After 11 qualifying competitions and entries from all over the country, 33 golfers will do battle today in Fota Island to try to win a place in the Irish Open Pro-Am. The weekly qualifying competition has been running since March and each week the top three golfers qualified for the final. Qualifying scores ranged from 37 points to 43 points and the handicaps ranged from scratch to 19.
Month: May 2014
Shane Lowry looking forward to return to Cork
Shane Lowry looking forward to return to Cork
By Niall O’Shea
Shane Lowry winning the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup in 2009
Former Irish Open Champion Shane Lowry is looking forward to returning to Cork next month as Fota Island plays host to the Irish Open. Lowry won on his last two occasions playing competitive golf in Cork. In 2007 he won the Irish Close at Cork Golf Club, beating local hope Niall Turner. In 2009 he won the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup, the first year it had been expanded to a 54 hole competition. The Lee Valley was Lowry’s final won as an amateur in an amateur competition. Continue reading
Dublin’s Anderson wins Munster Strokeplay
Dublin’s Anderson wins Munster Strokeplay
By Niall O’Shea
The Munster Strokeplay took place in Cork Golf Club over the weekend and all 75 golfers were challenged by both the weather and the course. A new name was added to the trophy as Royal Dublin’s Barry Anderson won the title by a single stroke. Although the weather was a disappointment to both golfers and spectators, the course was very well received by all the competitors. The perfect fairways and slick greens provided Ireland’s top amateurs with a challenge, as did the punishing rough. At the halfway point of the 72 hole competition, Dundalk’s Aaron Grant. Local hopes rested with Cork John Hickey who was just one shot off the lead. Mark Shanahan, Dave O’Donovan and Eoghan Murphy were all in the hunt and Gary O’Flaherty was also in touching distance although he was six shots back. Holder Kieran McCarthy missed the cut, a 79 followed by an 82 saw him finish five shots outside the cut mark. Continue reading
Munster Strokeplay 2014 Final Results
1 Barry Anderson 72 74 72 71 289
2 Gary O’Flaherty 75 74 67 75 291
3 Richard Knightly 73 73 72 73 291
4 James Fox 74 70 76 73 293
5 John Hickey 72 72 75 74 293
6 Keith Crowley 76 76 76 68 296
7 Chris Carroll 77 75 74 71 297
8 Simon Bryan 76 74 76 71 297
9 Mark Shanahan 70 78 76 73 297
10 Dave O’Donovan 75 73 72 77 297
11 Daniel Holland 76 70 72 79 297
12 Jeff Hopkins 73 72 78 74 297
13 Pat Murray 74 73 75 76 298
14 Ronan Mullarney 76 79 77 67 299
15 Niall Gorey 81 73 73 72 299
16 Darragh Coghlan 78 76 73 72 299
17 Eanna Griffin 78 76 72 73 299
18 Rowan Lester 77 73 74 75 299
19 Marc Nolan 73 76 76 74 299
20 Aaron Grant 72 71 82 74 299
21 Alan Thomas 73 78 75 74 300
22 Pat Lyons 77 73 74 76 300
23 Sean Barry 78 77 78 68 301
24 Stephen Healy 77 76 75 73 301
25 James O’Mahony 73 78 75 75 301
26 Eoghan Murphy 71 74 82 74 301
27 Emmet Leahy 75 79 76 72 302
28 Ian O’Flynn 80 74 75 73 302
29 Stephen Walsh 77 72 76 78 303
30 Mark Collins 83 72 73 76 304
31 John Greene 79 76 79 72 306
32 Brian Kelleher 74 75 79 78 306
33 Cathal Butler 77 75 75 80 307
34 Ronan Twomey 78 75 77 78 308
35 Evan Farrell 77 78 75 78 308
36 Colum Kenny 73 81 77 80 311
37 Kieran Lynch 77 76 78 80 311
38 Shane Whooley 78 77 83 79 317
39 Shane McGlynn 75 77 79 — 231
40 Shane Hogan 70 82 — — 152
41 Andrew McCormack 81 75 — — 156
42 Paul O’Hara 80 76 — — 156
43 Stephen Loftus 75 81 — — 156
43 David McCarthy 78 78 — — 156
45 Fergal Deasy 82 75 — — 157
46 Conor Coyne 80 78 — — 158
46 Eoghan Long 79 79 — — 158
48 Niall McGlynn 78 81 — — 159
48 Declan McInerney 80 79 — — 159
50 Eoghan O’Donnell 80 80 — — 160
51 Gavin O’Connor 82 78 — — 160
52 Thomas Fay 81 79 — — 160
53 Ben Best 77 83 — — 160
53 Daniel Brennan 83 77 — — 160
55 Edwin Hannon 83 78 — — 161
56 Kieran McCarthy 79 82 — — 161
56 Mark Richards 82 79 — — 161
58 Alan Harrington 82 80 — — 162
59 David McMahon 81 82 — — 163
60 Tristan O’Rourke 85 79 — — 164
60 Darren O’Sullivan 86 78 — — 164
62 Darragh Burke 83 83 — — 166
62 Darragh Hogan 81 85 — — 166
64 Ian Spillane 81 — — — 81
65 Patrick Neville 83 — — — 83
66 Sean Poucher 86 — — — 86
– Tom Cleary 79 NR — — NR
– Barry Daly 78 NR — — NR
– Bill McCormack 87 NR — — NR
– Anthony McDaid 77 NR — — NR
– Sean McSweeney 76 NR — — NR
– Patrick Neville — NR — — NR
– Paul O’Connor 82 NR — — NR
– Jonathan O’Sullivan 74 NR — — NR
– Ruairi Kennelly 79 — — — 79 DQ
William Dwyer Inter Society Trophy 2014
The 72nd staging of the William Dwyer Trophy will take place this year with Mahon hosting the qualifiers in June, and Monkstown hosting the final.
The format is as follows: Continue reading
O’Donovan’s China Challenge
Bandon’s Brian O’Donovan is a busy man, building his career in China. Having moved there a few months ago he popped up on the PGA Tour China last weekend. The competition was the Buick Open, and Brian made the entry list thanks to a qualifier earlier in the week. He travelled from his base in Shenzhen to Guangdong to try his hand on the Asian arm of the PGA Tour. Continue reading
William Dwyer Inter-Society Trophy 1943-2013
Winners since 2000:
| Year | Winner | Venue |
| 2013 | ESB Wilton | Douglas |
| 2012 | Mactoums | Cork Golf Club |
| 2011 | ESB Wilton | Monkstown |
| 2010 | wilton Traders GS | Douglas |
| 2009 | Lada Tour Society | Cork Golf Club |
| 2008 | DePuy | Harbour Point |
| 2007 | GLAXO SMITHKLINE | Monkstown |
| 2006 | Midleton CBS PPU | Douglas |
| 2005 | Bowen Group | Cork Golf Club |
| 2004 | MILLSTREET G.S. | East Cork |
| 2003 | ESB MARINA | Monkstown |
| 2002 | MIDLETON C.B.S | Mahon |
| 2001 | GLAXO SMITHKLINE | Cork Golf Club |
| 2000 | SIFCO | Douglas |
Full Listing: Continue reading
Sugrue & Tobin in Fairhaven Trophy
Sugrue & Tobin in Fairhaven Trophy
By Niall O’Shea
James Sugrue and Paul Tobin represented Ireland last week in the Fairhaven Trophy with Sugrue leading the Irish charge. The competition is one of the leading international scratch competitions for juniors and attracts a field of almost 150 golfers from across Europe. Fairhaven is a championship links course next to the Open Championship venue, Lytham & St Annes. Continue reading
Updated Order of Merit
Right folks, the updated CGN Senior Scratch Order of Merit after the fifth event in Cork Golf Club this weekend
Top Ten
| Senior Scratch Order of Merit after 5 Events | ||
| Rank | Player | Total |
| 1 | Gary O’Flaherty | 150 |
| 2 | John Hickey | 90 |
| 3 | Barry Anderson | 80 |
| 4 | Rory McNamara | 80 |
| 5 | Keith Crowley | 70 |
| 6 | Sean Barry | 70 |
| 7 | Alan Thomas | 65 |
| 8 | Mark Shanahan | 65 |
| 9 | Eanna Griffin | 50 |
| 10 | Dave O’Donovan | 45 |
(remember, it’s just a bit of fun – I don’t have a budget for prizes and not enough power for inter-pro places)
Full Listing Continue reading
Munster Strokeplay Scores after Rd 2
39 Golfers made the cut which fell at 155
143: Aaron Grant
144: James Fox, John Hickey
145: Jeff Hopkins, Eoghan Murphy
146: Daniel Holland, Richard Knightly, Barry Anderson
147: Pat Murray
148: Dave O Donovan, Mark Shanahan
149: Stephen Walsh, Gary O Flaherty, Brian Kelleher, Marc Nolan
150: Pat Lyons, Rowan Lester, Simon Bryan
151: James O Mahoney, Alan Thomas
152: Cathal Butler, Chris Carroll, Keith Crowley, Shane McGlynn
153: Ronan Twomey, Kieran Lynch, Stephen Healy
154: Niall Gorey, Ian O Flynn, Eanna Griffin, Darragh Coghlan, Emmet Leahy, Colum Kenny
155: Mark Collins, John Greene, Sean Barry, Shane Whooley, Evan Farrell, Ronan Mullarney
Timesheet for Sunday: Continue reading

