This article is from page 85 of the 2008-08-12 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 85 JPG
INTERNATIONAL golf comes back to Shannon for the first time in many years this week when the club plays host to the third annual European Seniors’ Team Championship.
The course was put on the world map over 30 years ago during the heady days of the Shannon I[nterna- tional Pro-Am that attracted some of the top professionals of the day like Seve Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Hu- bert Green and many more.
Now, it’s the turn of some of Eu- rope’s top amateurs to take the Shan- non stage from Wednesday to Satur- day of this week. Twenty teams from around Europe will compete for the coveted title that’s now in its third year of competition.
Ireland enter this event as defending champions, having won the title last year in Bled Golf Club in Slovenia. Captained by Tommie Basquille, a past President of the Golfing Union of Ireland from 2007, the Irish team boasts a strong team as they go in search of back-to-back titles.
Leading the Irish team will be Irish Seniors and European Seniors
Champion Adrian Morrow from Portmarnock Golf Club. A past Irish international at full senior level and two-time South of Ireland champion
at Lahinch, Morrrow is joined on the team by John Carroll (Bandon), Maurice Kelly (Killeen), Liam Mc- Namara (Woodbrook), Hugh Smyth
(Mourne) and former Walker Cup
star and British Seniors Champion
for 2007, Arthur Pierse (Tipperary). Speaking ahead of the event, Shan-
non captain Billy O’Sullivan said “We have great pleasure in hosting this event at Shannon Golf Club and we extend a Cead Mile Failte to all the visiting participants together with their supporters, and indeed all the visitors who may come to enjoy this Championship.
“Over the past year a lot of hard work has gone into the preparation of our course and club house for this wonderful Championship. I hope that these efforts will be reflected in a greater sense of enjoyment of our facilities by all our visitors.”
President of The Golfing Union of Ireland, Barry Doyle (Carlow) thanked Shannon Golf Club for their wonderful facilities. “Shannon Golf Club has very kindly hosted many International, National and Provin- cial Championships over the years and will provide the players with a wonderful experience and lasting memories. A big thank you to all at Shannon Golf Club for their efforts and hospitality which will be second to none.”