The Women in Sport Scramble, run by Golf Ireland and hosted by Jacqui Hurley, is one of the most fun days on the sporting calendar.

The fourth edition took place yesterday in glorious sunshine at the stunning Druids Glen Golf Club in Wicklow.

Sixty golfers teed it up, many for the first time and most well outside their comfort zone.

I had the pleasure to play alongside some of Dublin’s finest stars of Ladies Football, Camogie, Rugby and broadcasting in Aisling Maher, Fiona Coghlan and Hannah Tyrell, and while our collective skills will perhaps not cause too much of a stir in golfing circles, the improvement over nine holes for three stars of their own sports was such that next year will be a whole different ball game altogether.

It can be tough to step into a whole new world and put your reputation as a sporting star on the line, but this was about fun, about pushing the limits of what looks much easier than it is, and of watching ball after ball fly into water traps.

The laughter, camaraderie, and craic before and after were of a Major standard, though, and that was what made this day such a winner.

Ellen Keane was there, playing for the first time on a full golf course, as part of her crazy, brave, inspiring decision to take up the sport for the first time as part of the First Tee initiative.  Watch that space for when she appears as part of the Pro-Am at the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in July.  Loads of time to perfect the stroke.

Sinéad Aherne, Lynne Cantwell, Valerie Mulcahy, Lisa Clancy,  Cliona O’Leary, Ger McTavish, Nora Stapleton, Derval O’Rourke,  Jenny Egan, Elaine Buckley, Muireann O’Connell, Valerie Wheeler, Claire Louise O’Donoghue and a host of stars from across sport got involved and had a brilliant day.

“We created this in Covid times as a way of coming together and Sinead, Vicky and all the team at Golf Ireland have poured their energy into making it such a winner,” said Hurley.

“We’re all sports mad and want to support each other but getting to know each other really helps. Golf is great because being able to walk the course and have the chats is so important in building relationships.”

Valerie Mulcahy and Lynne Cantwell were on the winning team and will be back to defend the trophy.  Let’s just say that our group might have come second…

 

 

SPORT FOR BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE

So much fun, and such a privilege to be one of the few men, alongside David McHugh and Luke Minogue of Wasserman and John Gillick of AIG given the chance to be part of it.  Blessed indeed were we among so many brilliant women.

WHAT’S UP NEXT?

The KPMG Women’s Irish Open is at Carton House the first week of July.

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