Monthly Archives: January 2017

Jan 27 2017

Social Media Links Challenge 2017

Having enjoyed the best courses in the West of Ireland for 3 years now the 4th Annual Tournament of The Social Media Links Challenge will once again take place in August at 3 of the finest links courses in Ireland over 3 days when it tees off in late August. County Sligo Golf Club, Carne Golf Links & Enniscrone Golf Club once again provide 3 stern but very different golfing tests from Thursday 24th – Saturday 26th August 2017.

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The First Day’s play will be hosted at West of Ireland Amateur Open venue, County Sligo Golf Club, on Thursday 24th August 2016. It has been the host course for the 1st Round over the past 2 years of the event and provides an excellent venue in all aspects. This world renowned course will test each and every player as they strive to get into the leading groups from Day 1.

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Day 2 on Friday 25th August will take in the awesome Carne Golf Links in Belmullet, Co Mayo. The 2016 competitors faced some very tough conditions in driving wind and plenty rain but even the weather did not take away from the enjoyment of the golfers. This is one of the more remote courses in Ireland but as a result of that it has one of the most amazing locations for a golf course anywhere in the World!

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The Final Day of the 2016 Social Media Links Challenge will be played at Enniscrone Golf Club on Saturday 26th August 2016. This outstanding links course will provide a fitting finale to 3 days of sublime links golf on the West Coast of Ireland. The winning team this week will certainly deserve their prize!

The entry fee per person is only €165 Golf only (€330 per Team of 2) with the following Play & Stay Packages available. Accommodation is currently available at either Hotel Ballina or the Ballina Manor Hotel which are both less than 1 hour’s drive from Carne, approximately 45 minutes from County Sligo and only 15 minutes from Enniscrone GC. The first night’s accommodation on the 4 night package will be at the Riverside Hotel in Sligo.

2 nights’ B&B and 3 rounds of Golf – €255 per person sharing / €510 per Team
3 nights’ B&B and 3 rounds of Golf & Prize Giving Dinner – €325 per person sharing / €650 per Team
4 nights’ B&B and 3 rounds of Golf & Prize Giving Dinner – €370 per person sharing / €740 per Team

(The 3 & 4 night packages include Prize Giving Dinner at Hotel Ballina on Saturday 26th August)

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First Prize for the Social Media Links Challenge will include a Golfing Holiday to the Sun, FREE GOLF to come back and Defend the Title in 2018 along with the SM Links Challenge Trophy to take home for the year! Other prizes will be announced in due course but will include golf vouchers for Carne Golf Links, County Sligo GC and Enniscrone GC and many other golf related goodies from LJ Golf among others!!

The format of the Tournament will be a Pairs Event with 2 scores to count each day on holes 9 and 18 with 1 score to count on the other holes (1-8, 10-17). 3/4 Handicaps will apply for the event as well.

If you have any queries on the Social Media Links Challenge or would like to enter a team you can email smlinks@tomkennedygolf.com. You can also follow the event on Twitter @SMLinks or like us on Facebook. Check out the Review of our 2016 Event for what’s in store for you in a few months time!!

Hope to see you on the links in August!

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Jan 25 2017

Tournament Preview – Qatar Masters 2017

The European Tour makes its annual stop in Qatar this week for the Qatar Masters at Doha Golf Club. There are plenty players in contention and hopefully we can shed some light on the leading contenders and check out some of the best golf bets today.

Alex Noren

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The Swede has been in blistering form over the past year and even more so recently with an amazing strike record. Every time he tees it up he seems to be in contention right at the top of the leaderboard and I think this week will be no different. Odds as favourite of 11/1 reflect the market’s confidence.

Martin Kaymer

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The German put up his now seemingly usual showing in Abu Dhabi last week with another top-5 finish. He seems to love the desert conditions and can go close again this week, he did struggle with a few bogeys in some crucial part of the final round last week but he can definitely contend again in Qatar with odds of 13/1 putting him among the leading contenders when he tees it up at Doha GC this week.

Bernd Wiesberger

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The Austrian was also another coming out of Abu Dhabi with a good showing and can well contend this week. He one of the brightest stars on the European Tour and I would not be surprised if he was right up the leaderboard come the end of 72 holes this Sunday, Wiesberger is co-second favourite with odds of 13/1 reflecting his big chances in Qatar.

Tommy Fleetwood

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Last week’s winner is obviously a form pick but there are fewer back-to-back winners these days due to the quantity of quality on tour. Fleetwood’s finish on 18 in the final round, however, was something to behold under the greatest of pressure and Tommy can well post some good numbers this week in Qatar. He’s a great each way bet at 19/1.

A few outside bets to consider are Chris Wood (40/1), Pablo Larrazabal (40/1) and George Coetzee (50/1). Wood had a great year last year and albeit a less than encouraging Ryder Cup for the Englishman, he is one of the most improved players on the European Tour. Larrazabal got right into contention last Sunday and played some amazing shots down the stretch, coming up just short of Fleetwood in the end. Coetzee has a good record in the desert and could well go close again.

So there are my ones to watch for this week at Doha Golf Club for the Qatar Masters. Out of the leading contenders I think Martin Kaymer may well make up for his Abu Dhabi disappointment and claim the title on Sunday in Qatar, watch out for Larrazabal though at a great price each way! Enjoy the golf this week.