Cathal Butler

Just two Cork golfers remain from the six that started in Ballybunion this morning.  Cathal Butler and Greg O’Mahony are through to the last 16 in the AIG Irish Close in Ballybunion.  Butler is on a good run of form at the moment, and he was delighted to come through the first two rounds considering the challenge that the Old Course put up.  “It was blowing an absolute gale, so there was serious ball control needed” said the Kinsale man. “Obviously I had some bad holes and plenty of bogies thrown in but managed to get over the line.  I just didn’t get down at all no matter what was thrown at me.”  Cathal had beat Jordan Hood on the 18^th this morning, and he won 3&1 over Conor Ryan this afternoon.  Butler had plenty of home support in Ballybunion with all the lads staying on to support him.  “Shane O’Connell from Kinsale caddied for me at the end of my first match and in the afternoon and he was a huge help. John Murphy, Gary Ward, Robbie Walsh and Eric Rumley came out to support me and it was a huge help to get me over the line especially when conditions were so tough.  I love Ballybunion, it requires such precision with approach shots – it’s not easy though”

Butler will now face Portmarnock’s Stephen Walsh in the final 16 tomorrow morning.   The first round saw four Cork challengers bow out.  Peter O’Keeffe, John Murphy, Sean Desmond and Mel Deasy all lost out, with Butler and O’Mahony going through to the last 32 and then advanced to the last 16.  Like Butler, Greg O’Mahony’s first round match also finished on the 18^th, and he advanced with a win over Clandeboye’s Willian Russell.  This afternoon he had an impressive win over Portmarnock’s James Fox, beating him 2&1.

Match Play – Round One
R Mullarney (Galway) bt R O’Connor (Co. Sligo) 6&5; M Boucher (Carton House) bt A Lowry (Esker Hills) 4&2; N Hearns (Mountrath) bt C Nolan  (Galway) 6&4; H Duggan (Kilkenny) bt P Sheehan (Ballybunion) 2&1; TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) bt H Gillivan (Westport) 1 hole; K Murphy (Dun Laoghaire) bt J Murphy (Kinsale) 2&1; S Flanagan (Portmarnock) bt M Deasy 2&1; P Murphy (Rosslare) bt J Sutherland (Galgorm Castle) 2 holes; R Knightly (Royal Dublin) bt R Williamson (Holywood) 1 hole; J McCarthy (Grange) bt C Woodroofe (Dun Laoghaire) 4&2; E Stack (Ballybunion) bt G Dunne (Co. Louth) 4&3; M McClean (Malone) bt P Conroy (Enniscorthy) 5&4; J Fox (Portmarnock) bt J Blake (The Island) 1 hole; G O’Mahony (Fota Island) bt W Russell (Clandeboye) 1 hole; C Denvir (Elm Park) bt E O’Brien (Clontarf) 1 hole; J Doherty (Carton House) bt C Byrne (Woodbrook) 2&1; C Ryan (Dun Laoghaire) bt E Leonard (Killiney) 3&2; C Butler (Kinsale) bt J Hood (Galgorm Castle) 1 hole; S Hogan (Nenagh) bt A McCormack (Castletroy) 2&1; S Walsh (Portmarnock) bt L Nolan (Galway) 2&1; D Morley (Oughterard) bt P Coughlan (Castleknock) 2&1; E Griffin (Waterford) bt D Coyle (Portmarnock) 3&1; H O’Hare (Fortwilliam) bt A Doran (Co. Louth) 1 hole; R Brazill (Naas) bt R Black (Hilton Templepatrick) 3&2; C Campbell (Warrenpoint) bt P McKeever (Castle) 3&2; R Moran (Castle) bt J Lyons (Galway) 19th; K Stack (Dungarvan) bt P Murray (Clontarf) 3&2; E Murphy (Dundalk) bt W Small (Tandragee) 21^st; A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) bt S Desmond (Monsktown) 2 holes; D Brady (Co. Sligo) bt B Best (Rathmore) 6&5; E Farrell (Ardee) bt P O’Keeffe (Douglas) 5&4; L Grehan (Mullingar) bt R Galligan (Elm Park) 4&3.

Round Two
R Mullarney bt M Boucher 4&3; N Hearns bt H Duggan 2&1; TJ Ford bt K Murphy 3&1; S Flanagan bt P Murphy 2&1; R Knightly bt J McCarthy 19th; E Stack bt M McClean 1 hole; G O’Mahony bt J Fox 2&1; C Denvir bt J Doherty 2&1; C Butler bt C Ryan 3&1; S Walsh bt S Hogan 4&2; D Morley bt E Griffin 1 hole; R Brazill bt H O’Hare 1 hole; C Campbell bt R Moran 3&1; E Murphy bt K Stack 4&3 A Fahy bt D Brady 3&2; E Farrell bt L Grehan 6&5

Round Three – Draw Tuesday 6 August
0800 R Mullarney v N Hearns
0810 TJ Ford v S Flanagan
0820 R Knightly v E Stack
0830 G O’Mahony v C Denvir
0840 C Butler v S Walsh
0850 D Morley v R Brazill
0900 C Campbell v E Murphy
0910 A Fahy v E Farrell