46th annual Michael Doherty Spanish Golf Tour heads to Majorca

Players representing clubs from throughout the North-West and further afield, will 'tee it up' in Majorca on Monday next, May 15, the popular tournament considered one of the longest-running amateur golf tours in Europe.

Organised by City of Derry Golf Club's past Captain, Andy Meenagh, who took over the running of the tour in 2009, the event continues to attract players from near and far. Golfers from City of Derry, North West and Greencastle will be joined by players drawn from Cruit Island, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Portstewart, Ballynahinch and Portadown with two players travelling from the Joondalup Club in Perth, Australia.No fewer than 12 past winners will compete this year with last year’s winner, Ciaran O’Neill, from the Greencastle club, who haswon the tournament three times since 2009, seeking to defend his title. Indeed if he was to do so, the local hotelier would become only the second traveller to win it four times after club member, Maurice Brennan. In fact, the only player to have won the trophy five times is Liam McCaul from the City of Derry Club.

Most eyes will again focus on the low handicappers and the past winners who have had the experience of winning. Apart from O’Neill and Brennan, other players such as Greencastle's Paul O’Doherty, City of Derry’s Mark O’Doherty and Tommy McBride, Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s Brian Long and Ballynahinch’s Brian McClure, will feel they will also be in the hunt for top honours.

However, virtually every traveller has a chance to lift the coveted Travellers Trophy again in Santa Ponsa and this is why interest in the long-running tour has never waned.

Former City of Derry professional, the late Michael Doherty, was the genius behind this tour which originally teed-off in 1976 with two Scottish tours in 1976 and 1977, the first Spanish tour taking place in 1978.

Michael, who passed away in 2016 following a long illness, conceived the idea of a 72 holes tournament on far off shores in 1976, but he could never have imagined that 46 years later, the event would continue to be a huge success. Apart from 2020 and 2021 when Covid prevented travel and play, this tournament has not missed a year.Venues for the 2023 trip include the fabulous Santa Ponsa course on Monday next, followed by the beautifully manicured 'T Golf' Calvia course (formerly Poniente) on Tuesday. The final two rounds will be played at the Santa Ponsa course on Wednesday and Thursday.

Team Draw AnnouncedThe draw for the team event attracts a huge interest as every player on tour has a chance of getting amongst the prizes. The very even spread of players will again make the team event a particularly close call and among the fancied team sides, those led by this year’s lowest handicapped player on tour, Brian Long, as well as the teams captained by Mark O’Doherty and Ciaran O’Neill.

As has become practice on this tour, the nine teams selected will play in their respective teams on the first day before breaking up into the open format over the following three days.

The draw for teams and the tee-off times for the first round (All are City of Derry Players unless stated)) are:

Day 1 (Monday, May 15): Santa Ponsa - 11.28 (Team 1) Mark O’Doherty (7.9), Gary Leckey (16.7), Phelim O’Neill (Greencastle) (18.5) and GeorgePearson (24.3).

11.36 (Team 2) - Ciaran O’Neill Greencastle (7.6), Stephen Wray, Portadown (15.1), Brian Doherty Greencastle (18.7) and Danny McCloskey North West (23.0).

11.44 (Team 3) - Michael McCullough (12.2), Leo Hickey Joondalup, Australia (13.8), Sean McKane, (North West) (20.7) and Eugene Dunbar, (Portstewart) (25.2).11.52 (Team 4) - Brian McClure (Ballynahinch) (9.4), Brendan Coyle, (North West) (14.9), David Jones (22.2) and Maurice Quigg (27.4).Noon (Team 5) - Brian Long (Newcastle-upon-Tyne) (4.9), Peter Villa (16.4), Karl Doherty (17.0) and John Hasson (23.8).12.08 (Team 6) - Maurice Brennan, (Greencastle) (12.4), Eamon McCourt (15.9), Peter Lawrence, Greencastle (18.9) and Andy Meenagh (22.9).12.16 (Team 7) - Tommy McBride (Greencastle) (8.3), Colm McCarroll, (North West) (14.4), Chris Quigley (18.1) and Peter McDaid (Greencastle) (22.5).12.24 (Team 8) - Paul O’Doherty (Greencastle) (10.1), Kevin Barrett (14.3), Tommy O’Neill (22.1) and Ciaran Grant (22.9).12.32 (Team 9) - Peter Doherty (Joondalup, Australia) (12.3), Joseph Doherty (Critch Island) (16.9), Tom McDermott (18.0) and John Bradley, (Greencastle) (27.0).