Many of Ireland’s top young golfers will be heading for Cork next week for the inaugural staging of the Munster Students Championship.  The newly named Championship replaces the Munster Youths and it features a new ladies competition along with a team competition.  Munster Strokeplay Champion Cathal Butler will be joined by Munster Boys Champion John Murphy, and the Kinsale golfers will lead the strong local challenge.  Both Murphy and Butler are representing Maynooth University and the home of the Harrington Scholars golf programme will travel in force.  Also wearing the MU colours will be Jack McDonnell won the Munster Youths title in Monkstown last year.  The team competition will see many colleges enter multiple teams, with the best two scores counting from the three person team.  In the ladies competition, local hopes will rest with Muskerry’s Jean O’Driscoll (UCC) and Douglas’ Aiofe Ni Thuama (UCC).  This is the first of the provincial student championships so all eyes will be on Cork next week to see how the new formats work.

It’s going to be a busy year for Cork Golf Club and Captain Rob Reardon is ready for the first event: “We are all looking forward to welcoming a top class field to Cork Golf Club for the Munster Students Championships taking place next Monday to Wednesday.  The course is ready, despite the recent wet weather.  Many of the competitors will be playing the course for the first time and we hope that our local golfers put their local knowledge to good use.  It will prove good preparation for our upcoming events  the Ford Cork Ladies Scratch Cup & the Munster Strokeplay Championship.”

All 108 entrants will play 36 holes over the first two days, with the lowest 27 males golfers and 7 female golfers (plus ties) will go through to play a final 18 holes on Wednesday.  Play will get underway in Cork Golf Club at 7.30am on Monday morning.