Galway duo looking to make a happy return

Galway Golf Club will be making a welcome return to the Golfplan Insurance PGA Pro-Captain Challenge when David Mortimer and Marcus Conroy tee off in the Irish qualifying event at Luttrellstown Castle Golf & Country Club.

Captain Conway teams up with Mortimer (pictured), the two-time Irish PGA champion and former PGA Professional Championship winner, for the event at the Dublin venue on September 8.

They, along with a host of teams from Ireland, will be aiming to win a place in the £25,000 final at Lumine Mediterranea Beach & Golf Community, Spain, at the end of November.

The resort, which features two Greg Norman designs, will stage the event over 36 holes from Wednesday, November 30 - Thursday, December 1. 

And Conroy admits it is a competition that Galway have not been involved in for a while.

“We haven’t played in it for a few years and I don’t think David’s been involved since joining Galway,” said Conroy, 68, who plays off five.

“So this year we decided it was time to come back into it and I’m looking forward to playing at Luttrellstown which is a good track.”

Conroy hopes he and Mortimer can book a trip to Spain as it will bring back happy memories from last year when Galway’s Fred Daly Team won the Junior Golf Home Nations Inter Club Championship in Antequera.

“That was great for the club and David was in the party from Galway that flew out to support them, so it’d be great if we could return to Spain in this competition,” added the retired retail distribution manager whose connections with the Galway club go back over 35 years.

“It’s good to have a professional of David’s standard here, he’s obviously won big tournaments and he’s a great communicator as well as a nice bloke. So I’m looking forward to playing alongside him.”

Mortimer admitted it has been a low key time for him as he recovers from injury. 

“I’ve had a shoulder problem for the last 18 months but that’s improving,” he explained.

“It will be good to play in the event, particularly as I haven’t been involved in it for some time now.

“Marcus is a low handicapper so it’d be nice to think we might be in with a chance of challenging.”

Among the teams from Ireland also taking part at Luttrelstown are: James Orchin and Simon Wady (Carrickfergus); Paul McCanny and Jimmy Lennox  (Killeen Castle);  Peter Hanna and Martin Mcooe (Lurgan);  Artie Pyke and Aidan Moloney (Shannon); and Robert Giles and Joseph Molloy (Greenore).