Keelan McCarthy scooped one of the last trophies for 2024 last weekend when he won the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup.  The Lee Valley man led from the start on Saturday to win the inaugural Christy Horgan Cup, named in memory of the Blarney clubman.

McCarthy made all the running in the morning and led the field by four shots after shooting a one under par 69.  David Lane, Ryan Lyons, Robbie Walsh, and Aidan Rowsome were the next best going into the second round with Ben Murray and Padraig O’Connor also chasing.

David Howard shot the round of the day on Saturday afternoon when he carded a three under par 67.  When added to his morning 76 it left him on three over, and with that he secured second place.  McCarthy added a second round 72 to his morning score to finish on +1, and he won by two.  David Lane added a second round 72 to take third place and Ben Murray was third.

McCarthy was delighted to win his first scratch cup.  A previous winner of the Bruen Youths in Muskerry, Keelan has waited a few years to claim another major win.  “I’m absolutely over the moon with the win” said the winner.  “To put my name on the trophy is a massive achievement for myself.  To be quite honest I’d hadn’t been playing or practicing much since the All-Ireland finals so I had low enough expectations.  I just wanted to go out and play the best I could.”

It was a tale of two different rounds for the winner, but he did enough to get in front and stay in front.  “I played very well in the morning round from tee to green but the putter let me down on a few of the greens.  In the afternoon then it was the complete opposite. I hit a couple of bad iron shots but made up for it with some good up and downs.”

McCarthy has been part of the Lee Valley team who have claimed three Munster East pennants in the past three years.  In 2022 and 2023 the Ovens side won the AIG Senior Cup and this year they won the AIG Barton Shield.

“As a team we have had an unforgettable 3 years.  Everyone on the team gets on well and there’s always a great comradery around the club whether it be practice or when we are playing our matches.  Everyone is rooting for one another.  It’s always an honour to wear the Lee Valley badge and you always want to do the best you can for the club.”

This was the first time that Blarney had held a senior scratch cup and the whole club got behind it.  Damien Kelleher, Darren Kelleher and Sean Gould were the main organisers with plenty more supporting then to ensure the event was a success.  The course was in great condition and there were plenty of marshals and ball spotters on had to assist the players.  Paul Ahern from Day and Night Alarms was the main sponsor, and many of Christy’s friends came together to provide the cup.

Damien Kelleher was one of the Blarney members behind the event and he had a few words about Christy Horgan.  “Christy was a great club man, always there to help in any way.  He had great time for everyone and he loved the crack and the banter.  He is sadly missed by everyone at Blarney Golf Club.”

Sara Byrne had a successful debut on the Ladies European Tour when she was in action in Spain last week.  The 23 year old was in the top 20 after an opening 70.  She made the cut with ease after a second round 71 but carded a disappointing 77 on Saturday to drop down the leaderboard.  She recovered with a final round 70 to finish in 40^th place and win over €5,500 in prize money.

Byrne will be hoping for another good result this week as she tries to maximise her opportunities.  Prizemoney and points from this week will accrue towards her ranking and tour status for 2025.  Byrne has already qualified for the second stage of LPGA Q School which takes place in October in mid-October in Florida.  Byrne had the dream finish to her amateur career in Sunningdale in early September.  The Douglas member was a key part of the GB&I team who won the Curtis Cup in dramatic fashion, beating a fancied American side.  Momentum is definitely on her side as she maps her way for the 2025 season.