FORMER Ulster champion gemma Hegarty hasn't swung a golf club in competition for over two years but the Co Donegal woman makes a return to the big time this weekend. She is back in the royal Portrush panel for the club's defence of the ladies' Irish senior Cup. Royal Portrush is aiming for a 27th success in the Blue riband competition and going for three-in-a-row as they open their 2014 campaign at Balmoral.
Newly-married Hegarty missed out on the silver Jubilee success in 2012 and also victory last year as she concentrated, instead, on having a family.
"To be honest, I don't know if I am ready as I only started to play again a month ago," reflected the one-handicapper as she sat in a dentist's waiting room.
"Royal Portrush asked me back so I'm giving it go. It would have been lovely to be part of the club's 25th win but, apart from that, I didn't really miss not playing. Still, I'm glad to be back and we'll see how it goes."
The defending champions will play dunmurry in the preliminary round tomorrow morning with the winners to face Bangor in the afternoon.
While royal Portrush go in as weekend favourites, the crop of superb young players could lead to a few shocks. Lurgan, for instance, must fancy their chances of upsetting some of the more established teams.
Niamh Mcsherry and Niamh Ward recently combined with Eadaoin Ward to win the Irish senior schools' Cup for st Michael's grammar, with Niamh Ward also collecting the Mary Nowlan Trophy for the best individual score, 39 points. st Mary's High school, lurgan were runners-up in the Irish Junior Cup with 13-year-old annabel Wilson, a girl really in form, carding 30 points.
The clash of lurgan and Clandeboye in the preliminary round could be the game of the competition. The winners will meet Malone in the afternoon.
Former Irish senior Cup winners royal County down will have in-form Irish girls' champion Olivia Mehaffey on board when they battle in the quarter-finals against royal Belfast, with the Newcastle ladies likely to advance to Monday's semis.
MATCH STATS
Balmoral, tomorrow Preliminary Rd: (a) Royal Portrush v Dunmurry (8.00); (b) Clandeboye v Lurgan (9.00); Quarter-finals: 1 Winners of (a) v Bangor (1pm); 2 Shandon Pk v Belvoir Pk (10am); 3 Winners of (b) v Malone (2pm); 4 Royal Belfast v Royal County Down (11am) Monday Semi-finals: 1 v 2 (8.30am); 3 v 4 (9.30am); Final (2.30)