Month: December 2023

2023 in Review

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Sara Byrne pictured back at Douglas Golf Club with the Irish Women’s Close Trophy.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

2023 was another great year for golf in Cork.  It didn’t hit some of the highs of previous years but there was a lot of success.  There was just one national title added to the honour roll in 2023, that was when Sara Byrne won the AIG Irish Women’s Close in Connemara in June.

It was a second win for Sara, particularly impressive when you consider she’s only 21.  She previously won in 2017 in Enniscrone, three years before she headed off to University of Miami.  The win this year in Continue reading →

2024 Inter-Club entries now open

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Monkstown Boys Foursomes team pictured with Pat O’Keeffe after winning Munster East title.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Entries are now open for the 2024 Inter-Club competitions at All-Ireland and Regional level, after Golf Ireland unveiled the biggest set of changes following a three-year review of the programme.  The 2024 programme includes a number of competitions that will remain largely as they were, as well as new competitions that will take the place of others previously organised at All-Ireland level.  A new Mixed Four-Ball competition at All-Ireland level will be inaugurated, aimed at players currently not participating in the Irish Mixed Foursomes.

Since 2021, Golf Ireland has continued with all of the legacy competitions from the ILGU and GUI,  but they had committed to a review which has led to changes for 2024.  As a result of the review, there will be 12 All-Ireland inter-club competitions (five for men, five for women and two mixed), in addition to a Continue reading →

IGWA Awards for O’Sullivan and Byrne

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Denis O’Sullivan
Pic: Fran Caffrey

There were two Cork winners at the Irish Golf Writers awards at The K Club last week as Sara Byrne and Denis O’Sullivan were both recognised.  Byrne received the Women’s Amateur of the Year award, her second time to win it, and O’Sullivan was recognised for his distinguished services to golf.  Byrne recorded several notable wins and performances in 2023 while O’Sullivan’s career stretches over four decades.

Sara Byrne captured the Women’s Amateur award for the second time.  The 22-year-old from Douglas Golf Club won her second AIG Irish Women’s Continue reading →

Murphy Enjoying Well Earned Break

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John Murphy in action at the Horizon Irish Open in September.
Pic: Niall O’Shea

John Murphy is enjoying a well earned break after a long season on tour.  The Kinsale golfer recently completed his third year as a tour professional, and had a punishing schedule of 27 tournaments which brought him to 21 different countries over three continents.  2023 was undoubtedly Murphy’s toughest year on tour, but the 25 year old battled until the end and will tee it up on the Challenge Tour in 2024.

Murphy made the season ending Challenge Tour final in 2022, but after a disappointing performance in the grand final he reversed his form and won at tour card for 2023 at the final stage of qualifying Continue reading →