GLORY DAYS
AIG Cups and Shields to crown magical year for women’s golf in Ireland
IRISH women’s golf is riding high with Leona Maguire at the top of the world rankings and Ireland basking in the glory of their Ladies’ Home Internationals victory. Now it’s the turn of the ordinary club golfers to join the stars and shine at Malone near Belfast for the AIG Ladies Cups and Shields Finals.
No fewer than 30 teams from 26 clubs will tee it up in the battle for the six coveted green pennants.
Galway club Mountbellew will be going for three Irish titles – the AIG Intermediate Cup, the Challenge Cup and the Minor Cup – while Shandon Park is seeking an Intermediate Cup and Junior Foursomes double.
Another Ulster club, Lurgan, will also be chasing two pennants in the seek the AIG Junior Cup and the AIG Senior Foursomes
The four-day festival of golf, which teed off yesterday, is the culmination of a year-long battle for supremacy, attracting some 14,000 golfers of all abilities.
As ILGU Chief Executive points out, it’s a dream opportunity for women and girls to add to their wins in the District finals and create history for their clubs.
“The AIG Ladies Cups and Shields are the most popular interclub competitions, and all clubs start the year with the ambition to win a District or National pennant,” she said.
It’s a view echoed by Mary McKenna, who believes that encouraging women and girls to play for the club is the only way to ensure that they remain in the game for life
“Put them into a club jersey,” McKenna said. “Give them the honour of playing for the club and they will love it. And you will keep them.”
Malone, which hosted the Vagliano and Junior Vagliano Trophy matches two years ago, is no stranger to club
success having been represented at the National Finals on numerous occasions.
The club captured the blue riband AIG Senior Foursomes in 2012 and Lady Captain Ann Brown, a long-time ILGU Official, is delighted to welcome the finalists.
“It is a great honour as Lady Captain to welcome all to the AIG Ladies Cups & Shields National Finals,” she said. “Malone has hosted many notable tournaments during its 120 year history and we are extremely proud and honoured that we have been chosen to host this prestigious event in the first time it has been held in Ulster.”
This is the third year of AIG’s title sponsorship, and General Manager Declan O’Rourke is delighted to be involved.
“When AIG extended its existing relationship with the ILGU in 2015 by announcing a four-year sponsorship of the Ladies Cups and Shields it reinforced AIG’s already existing commitment to supporting ladies amateur golf in Ireland,” he said.
“After a very successful finals at Dundalk last year, we look forward to another four days of exciting competition at the highest club level of golf at Malone.”
While Mountbellew are seeking three titles and Shandon Park and Lurgan both have two teams in action, another two clubs will be vying for double glory.
East Leinster Senior Foursomes champions Lucan and Mid Leinster Intermediate Cup champions Cahir Park will also be in action at next week’s Revive Active Fourball Finals at Royal Tara.