TWO years ago Alresford member Ray Connolly introduced club professional Malcolm Scott to Dominic Reid, the owner of the Ring of Kerry Golf & Country Club, and it led to the first Hampshire PGA tour to Ireland.

Now it has become established as one of the highlights of the Hampshire PGA season.

Last week 20 teams travelled to Ireland for the Hampshire PGA's third Irish Tour, competing in Pro-Am tournaments at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, the Ring of Kerry Golf and Country Club and Fota Island Golf Club.

The Masterspec Killarney Pro-Am at the Mahoney's Point links began proceedings and Jason Neve's team of Brian Calvert, Robin Arkle and Keith Bradfield accumulated a remarkable winning haul of 94 stableford points. It included 52 on the back nine, which six-handicapper Bradfield played in two-under-par.

Second place went to Jonathan Barnes and his team of Kevin Bowen, Steve Gedge and Phil Andrews (90 points), but Barnes consoled himself with a share of the best professional score with Romsey's James Pitcher on 40 points, one point better than Russell Tate (Lee-on-the-Solent) and Ian Benson (Leek).

In the Ring of Kerry's 36-hole ERIF (UK) Ltd Pro-Am, Scott Watson (Dummer) and Neve (Cams Hall) shared the first round lead with one-over-par rounds of 73 on a tough course.

In the Pro-Am, Kevin Saunders' team of Gary Smith, Andy Doswell and Graham Freeman made light of conditions for a halfway score of 37, seven under.

Next time out, three early birdies gave Neve the lead before a wayward second shot at the demanding par four tenth led to a quadruple bogey. Further dropped shots on the back nine resulted in a four-over-par second round of 76 for Neve and a 36-hole total of 149, which was matched by Broadstone's Matt Wilson and Hayling's Mark Treleaven.

Watson managed to steer clear of any such disasters and posted the only par round of the weekend to take title by four shots with a 36-hole aggregate of 145.

Saunders' team built on their half-way lead with another seven-under-par round and a ten-shot win.

At Fota Island, where Stoneham's Richard Bland lost in a play-off for the Murphys Irish Open earlier this year, Alresford's James Ablett took victory with a four under 67, two ahead of Watson.

Ceb Aby's team of Laurie Hale, David Coates and Peter South won the Pro-Am with a 15-under 127.