Golf
Talented teenager Mullarney tees off for Ireland
GIFTED Galway golfer Ronan Mullarney is teeing it up this morning in the English midlands having earned an Irish international cap . . . and it could be the first of many for this talented young sportsman.
It was a proud moment when he was selected on the Irish Boys Home Internationals team who are competing against England, Scotland and Wales over the coming three days.
The 17 year old Salthill native has been showing some excellent form in recent months and has been playing off scratch for some considerable time.
And young Ronan follows in the footsteps of many Galway golfers who have earned international selection including Eddie McCormack and former West of Ireland champion Joe Lyons.
Other Galway golfers to achieve Irish international recognition include Stephen Keenan, Mark O’Sullivan, Declan Cunningham, Diarmuid Caulfield and veteran golfer Sean Hosty.
Ronan is one of two young golfers from Connacht – the other being Sean Flanagan from Sligo – who have been selected on the Irish team to compete in the Boys’ Home Internationals at Forest Pines Golf Club in Lincolnshire which begin today (Tuesday).
“When I saw him as a 10 or 11 year old, I knew we had something special in Galway”, commented Galway Golf Club officer Jimmy Duggan who is also a member of the Connacht Branch GUI.
Ronan has represented Connacht at boys level and is currently a member of the Galway Golf Club team which have reached the semi-finals of the Fred Daly (under 18s) competition.
In the Connacht final of this competition, with both Galway and County Sligo locked at seven matches each, he won the title on the second play-off hole. It was revenge for the previous year when he was defeated in similar circumstances.
Last year Ronan finished second in the Irish Boys tournament at Hermitage Golf Club, but he picked up the under 17 title in the same competition.
The Galway Golf Club member made his debut on his club’s Barton Shield side and playing alongside the former West of Ireland champion, Joe Lyons, he was an influential part in winning the Connacht title.
During the course of 2012, he has represented Connacht at under 15 and boys level. He was also named the club’s player of the year for 2012.
“This is a great opportunity for Ronan to showcase his incredible talents and I have no doubt that there is a massive future for him in golf. This is only the start,” Jimmy Duggan added.
A young Galway golfer played an instrumental part in Ireland’s success in the Boys Home Internationals last week when they took the crown for the first time in three years.
ONE of the most important and storied tournaments in Ireland, the Amateur Close Championship takes place in Connemara Golf Club from June 8 to 12. The tournament has long been a proving ground on which some of the island’s biggest stars have honed their competitive edge before embarking on glittering professional careers.
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