

If Fitzpatrick were to win, a tie for seventh with one other or better would see Olesen keep the final place, while a top 12 from the Dane would keep a victorious Pepperell at bay.

Caldwell lurking in France

On the Challenge Tour, Clandeboye's Jonathan Caldwell shot a five-under 65 in the second round of the Cordon Golf Open to move up to tied third, just a shot behind leaders Ben Evans and Adri Arnaus on seven-under. Scores

Gavin Moynihan (66) and Dermot McElroy (72) are tied for 15th, just four behind, with Michael Hoey (70) tied 25th on three-under and Cormac Sharvin (71) scraping in for the weekend on one-over.

Late mistakes costly for Clarke

Darren Clarke dropped three shots in his last two holes, finishing double-bogey, bogey to open with a level par 70 in the PGA Tour Champions’ Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary.
He's six shots behind Miguel Angel Jiménez and Kirk Triplett, who shot six-under 64s (scores) while on the Staysure Tour, Paul Streeter fired a six-under-par 66 to lead the Travis Perkins Masters by three strokes from Carl Mason and James Kingston at Woburn.

Des Smyth is tied 14th after a 72 and Brendan McGovern 23rd after a 73.

Mark Young with Tulfarris' Pat Barrett and Jim Murphy CEO of PREM Group

No joy for Irish at Tulfarris

On the PGA Europro Tour, Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney double bogeyed the 18th for a 71 and overnight leader John Ross Galbraith made bogey for a 74 to miss out on a playoff for the PREM Group Irish Masters at Tulfarris.

They tied for fourth on eight-under (£1,750 each), a shot outside a three-way playoff where England’s Mark Young parred the 18th to beat Ashley Mansell and Tomasz Anderson and clinch his third win of the season and a cheque for £10,000.  Scores

Leona four back in South Dakota

On the Symetra Tour, Leona Maguire followed a career-low 65 with a two-over 72 to slip four shots behind clubhouse leader Dottie Ardina (67) in the Sioux Falls Greatlife Challenge in South Dakota.

She was tied for sixth on three-under par with Stephanie Meadow 11 shots off the lead on four-over after rounds of 73 and 71. Scores

Ardina leads by one from Elizabeth Nagel (66),  Sweden's Linnea Johansson (66) and Allyssa Ferrell (67)

from News - Irish Golf Desk https://ift.tt/2PprVHP

Fighting Irish eye last gasp medal charge

Olivia Mehaffey (Ireland) driving at the 6th tee in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Espirito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare. Picture by Pat Cashman

Ireland's Olivia Mehaffey defied a stiff southerly wind to lead from the front and give the girls in green a shot a medal in the World Amateur Team Championships at a wind-blown Carton House.

The hosts looked down and out after a disappointing day two performance left them 13 shots off the medal places in the Espirito Santo Trophy.

But a frustrated Mehaffey (20) blew off steam with an early morning gym session and came out fighting, blasting five birdies in a two-under 70 on the tough Montgomerie Course that included three in her last four holes.

“After the round initially I needed some space, I put my headphones in and went and practised by myself,” Mehaffey said of her determination to overcome Thursday's disappointment.

“Then I had a wee chat with [coaches] Dave [Kearney] and Donal [Scott] who were trying to get me to focus more on the next two days.

"So it feels good to turn it around. I think we were all a bit more relaxed and ready to go out and fight today.”

With Annabel Wilson battling her way to level par 72 and Paula Grant’s gutsy 73 discarded despite two closing birdies, Ireland’s two-under third round aggregate was the best of any nation in the top-10, catapulting them from tenth to solo fourth on four-under par.

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Annabel Wilson (Ireland) pitching to the 15th green in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Olivia Mehaffey (Ireland) driving at the 1st tee in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Irish support in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Olivia Mehaffey (Ireland) pitching on to the 7th green in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Irish support in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Paula Grant (Ireland) playing to the 15th green in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Irish support in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

2018 World Amateur Team Championship at Carton House Golf Resort

Olivia Mehaffey (Ireland) reacts to a missed putt on the 6th green in the third round of the 2018 World Amateur Team Championship (Esprito Santo Trophy) at Carton House Golf Resort, Maynooth, Co Kildare today (31/08/2018). Picture by Pat Cashman

They might be 15 shots behind the United States, who lead by five shots on 19-under par from defending champions South Korea.

But while they are also nine strokes adrift of third-placed Japan, they could still challenge for a bronze medal with two hot final rounds on the more accessible, par-73 O’Meara Course today.

"We’ve seen a 64, we've seen a 65," Mehaffey said of Ireland’s chances of mounting a final day charge today with the Japanese fighting for their first podium finish in the Espirito Santo Trophy. "There's no reason to believe we can't do that.

"We are good when we are being aggressive, and you can do that on O'Meara. I am personally very excited, and I am sure the girls are as well. 

"A couple of low ones tomorrow and we will see what happens."

She certainly proud of the way she fought back yesterday to give Ireland what is still only a slim chance of a medal.

"I had a lot of fight today," Mehaffey said after making back-to-back eight-footer for birdies at the 17th and 18th to erase the disappointment of her closing double bogey for a level par 73 at the O’Meara on Thursday.

"Even this morning I wasn't quite over it so I went to the gym to let a wee bit of frustration out, and I came out fighting. 

"I wanted to do a good job, and I am pretty proud of how I played today. O'Meara tomorrow and a couple of low ones from any of us and definitely we can shoot up the leaderboard and have a good chance."

Non-playing captain Danielle McVeigh believes that playing smart, aggressive golf and still pay off.

"We just need to score as low as we possibly can, who knows what’s going to happen," she said. "If the players can stand up and commit to each and every shot tomorrow, I think we’ll be in a good spot. 

"Aggressive play to smart targets has been our mantra all week. The strategy may change for tomorrow but golf owes us nothing, it’s up to us to go and take it. We’ll see how many birdies we can make and see where we’re at the end of tomorrow."

Mehaffey lies fifth in the individual standings on four-under, 10 shots behind Korea’s Ayean Cho who followed her nine-under 64 on the O’Meara Course in round two with a one-under 71 on the Montgomerie.

She heads Japan’s Yuka Yasuda (72) by a shot with American world No 1 Jennifer Kupcho two shots further back on 11-under after she birdied her last four holes to shoot 71.

Ireland’s two-under day was the best of the nations in the top 10 although the Americans rallied to shoot one-under yesterday with Kristen Gillman shooting 72.

Holders South Korea struggled to a three-over total and while Cho shot 71, a four-over 76 by Seo Yun Kwon was their next best score as they posted a three-over total to allow the Americans to open up a five-shot lead.

“It was a really tough day, and everyone had to grind,” said USA captain Stasia Collins. “We were on 12 and we had two players at plus 3, and I told them that their scores might count, and they had to grind it out. They worked very hard and made some birdies coming in. It was great.”

Kristen Gillman of United States of America

United States of America team members Kristen Gillman, (left), and Jennifer Kupcho embrace at the 18th green, during the third round of stroke play at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Jennifer Kupcho of United States of America

Jennifer Kupcho of United States of America signs a golf ball for standard bearer following her third round on the Montgomerie Course at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Ayean Cho of Republic of Korea

Ayean Cho of Republic of Korea, plays her tee shot at the fourth hole, during the third round of stroke play on the Montgomerie Course at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Ayean Cho of Republic of Korea

Ayean Cho of Republic of Korea, plays her second shot at the ninth hole, during the third round of stroke play on the Montgomerie Course at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Shannon McWilliam of Scotland

Julie McWilliam the mother of competitor Shannon McWilliam of Scotland watches play at the first green, during the third round of stroke play at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Yuka Yasuda of Japan

Yuka Yasuda of Japan, plays her second shot at the ninth hole, during the third round of stroke play on the Montgomerie Course at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

Lilia Vu of United States of America

United States of America team members (left to right); Captain Stasia Collins, Lilia Vu and Kristen Gillman of United States of America celebrate their teammate Jennifer Kupcho's birdie at the 18th hole, during the third round of stroke play at the 2018 Women's World Amateur Team at Carton House Golf Club in Dublin, Ireland on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018. (Copyright USGA/Steven Gibbons)

One of those players was McCormack medal winner and World No. 1  Kupcho, who shrugged off a shaky start for her one-under 71.

“I was struggling with putting so I decided instead of lining up the ball, I would set the ball down the putt like I do in practice,” said Kupcho, who won the 2018 NCAA Women’s individual title playing for Wake Forest.

“I don’t’ focus that much and I just hit it. It worked really well, and I made some putts and got my confidence back and I birdied the last two holes, which was a bonus.”

Two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Gillman rebounded from three dropped shots in two holes to finish with an even-par 72, which gave the Americans a team total of 143.

Japan kept its place in third position at 421 followed by resurgent host Ireland in fourth at 430 and Italy, Germany and People’s Republic of China tied for fifth at 431. Completing the top 10 were Austria in eighth at 432, Mexico in ninth at 433 and Denmark in 10th at 434.

Quotable

Karoline Stormo of Norway (on her 3-under 70 at the O’Meara Course)

“We had been hitting the ball really good the last two days and today the putts started dropping. That was the main difference. We knew we were capable of shooting low. I think both courses are really nice. It was not as tough as it was the other days as it was not as windy. The weather was really nice – it was warm.”

Ayean Cho of Republic of Korea

"I was a little worried with the wind this morning, but I started OK and it gave me confidence to play. On the back nine, the wind got a little slower and that’s why I played well.”

Kristen Gillman, USA

“You always want to be in the lead, so it definitely helps going into tomorrow.”

Notable

• The field’s youngest player, 13-year-old Shannon Tan of Singapore, has recorded a 54-hole total of 234 (79-78-77) and is her team’s best scorer.
• Norway ‘s Renate Hjelle Grimstad and Karoline Stormo posted identical 3-under 70s at the O’Meara Course and helped move their country to T-12th after starting the day T-33rd. The pair play college golf in the USA: Grimstad at the University of Miami and Stormo at Kent State. “Yesterday we were all hitting it really good and nothing dropped in,” Grimstad said. “It’s good now to see we are able to climb up the leaderboard….All of a sudden we can count ourselves up there. We are all really pretty happy for tomorrow – it should be a good day.” The team’s 140 was the best of the day.
• The best round of the day belonged to Pauline Roussin-Bouchard of France, who posted a 5-under 68 at the O’Meara, where she recorded five birdies, an eagle and a double bogey. She won the St. Rule Trophy at St Andrews in 2016.
• In the final round, the USA will be looking for its first medal since it earned silver in 2010. If it holds its position, it will win the Espirito Santo Trophy for the 14th time.
• The Republic of Korea is vying for its fifth consecutive medal and has won the WWATC three of the past four competitions.
• Japan is seeking its first medal in 28 appearances. Its best finish is fourth in 1984.

What’s Next: 

Round 4 begins Saturday at 07:45 a.m. off the No. 1 tees on both courses. The leading teams will play on the O’Meara course in the final round.

More

Spectators are encouraged to attend, and entry into Carton House for the 2018 World Amateur Team Championships is free.  For more information, please visit igfgolf.org/watc/watc-2018/

World Amateur Team Championships, Espirito Santo Trophy, Carton House

After 54 holes

Team

415 United States of America (Gillman 72, Vu 73, Kupcho 71)

420 Republic of Korea (Kwon 76, Hong 80, Cho 71)

421 Japan (Yoshida 76, Yasuda 72, Nishimura 74)

430 Ireland (Mehaffey 70, Grant 73, Wilson 72)

431 Germany (Harm 79, Hausmann 73, Henseleit 75)

431 Italy (Don 74, Paltrinieri 72, Nobilio 76)

431 People's Republic of China (Du 79, Liu 75, Yin 77)

432 Austria (Bettel 76, Ruettimann 79, Spitz 73)

433 Mexico (Lopez 81, Ruiz Laphond 74, Fassi 71)

434 Denmark (Fredgaard 74, Nielsen 75, Hansen 73)

435 Switzerland (Valenzuela 71, Berger 72, Moosmann 74)

436 Canada (Ko 75, Lee 72, Szeryk 71)

436 Sweden (Kinhult 73, Wallin 76, Grant 74)

437 New Zealand (Alvarez 74, Garvey 72, Keh 77)

438 Australia (Kay 73, Kim 76, Hodgkins 83)

438 France (Roussin-Bouchard 68, Broze 73, Laisne 73)

438 Norway (Stormo 70, Forbrigd 74, Hjelle Grimstad 70)

438 Paraguay (Escauriza Stoeckl 75, Garcia Peralta 77, Servin 73)

438 Spain (Marfa Sans 73, Hualde Zuniga 76, Perez Sanmartin 76)

439 England (Fuller 73, Muse 76, Lamb 77)

439 South Africa (Telfer 73, Mistry 77, MacNab 72)

440 Netherlands (Bontan 76, Meekers 85, Weber 74)

442 Chinese Taipei (Lin 71, Lin 77, Huang 80)

442 Thailand (Boon-In 78, Piddon 78, Tatematsu 78)

444 India (Dagar 76, Dilawari 81, Sagoo 77)

444 Scotland (Jaffrey 81, McCook 82, McWilliam 74)

445 Belgium (Aveling 82, Louis 74, Van Dievoet 85)

445 Czech Republic (Ryskova 77, Vlasinova 72, Kouskova 75)

445 Dominican Republic (Corrie-Kuehn 88, Kim 75, Kuehn 73)

445 Malaysia (Shaari 77, Wong 70, Durisic 76)

446 Argentina (Anacona 80, Rossi 72, Simmermacher 72)

446 Puerto Rico (Rodriguez 74, Rivera 79, Pacheco Claudio 71)

447 Morocco (Laklalech 74, Rich 77, Belmati 74)

447 Venezuela (Raga 85, Gilly 75, De Antonio 76)

450 Colombia (Garces Escalante 77, Giraldo Roys 77, Serrano Silva 79)

450 Finland (Backman 74, Saksa 83, Riihijarvi WD)

452 Hong Kong, China (Cheung 79, Ho 80, Leung 83)

454 Iceland (Kristinsdottir 75, Traustadottir 83, Einarsdottir 76)

454 Portugal (Barroso Sa 80, Bessa 78, Gouveia 74)

455 Peru (Farah 73, Ballesteros 82, Fernandez-Davila 74)

455 Slovenia (Fric 75, Obersnel 76, Jecnik 76)

457 Guatemala (Echeverria 75, Mendizabal Riepele 85, Arenas 87)

459 Uruguay (Schmid 73, Marques 80, Garcia Austt Marques 78)

459 Wales (Morris 76, Ryan 77, O'Connor 79)

461 Slovakia (Heckova 78, Drocarova 75, Bolcikova 76)

462 Chile (Morgan 82, Matte 80, Villavicencio 79)

463 Poland (Polivchak 78, Gradecka 78, Zalewska 81)

465 Turkey (Ersoy 71, Bilgic 80, Timur 78)

466 Singapore (Chen 81, Ng 78, Tan 77)

470 Lithuania (Jarasunaite 81, Starkute 76)

476 Latvia (Gustafssone 77, Jucmane 79, Marksa 87)

477 Brazil (Grinberg 79, Lacaz Martins 79, de Araujo Caetano 81)

487 Guam (Tarpley WD, Vongjalorn 79, Peterson 83)

491 Bulgaria (Borisova 81, Simeonova 86, Skokanska 82)

493 Tunisia (Ladhari 85, Mansouri 85, Saki 76)

511 Ukraine (Rastvortseva 81, Horokhovska 86, Sapronova 100)

512 Lebanon (Assaf 96, Richani 80, Assaf 91).

---

Individual Standings (M=Montgomerie Course O=O’Meara Course)

Individual

203 A Cho (KOR), 68M, 64O, 71M;

204 Y Yasuda (JPN), 65M, 67O, 72M;

206 J Kupcho (USA), 70M, 65O, 71M;

211 K Gillman (USA), 74M, 65O, 72M;

213 O Mehaffey (IRL), 70M, 73O, 70M;

214 L Vu (USA), 72M, 69O, 73M; M Fassi (MEX), 74O, 69M, 71M;

215 R Kay (AUS), 68M, 74O, 73M; A Valenzuela (SUI), 73M, 71O, 71M; T Piddon (THA), 70M, 67O, 78M; P Roussin-Bouchard (FRA), 72O, 75M, 68O;

216 C Louis (BEL), 73M, 69O, 74M; M Escauriza Stoeckl (PAR), 72M, 69O, 75M; T Lin (TPE), 74O, 71M, 71M;

217 A Wilson (IRL), 71M, 74O, 72M; J Lee (CAN), 76M, 69O, 72M; Y Nishimura (JPN), 71M, 72O, 74M; A Nobilio (ITA), 73M, 68O, 76M; M Du (CHN), 67O, 71M, 79M; S Hausmann (GER), 73O, 71M, 73M; E Henseleit (GER), 72O, 70M, 75M; P Echeverria (GUA), 73O, 69M, 75M; L Bettel (AUT), 69O, 72M, 76M; S McWilliam (SCO), 74O, 69M, 74M; R Kuehn (DOM), 71O, 73M, 73O;

218 M Hansen (DEN), 72M, 73O, 73M; A Garvey (NZL), 76M, 70O, 72M; F Kinhult (SWE), 74M, 71O, 73M; C Don (ITA), 70M, 74O, 74M; G Wong (MAS), 76M, 72O, 70O; C MacNab (RSA), 75O, 71M, 72M;

219 S Kwon (KOR), 74M, 69O, 76M; L Grant (SWE), 73M, 72O, 74M; E Spitz (AUT), 73O, 73M, 73M;
220 Y Yoshida (JPN), 71M, 73O, 76M; Z Bontan (NED), 72M, 72O, 76M; R Yin (CHN), 73O, 70M, 77M; E Hualde Zuniga (ESP), 77O, 67M, 76M;

221 S Nielsen (DEN), 75M, 71O, 75M; A Fuller (ENG), 74M, 74O, 73M; W Liu (CHN), 77O, 69M, 75M; K Telfer (RSA), 75O, 73M, 73M; A Backman (FIN), 75O, 72M, 74M; S Kouskova (CZE), 73O, 73M, 75O; R Hjelle Grimstad (NOR), 78O, 73M, 70O; V Pacheco Claudio (PUR), 75O, 75M, 71O;

222 P Grant (IRL), 74M, 75O, 73M;

222 K Fredgaard (DEN), 79M, 69O, 74M; S Sagoo (IND), 78M, 67O, 77M; M Szeryk (CAN), 80M, 71O, 71M; A Servin (PAR), 77M, 72O, 73M; E Paltrinieri (ITA), 76M, 74O, 72M; L Harm (GER), 70O, 73M, 79M; K Stormo (NOR), 77O, 75M, 70O; D Forbrigd (NOR), 73O, 75M, 74O; L Belmati (MAR), 72O, 76M, 74O;

223 Y Hong (KOR), 72M, 71O, 80M; S Garces Escalante (COL), 75M, 71O, 77M; E Moosmann (SUI), 74M, 75O, 74M; M Farah (PER), 75M, 75O, 73O; D Dagar (IND), 74M, 73O, 76M; N Ko (CAN), 78M, 70O, 75M; H Muse (ENG), 77M, 70O, 76M; S Lamb (ENG), 75M, 71O, 77M; P Marfa Sans (ESP), 80O, 70M, 73M; E Broze (FRA), 76O, 74M, 73O;

224 J Alvarez (NZL), 73M, 77O, 74M; D Weber (NED), 77M, 73O, 74M; J Ruettimann (AUT), 76O, 69M, 79M; C De Antonio (VEN), 72O, 76M, 76M;

225 Y Berger (SUI), 79M, 74O, 72M; W Keh (NZL), 75M, 73O, 77M; M Perez Sanmartin (ESP), 75O, 74M, 76M; A Laisne (FRA), 76O, 76M, 73O; M Ho (HKG), 74O, 71M, 80M; I Laklalech (MAR), 78O, 73M, 74O;

226 G Kim (AUS), 73M, 77O, 76M; I Fric (SLO), 81M, 70O, 75O; C Lopez (MEX), 73O, 72M, 81M; K Vlasinova (CZE), 77O, 77M, 72O;

227 M Simmermacher (ARG), 77M, 78O, 72O; R Tatematsu (THA), 77M, 72O, 78M; B Wallin (SWE), 80M, 71O, 76M; P Schmid (URU), 76M, 78O, 73O; A Ruiz Laphond (MEX), 79O, 74M, 74M; C Jaffrey (SCO), 74O, 72M, 81M; M Cheung (HKG), 70O, 78M, 79M; L Bessa (POR), 78O, 71M, 78O; G Starkute (LTU), 75O, 76M, 76O;

228 E Anacona (ARG), 75M, 73O, 80O; V Rossi (ARG), 79M, 77O, 72O; D Gradecka (POL), 76M, 74O, 78O; S Shaari (MAS), 78M, 73O, 77O; L Durisic (MAS), 78M, 74O, 76O; Y Kim (DOM), 77O, 76M, 75O; H Einarsdottir (ISL), 79O, 73M, 76O;

229 M Serrano Silva (COL), 79M, 71O, 79M; A Bolcikova (SVK), 77M, 76O, 76O; V Obersnel (SLO), 79M, 74O, 76O; N Boon-In (THA), 77M, 74O, 78M;

229 B Morris (WAL), 79M, 74O, 76O; Y Huang (TPE), 79O, 70M, 80M; H Ryskova (CZE), 77O, 75M, 77O; S Gouveia (POR), 81O, 74M, 74O; Y Rodriguez (PUR), 77O, 78M, 74O;

230 K Mistry (RSA), 79O, 74M, 77M; K Lin (TPE), 79O, 74M, 77M; J Rivera (PUR), 75O, 76M, 79O;

231 M Jucmane (LAT), 79M, 73O, 79O; N Villavicencio (CHI), 76M, 76O, 79O; R Meekers (NED), 75M, 71O, 85M;

232 K Hodgkins (AUS), 75M, 74O, 83M; K O'Connor (WAL), 78M, 75O, 79O; S Garcia Peralta (PAR), 83M, 72O, 77M; E Saksa (FIN), 76O, 73M, 83M; H McCook (SCO), 77O, 73M, 82M;

233 V Giraldo Roys (COL), 83M, 73O, 77M; R Dilawari (IND), 77M, 75O, 81M; C Aveling (BEL), 78M, 73O, 82M; A Matte (CHI), 80M, 73O, 80O; S Garcia Austt Marques (URU), 78M, 77O, 78O; S Barroso Sa (POR), 80O, 73M, 80O;

234 K Drocarova (SVK), 81M, 78O, 75O; J Fernandez-Davila (PER), 82M, 78O, 74O; S Ersoy (TUR), 83M, 80O, 71O; S Timur (TUR), 81M, 75O, 78O; S Tan (SGP), 79M, 78O, 77O; V Gilly (VEN), 84O, 75M, 75M; S Traustadottir (ISL), 76O, 75M, 83O;

235 N Heckova (SVK), 80M, 77O, 78O; L Jecnik (SLO), 83M, 76O, 76O; V Richani (LBN), 79O, 76M, 80O;

236 J Marques (URU), 79M, 77O, 80O; N Vongjalorn (GUM), 78O, 79M, 79O;

237 E Van Dievoet (BEL), 74M, 78O, 85M; S Morgan (CHI), 78M, 77O, 82O; L Grinberg (BRA), 74O, 84M, 79O;

238 C Chen (SGP), 82M, 75O, 81O; I Ng (SGP), 79M, 81O, 78O; G Saki (TUN), 84O, 78M, 76O; I Rich (MAR), 84O, 77M, 77O;

239 J Ryan (WAL), 81M, 81O, 77O; N Polivchak (POL), 87M, 74O, 78O; I Leung (HKG), 78O, 78M, 83M;

240 D Ballesteros (PER), 82M, 76O, 82O; V Mendizabal Riepele (GUA), 77O, 78M, 85M;

241 D Zalewska (POL), 83M, 77O, 81O; A Raga (VEN), 73O, 83M, 85M;

242 D Bilgic (TUR), 80M, 82O, 80O; L de Araujo Caetano (BRA), 80O, 81M, 81O;

243 S Jarasunaite (LTU), 80O, 82M, 81O;

244 M Borisova (BUL), 82O, 81M, 81O;

245 R Kristinsdottir (ISL), 85O, 85M, 75O;

248 K Gustafssone (LAT), 89M, 82O, 77O;

251 R Peterson (GUM), 84O, 84M, 83O; E Rastvortseva (UKR), 81O, 89M, 81O; M Lacaz Martins (BRA), 88O, 84M, 79O;

252 I Simeonova (BUL), 83O, 83M, 86O;

253 B Corrie-Kuehn (DOM), 82O, 83M, 88O;

254 S Skokanska (BUL), 90O, 82M, 82O;

256 A Marksa (LAT), 86M, 83O, 87O;

257 K Ladhari (TUN), 86O, 86M, 85O;

258 B Arenas (GUA), 83O, 88M, 87M;

260 D Horokhovska (UKR), 88O, 86M, 86O;

264 H Mansouri (TUN), 84O, 95M, 85O;

280 S Assaf (LBN), 89O, 100M, 91O;

293 V Sapronova (UKR), 98O, 95M, 100O; L Assaf (LBN), 100O, 97M, 96O;

WD K Riihijarvi (FIN), 73O, 74M, WDM; R Tarpley (GUM), 87O, 91M, WDO.

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Lenehan completes amazing Munster comeback

GUI President John Moloughney presents the trophy to Munster captain Michael Coote following their win in the 2018 Interprovincial Championship at Athenry.  Picture © Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie

Munster completed an amazing comeback to win the Interprovincial Championship at Athenry on a dramatic final day.

"No way," said Geoff Lenehan when told his par putt on 18 had clinched the title. His Munster teammates were smiling but they were not joking. Lenehan's one-hole win against Alan Fahy ensured Munster had the six points necessary for a match victory over Leinster.

That result pushed Munster ahead of Ulster, who had earlier beaten Connacht, and so, for the first time since 2014, Munster were crowned champions.

"That was unbelievable ," said Munster captain Michael Coote. "We knew this morning after being down 3-1, we had a great team meeting before we went out. I told them, 'Lads we did 6-1 yesterday in the singles [against Connacht]. I only want 5-2 today.' And they pulled it off. What a team."

For much of the afternoon, a Leinster four-in-a-row looked the more likely outcome. After collecting three points from the foursomes, the reigning champions only needed three more to retain their crown. Ulster still had a say in the outcome provided they beat Connacht handsomely but the signs were pointing east.

"I was just happy to be playing," said Lenehan, still shell-shocked by it all. On Wednesday he tweaked his left wrist and was unable to complete his match against Ulster's Marc Norton, retiring injured after four holes.

The 30-year-old had to sit it out on Thursday as he contemplated returning home. Lenehan had even booked in with a specialist. Thankfully, for Munster, it was an appointment he did not fulfil, opting to take his chances in Athenry instead.

Peter O'Keeffe & Geoff Lenehan (Munster) during final day foursomes at the Interprovincial Championship 2018 at Athenry. Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie

"I felt something was catching on my backswing," Lenehan explained. "Yesterday morning it was still bad and I was querying whether to go home. I actually had a specialist booked today and then just yesterday afternoon I tried to hit some half shots and it felt okay.

"We checked it again later and cleared it for the foursomes and then during the foursomes we cleared it for the singles."

It sure helped that Lenehan only had to play 13 holes in the morning session. Paired with Peter O'Keeffe, the Munster duo recorded an emphatic 7&5 win over Alan Fahy and Charlie Denvir. And yet at that stage, it was the only ray of light for Munster as Leinster had won the other three matches.

"I'm just amazed by these guys," said team captain Coote. "We got caught the first day with the injury to Geoff and we came out lethargic the second day. Against Connacht in the singles, my God, we pulled the stops out."

After losing to Ulster on the first day, Munster would have been out of the running had they gone down to Connacht. Holding a one-point lead from the foursomes, Munster were simply awesome in the singles, winning six of seven matches. Meanwhile, Leinster's defeat of Ulster meant that all four teams had a chance of taking the title.

Contemplating the various permutations was a headache. And as the key matches turned to face the back nine, hearts too began to throb.

For Munster, James Sugrue played a leading role at the top of the order. One-down playing the 15th, he looked likely to lose the hole but sank a 20-footer from off the green to pinch it from Caolan Rafferty before closing out a crucial win on 18.

"James Sugrue had a huge win and next thing we got three in a row," said the captain. "He turned the tide and then the whole thing turned in our favour."

After Sugrue came Eanna Griffin, again sealing it on 18 against Robbie Cannon, while Peter O'Keeffe had by then beaten Jonathan Yates 3&2. Now, attention turned to the back order. John Hickey was rock solid in the anchor leg, defeating Eugene Smith on 16, just before Lenehan struck.

James Sugrue (Munster). Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie

"It was amazing when I hit my second shot to 18. It was all quiet and when my opponent hit in, the Ulster lads were roaring upstairs so I kind of had an inkling that something was going on," said Lenehan.

Ulster roars greeted Alan Fahy's neat approach because a win at the last for the Leinster man would have resulted in a halved match with Lenehan, leaving Ulster to take the spoils. When Fahy failed to convert for birdie from 15 feet, Ulster hopes abated. Lenehan holed from four feet and rapturous cheers rose from the Munster squad assembled beside the green

"We've had a few bad years," said Lenehan. "The wounds are sore and to come back is great. There's a lot of experience in our side. We've a good belief that we can do it and under pressure that we can win."

Team captain Michael Coote paid tribute to the match-winner.

"To come back and do what he did was fantastic," he said but it seemed like destiny that the Portmarnock player would find himself in that position.

"I holed the winning putt in our other two wins that I was involved in, 2014 and 2012," said Lenehan. "I don't know how it falls to me. I've no idea but it's great."

Nails bitten to the quick, Munster, finally, were the ones celebrating after a rollercoaster finale to the Interprovincial Championship.

Men’s Interprovincial Championship, Athenry Golf Club

Final Standings

1. Munster
2. Ulster
3. Leinster
4. Connacht

Day 3 Scores

Ulster 6.5 Connacht 4.5 (Ulster names first)

Foursomes

1. T McLarnon & M McClean beat D Kitt & A Hill 3&2;
2. M McKinstry & M Norton beat A Gleeson & S Flanagan 2H;
3. R Black & R Dutton beat J Lyons & TJ Ford 2&1;
4. P Kerr & R Williamson lost to R Mullarney & J McDonnell 2&1;

Singles

1. T McLarnon beat A Gleeson 2H
2. R Black lost to R Mullarney 6&5;
3. P Kerr halved with D Kitt;
4. M McClean beat J McDonnell 4&2;
5. M McKinstry beat TJ Ford 3&2;
6. R Dutton lost to S Flanagan 2&1;
7. M Norton lost to J Lyons 5&3

Munster 6.5 Leinster 4.5 (Munster names first)

Foursomes

1. A McCormack & C Butler lost to C Rafferty & E Smith 4&3;
2. J Sugrue & E Griffin lost to J Yates & R Brazill 3&2;
3. G Lenehan & P O'Keeffe beat A Fahy & C Denvir 7&5;
4. G O'Flaherty & J Hickey lost to R Cannon & R Moran 3&1;

Singles

1. J Sugrue beat C Rafferty 2H;
2. E Griffin beat R Cannon 1H;
3. P O'Keeffe beat J Yates 4&3;
4. A McCormack lost to R Brazill 3&2;
5. G Lenehan beat A Fahy 1H;
6. G O'Flaherty halved with R Moran;
7. J Hickey beat E Smith 3&2

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2019 BMW Z4 M40i… Shooting Brake?

We’re actually big fans of the new BMW Z4 M40i, here at BMWBLOG. We know that a lot of BMW enthusiasts are dogging it for bucking some of BMW’s traditional design trends but that’s the very reason we like it — it’s different and exciting. It looks aggressive and it looks like a sports car. The previous Z4, the E89 generation, was a beautiful car but it never looked like a sports car, more like a small grand touring car. This new one looks mean and we like it.

More recently, we saw that angry roadster imagined as a coupe, in a recent render. That render honestly just made it look like the Toyota Supra with which it shares its chassis. It looked cool but, ultimately, just like a Supra. Now, the same person behind that Z4 Coupe render has come up with another — a BMW Z4 M40i Shooting Brake.

As a car enthusiast, I love a good shooting brake as much as the next guy but I’m not so sure about this. Admittedly, there is a part of me that really likes it, as it reminds me of the BMW Z3 M Coupe, the famous Clownshoe, which was an odd looking car but a hilariously fun oddball of a thing. Though, I’m not so sure it works as well on this new Z4.

While the back end, the shooting brake end, looks cool on its own, its quirkiness doesn’t match the rest of the car. The new BMW Z4 is too serious, too angry looking to have a funny looking shooting brake design. The original BMW Z3 was a fun looking car to begin with, so adding an odd coupe-like rear end just made it even funnier. This, though, just looks a bit off.

Don’t get me wrong, if BMW ever makes a Z4 M40i Shooting Brake, I’d drive the hell out of it because it would be awesome. But I’m just not so sure about how it would look.

[Source: X-Tomi Design]

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Pebble Beach 2018: Legends of the Autobahn

The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is one of the most prestigious car shows in the world, showing off some of the most beautiful exotics, priceless classics and exciting new concepts in the world. One part of the show that’s especially interesting to many BMW enthusiasts is Legends of the Autobahn. While at Pebble this year, we specifically made sure we spend time at Legends of the Autobahn, to soak in all of the incredible cars.

While most of Pebble Beach is honestly filled with uber-rare Italian or British classics, Legends is entirely German. Put together by the BMW Car Club of America, the Mercedes-Benz Club of America and the Audi Club of America, Legends of the Autobahn is about the most exciting German cars ever made. The cars that graced the fairways of the Nicklaus Club-Monterey were some of the coolest German cars we’ve seen.

There was, of course, the incredible BMW M1, which is always a pleasure to see in person. It’s just such a cool car and such a rare that that its presence is undeniable. There was also a BMW Z1, one of our favorite roadsters. How could someone not love the Z1? With its slide-down doors and pop-up headlights, it’s one of the most charming little roadsters in history. My personal favorite, though, was the E28-gen ALPINA B9 3.5 because A) it looked awesome and B) I have a love affair with ALPINA.

Also at Legends were a ton of different 2002s and E9 BMWs that were all stunning. Everything there was in pristine condition, of course, which is just so lovely to see. If you ever get a chance to go to Pebble, check out Legends of the Autobahn. While all the British and Italian exotics are incredible, it’s cool to see the less-loved German classics and not just from BMW.

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