John McSweeney beat all in front of him in Muskerry last weekend, and in doing so he won the Muskerry Junior Scratch Trophy.  The win was John’s third, an amazing achievement in Cork’s toughest competition.  The Muskerry member first won the competition twenty years ago in 2003, and he added a second win two years ago in 2021.  A 2&1 win over fellow Muskerry member Jack Kelleher on Sunday afternoon gave John his third win in the only six round matchplay event in the junior matchplay range.

McSweeney was one of 64 matchplay competitors to make it though from the qualifier held in March.  Six rounds of matchplay competition took place over three days from Friday, and just to make things a little more difficult, an early morning frost meant that play was delayed by nearly an hour.  That had a knock on effect during the day and the final second round match only got off the first tee at 6pm on Friday.  Unlike the Masters, everyone finished the second round on Friday and that left just 16 golfers heading into Saturday’s two rounds.

Gallery: Muskerry Junior Scratch Trophy 2023

After another two rounds on Saturday there were just four golfers remaining.  On Sunday morning, McSweeney faced Fota’s Ben O’Connell while Jack Kelleher from the home club took on Philip Quinn from Douglas.  It was the two home club members who made it through to the sixth round.

The standard of golf in the final was very impressive, and considering that both golfers had played five rounds since Friday it was clear that both were aiming for the win.  Kelleher was the first to go ahead,  he hit his tee shot on the par four 2^nd hole to a few inches to eagle the hole and go one up.  McSweeney came back quickly and he was two up after the par three 6^th.  Kelleher fought back to level the match after the twelfth but McSweeney took the lead again on the 14^th.  John doubled his lead on the 16^th to heap pressure on his opponent and when he halved the 17^th that was enough to secure the win.

McSweeney was one of over 230 golfers who took part in the two days of qualifying, and he shot a 63 to comfortably qualify for top 64.  He had a mixed journey, he finished some matches early but he was taken to the 20^th before winning one of his matches on Saturday.  He becomes just the second golfer to win the prestigious title three times, and the first Muskerry member to do it.  McSweeney will now look to match Bantry’s Donal McCarthy who won on four occasions in the 1980’s.

Monkstown was a busy spot last week, the course was in great condition as it hosted the Women’s Senior and Junior Championships.  There was great excitement when Monkstown golfer Una Hegarty won the Munster Junior title.  Hegarty lead by one shot after the opening round but Ballybunion’s Noirin Hitchin tied Hegarty for the lead after the second round.  A sudden death play-off followed and it wasn’t until the 21^st that the Monkstown golfer secured the win.