Eight lucky teams through to tee up beside the pros

TWENTY-four lucky golfers are dreaming of teeing it up alongside one of the world’s biggest stars after making it through to play in July’s JP McManus Invitational Pro-Am at Adare manor Hotel and Golf Resort.
Just eight teams of three made it through from the 91 teams which competed in the Grand Qualifier held over two days at Adare Manor Hotel and Golf Resort.
The eight qualifying teams will be drawn to play in the company of one golf’s biggest names.
Among the qualifying teams for the July 5 and 6 Pro-Am was one which featured Cian Foley, son-in-law of Pro-Am host JP McManus.
Foley, married to JP McManus’ daughter Sue Anne, is a member of Dooks Golf Club in Kerry.
He was joined on the successful side by Neal Whelan of Rathbane Golf Club and Gary Neville of Adare Golf Club. The trio were representing the Lourdes Invalid Trust.
The leading team from the Grand Qualifier returned a stunning score of 57 points.
Under the ‘Par is Your Friend’ format each team was guaranteed 36 points.
The leading team, representing St Joseph’s Foundation, included Eric Murrihy and Michael Talty of Woodstock Golf Club, along with Evan Talty of Portlaoise GC.
The eighth team to qualify returned a score of 51 points. Among the teams to make it through was one featuring the Duggans, Bernard and Dan from Patrickswell, who are members of Adare Manor Golf Club and Croagh’s Michael Hanley of Adare Golf Club. Another Adare Manor member to qualify was Donal Byrnes, who was joined by Barry Leddin of Ballykisteen, and James Quinn of Charleville. Quinn and Leddin are also talented snooker players.
More than 8,000 club golfers tried their hand at making it through to last week’s Pro-Am Grand Qualifier at pre-qualifying events held throughout 2009 and 2010.
For each €10,000 generated by the pre-qualifying tournaments the organising charity or charities were able to enter one team in the Grand Qualifier.
In total local charities have already benefited to the tune of €910,000 which was generated at the pre-qualifying tournaments.

JP McManus Grand Qualifiers: St. Joseph’s Foundation (Evan Talty - Portlaoise; Eric Murrihy - Woodstock; Michael Talty - Woodstock), Lourdes Invalid Trust– (Bernard Hackett, Padraig Hackett & Ray Hackett - Nenagh), Moore Haven (Joe O’Dwyer, Nicky Cummins & Joe Franklin - Tipperary), Lourdes Invalid Trust (Gary Neville - Adare, Neal Whelan - Rathbane, & Cian Foley - Dooks), Brothers of Charity (Michael Hanley, Bernard Duggan, Dan Duggan - Adare Manor), Adare Community Complex (Barry Leddin - Ballykisteen, Donal Byrnes - Adare Manor & James Quinn - Charleville), Pieta House (Liam O’Sullivan, Brendan Broderick & Shane Gallagher - Newcastle West), St. Gabriel’s (Kevin O’Hora - Ballykisteen, Mike Casey - Dromoland & Tim Crowe - Dromoland).

COLM KINSELLA