Month: April 2017
Positive Start for Egan, Irish Under 16 Quadrangular
Jack Egan
Muskerry’s Jack Egan had a positive start to his representative career as he came away with two wins, a half and a loss from his first two days in Wales. The annual Quadrangular competition featuring Under 16 teams from Ireland, Wales, England and the Netherlands. Egan was in action against the hosts yesterday, and while he lost his opening foursomes match with partner Sean Doyle on the 18th, he bounced back in the afternoon with a 2&1 singles win over Wales Tom Peet. Ireland finished day one with a 9-3 win over Wales. He was back in action this morning, this time partnering Josh Mackin. They had a 3&2 win and Egan went on to claim a second win this afternoon in the singles. Ireland at tied at the top of the table with England and the top two will face each other tomorrow in a winner takes all decider. Egan will be back in action with Mackin for the morning foursomes.
International duty prevented Egan from playing the Munster Boys Under 16 Championship which took place in Blarney on Monday and Tuesday.
McKibbin wins in Blarney, Munster Boys Under 16 Championship
Tom McKibbin
Holywood’s Tom McKibbin proved his credentials in Blarney yesterday when he shot a 69 to win the Munster Boys Under 16 Championship. McKibbin finished on 141, three shots clear of the field. The two handicapper was the only golfer to break par on day two, and that was thanks to three birdies at the start of the back nine. With no one else threatening, McKibbin know he had the control over the competition heading into the final three holes. McKibbin showed maturity coming down the last, with water and out of bounds surrounding the green, he chose to lay up. What resulted was his second bogey of the day but even with that he still finished three shots clear of the field. Overnight leader Jack Brown (The Heath) finished day two with a 77 to claim second place (144) and Eoin McGrath (Athlone) was third, he had the best of three scores on 146. Scott Miller (Clandeboye) was fourth and Keaton Morrison (Holywood) was fifth, both finishing on 146. Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey was the best of the Munster Continue reading
Gallery: Munster Boys Under 16 Championship, Blarney Golf Club
Pictures from Day 2 in Blarney: Continue reading
David Keating’s Drive for Cork Golf Centre [Long Read]
Francis Courtney, Stephen Hoey, Liam Burns, Wayne O’Callaghan, Brendan McDaid and David Keating pictured at Cork Golf Centre. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Cork golfers now have access to a new practice facility with the opening of the Cork Golf Centre in Ballincollig. The “one stop shop” is essentially a range, but the key difference will be the presence of several PGA Professionals along with a fitness and mindset coach. Brendan McDaid is making a welcome return to Cork (on a part time basis at least) and he will be joined by Liam Burns, Stephen Hoey and Wayne O’Callaghan. All four will combine their existing commitments with the new facility in Ballincollig, using the newly fitted teaching bay and short game area to work with golfers of all levels. O’Callaghan and Burns are both based in Cork, and McDaid is based in Dublin while Stephen Hoey is primarily based in Killarney. The concept is the work of Killarney’s Head Professional David Keating and he has been working hard to pull together all of the moving parts. For Keating it marks a return to a former place of work, the Charleville native worked in the Inniscarra Driving Range when he was working under Paddy O’Boyle. Keating was actually looking at a new venture in a very different direction when the opportunity in Ballincollig arose. “We were looking at getting involved in a range in Spain Continue reading
Irish Junior Foursomes Qualifiers
The first round of the Irish Junior Foursomes gets underway next week with Macroom, Cobh and Fermoy hosting the strokeplay qualifying rounds. Two teams from each venue will qualify for the second round.
Macroom host their qualifier on Wednesday with Cobh and Fermoy going ahead on Friday.
Macroom GC Wednesday 12 April
1.00pm Bantry Bay (1) Berehaven (1)
1.08am Bantry Bay (2) Berehaven (2)
1.16am Skibbereen (1) Bandon (1)
1.24am Skibbereen Continue reading
UCC win Inter-varsity League
UCC Golf Club
There was an exciting finish to the Cork colleges inter-varsity league on Sunday as the overall result was decided on a sudden death play-off. The organisers had hoped for a competitive series and after four events the scores were tied on 20-20. It was another surprise though when Sunday’s final series of matches in Lee Valley was also tied 5-5. The draw looked unlikely as UCC had an advantage going onto the final hole but CIT’s Tristan Coakley won his match with superb 10-foot par putt on the 18th green. That brought the day’s score to 5-5 and meant that after a total of 50 matches the series was still tied. A sudden death play-off followed with Coakley continuing for CIT and John Boylan getting the nod for UCC. The first hole in Lee Valley saw both golfers take irons off the tee, Boylan went over the trees on the left to leave himself with a short approach that he duly hit to within 15 feet of the flag. Coakley had a longer approach and finished up on the Continue reading
Disappointment for Murphy in St Andrew’s, R&A Scholars Tournament
John Murphy rued a disappointing front nine in St Andrews today as dropped one spot to finish second at the R&A Scholars Tournament. After 36 holes on the Eden Course in St Andrew’s on Monday, Murphy led the field by two shots. By doing so he started the third round in the final grouping on the famous Old Course. Scoring was difficult on the normally manageable links, tough winds meant that there were several returns in the high seventies and eighties. Murphy suffered on the greens on the way out, with an uncharacteristic number of three putts and a rare double bogey. He turned on +5 for the day to drop himself back into the field and two more bogies followed on the 11th and 12th holes. To his credit, Murphy bounced back with three birdies on his last seven holes and the turn-around in form meant that he finished in a tie for second place. John’s Maynooth teammate Stuart Grehan carded a very tidy level par 72 to win the tournament by three shots.
Speaking after his round Murphy admitted that his touch was off in the tough wind on the opening nine holes: “The front nine was a disaster. I had seven 3 putts on the front 9, the wind was as strong as I’ve played in and I really struggled to put a stroke on it. I knew if I had a good back nine I could get Continue reading
Murphy on top in St Andrews
John Murphy (Kinsale, Maynooth University) continued his good form as he produced to rounds of 68 and 64 to lead the R&A Scholars Tournament in St Andrews. Both of today’s rounds were played on The Eden Course and Murphy bagged no less than 12 birdies in his 36 holes. Murphy (-8) shot the low round of the afternoon and holds a one shot lead as he goes into tomorrow’s final round. The final round takes place on the fabled Old Course, and Murphy will have the honour of playing in the final group. Murphy will be joined by Cloe Ryan (UCD) who won the ladies section in 2016. Sinead Sexton and Molly Dowling are in the top five and in the mens section Stuart Grehan is three of the lead and Robin Dawson is a further to shots back. Murphy won the Munster Students Championship in Cork Golf Club last week, posting the best score over the first 36 holes in the weather affected tournament.
Contested over 54 holes at the Eden and Old Courses, the two-day tournament offers the leading men’s player a place on the European Arnold Palmer Cup team to face the USA, with the leading women’s player receiving a starting place at a Ladies European Tour event. The tournament features Continue reading
Bumper entry for Munster Strokeplay
2014 Winner Barry Anderson
A top class field has entered for the Munster Strokeplay which takes place at the end of this month and the cut looks like falling again from the 2016 mark of 0.5. Entries for the showpiece Cork Golf Club event closed last night and there were no less that seven late entries that should qualify, four of those playing from plus handicaps. Although all handicaps will need to be verified, it’s looking like the cut will fall at 0.3, with not all of those playing from this mark getting in on the first cut.
Tiernan McLarnon was one of the late entrants and he leads the handicaps, playing from +3.6. There are over fifty golfers playing from plus handicaps including 24 who Continue reading
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