Author: niall@corkgolfnews.com

Sara leads the way in Douglas

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Munster Senior Championship_Sara Byrne

Sixteen-year-old Sara Byrne is set to represent Ireland again later this month.  The Douglas golfer has been selected to represent Ireland at the European Young Masters later this month.  Oslo Golf Club in Norway will host the event over three days and Byrne along with Annabel Wilson were selected as Ireland’s two representatives by the ILGU.  Byrne has enjoyed a great season so far, and representing GB&I and Ireland in addition to several impressive individual performances.  On the representative front, Byrne was in Italy last week as the GB&I side took on Europe in the Junior Vagliano Trophy.  She also represented Ireland in the annual matches against Wales.  A large number of notable individual performances has seen her handicap drop from four to one over the first half of the season.  She hit the 1 mark in April while playing in the Munster Senior Open in Cork Golf Club.  That was an impressive result considering that the Douglas member opened with a disappointing 80.  She followed that with rounds of 75 and 73 to take second place overall.  She also captured the Munster Girls trophy as the best under eighteen golfer in the field.

In May she travelled to the Fairhaven Trophy in Lancashire where she finished in third place in the girls competition against an impressive international field.  She also recorded top three placings in the Lahinch and Carlow scratch cups in the early part of the season.  Most recently she had a top ten finish in the Irish Women’s Close.  Last week Sara represented Continue reading →

O’Leary one off the lead in Malone, Irish Seniors Close

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

GUI LogoCastlemartyr’s Hugh O’Leary is just one off the lead going into the final round of the Irish Seniors Close.  O’Leary was in the top ten after the first round and a one under par 71 today saw him rise to second place, just one shot behind Banbridge’s Jim Carvill.  O’Leary had a spectacular back nine.  After three bogies on the front nine and another on the 10th, he bounced back with five birdies in seven holes to sign for a 70.  O’Leary and Carvill were the only players to break par in the second round.

Douglas Captain Karl Bornemann proved the duties of high office needn’t interfere with your golf as he continued his recent good form.  Bornemann is tied for 7th after a tidy 74 today.  Michael Quirke (Doneraile) is just inside the top 20 on Continue reading →

Munster win against Connacht, Senior Interprovincials

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com
2017 Interprovincial Matches at Carlow Golf Club

Peter Sinclair (President, GUI) presenting Seamus McParland (Team Captain) with the 2017 Interprovincial trophy after Leinster victory at Carlow Golf Club today (05/07/2017). Also in the picture in front (from left) John Cullen (Team Manager), Moling Lennon (Captain, Carlow Golf Club) and John Ferriter (Chairman, Leinster Golf, GUI). Team members at back (from left) Caolan Rafferty, Jake Whelan, Eugene Smith, Jonathan Yates, Mark Power, Alan Lowry, Conor Purcell and Daniel Holland. Picture by Pat Cashman

Munster had a very strong closing performance in the final day of the Senior Interprovincials.  They won both sessions to claim a win against Connacht which gave some satisfaction after two tough days.  Foursomes wins from O’Keeffe and McCormack meant that the pair were unbeaten in three matches.  Gary O’Flaherty and Geoff Lenehan picked up their second win as a pair and Jack Pierse and John Murphy secured a half to win the session.  Afternoon wins from O’Keeffe, Lenehan, Griffin, Pierse and O’Flaherty secured the win for Munster.  Unfortunately Munster could only finish 3rd, losing a spot on the countback to Ulster.  The third place probably didn’t reflect how close Munster came to a win.  They were within one match of halving with Leinster and Ulster battled back to claim a half on Tuesday.  Leinster completed their first hat-trick since 1964 by winning a third successive Interprovincial Championship at Carlow.

Not since that great side of the ’60s won four on the trot from ’62 to ’65 have Leinster managed such a streak. And with three wins on the board, this was a thumping success.

Following wins against Munster and Connacht, Leinster only needed to halve with Ulster in order to retain the title but they made certain anyway, victorious for the third day running.  Dominant Continue reading →

Munster set for Interpro’s, Day 1 at Carlow Golf Club

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com
Phil Cooney, Captain of the Munster Senior Interprovincial Team

Phil Cooney

Munster Captain Phil Cooney has named his pairings for this mornings foursomes match which tee’s off in Carlow at 8am.  Peter O’Keeffe and Andrew McCormack lead out the Munster side which will face Leinster.  The seven golfers to contest the singles will be announced later this morning with the singles scheduled to get underway at 1pm.

Cooney is looking for his third interprovincial title and has a strong team in place to challenge.

Munster v Leinster (Foursomes)

Peter O’Keeffe & Andrew McCormack
v
Jonathan Yates & Mark Power

John Murphy & James Sugrue
v
Caolan Rafferty & Eugene Smith

Geoff Lenehan & Jack Pierse
v
Conor Purcell & Jake Whelan

Gary O’Flaherty & Eanna Griffin
v
Daniel Holland & Alan Lowry

Boland rises to 5th in Castletroy, Irish Boys Round 3

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com
AIG Senior Cup, Mallow Golf Club, Sunday 25thth June 2017

Adam Boland

Mallow’s Adam Boland produced another sub par round today to move into the top five at the Irish Boys Amateur Open.  Boland was in fine form with plenty of birdies going in, including two important ones on the 15th and 16th.  The birdies were mixed with a few bogies and the only real error of the day happened on the tricky 13th when Boland had a double bogey six.  Boland is just four shots off the lead meaning that a win will be a big ask, but another consistent round with a score of par or better should see the Mitchelstown man improve on his current position.

Both Mark Power and John Brady went backwards after rounds of 74 and 77 and the lead is now held by England’s Danny Daniels and Jack Cope.  They’re both on -5, two shots ahead of Power.

There was no joy for any other Cork Continue reading →

Byrne and Coughlan carry GB&I Junior Vagliano hopes

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Junior Vagliano 2017_2Sara Byne and Claire Coughlan Ryan are in Italy this week representing Great Britain & Ireland in the Junior Vagliano Trophy.  The two day competition gets underway in Golf Club Bogogno tomorrow.  Sara was selected as a player while Claire retained her position as team captain.   Claire was a member of the winning Vagliano Trophy team at Chantilly Golf Club, France, in 2005 and memorably, along with partner Anne Laing, defeated Michele Wie twice in the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby Golf Club.

The team enjoyed two official practice days and tomorrow will start the competition.  Tomorrow’s first Continue reading →

Boland continues fine form in Castletroy, Irish Boys Round 2

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

GUI LogoAdam Boland continued his good form in Castletroy yesterday.  The Mitchelstown man shot a one over par 73 and is still inside the top ten at the halfway stage.  It could have been better too for Boland, he had a costly double bogey on the 17th which saw him drop from -2 to level par.  Prior to that Boland had rebounded from two early bogies with three birdies to get back under par.

Mallow’s Ed Walsh bounced back from a disappointing opening 80 to shoot 74 in the second round.  Walsh has a great chance of making the 54 hole cut, he’s currently 64th but a round that’s close to par or better will help him to get inside the top 50.  Sean Leonard and Shane Galvin are just inside the top 100 after shooting rounds of 80 and 79, both are long shots when it comes to qualifying for the final round on Friday.

Rosslare’s John Brady holds the halfway lead on -7 after rounds of 68 and 69.  Overnight leader Mark Power shot a level par round and he’s in second place on -5.

IRISH BOYS AMATEUR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP, Castletroy GC, 28 June – Round 2 Scores

Smartphonesdirect3137 J Brady (Rosslare), 68, 69
139 M Power (Kilkenny), 67, 72
140 D Daniels (England), 72, 68
141 J Cope (England), 71, 70; A Marshall (Lisburn), 70, 71
143 C Denvir (Elm Park), 75, 68
144 C Larcelet (France), 74, 70; J Hanney (The Island), 73, 71; A Boland (Mallow), 71, 73
145 J Hearn (Tramore), Continue reading →

Boland leads Cork challenge in Castletroy, Crean takes top ten spot in Leinster Seniors

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

AIG Senior Cup, Mallow Golf Club, Sunday 25thth June 2017Mallow’s Adam Boland shot a one under par 71 in Castletroy yesterday in the opening round of the Irish Boys Open Championship.  Fresh from a positive weekend with Mallow’s Senior Cup team, Boland bogied the 3rd hole but followed it with three birdies on the back nine to turn on -2.  He opened the back nine with two bogies but got a shot back soon after and signed for a 71.  That has him in 8th place, four shots behind defending champion Mark Power who’s in the lead on -5.  Sean Leonard and Jack Egan will need to improve today if they are to make the cut.  Both are on +6, and Kanturk’s Daniel Continue reading →

Crean & O’Donovan Challenge in Leinster.

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com
Munster Seniors Open Championship 2016, Tramore Golf Club, Wednesday 11th May 2016

Donal O’Donovan

Jerry Crean and Donal O’Donovan are tied for fourth after they both shot opening rounds of 76 in the Leinster Seniors Open at Dun Laoghaire.  Kinsale’s Crean had a tough start with bogies on the first and second, and a double bogey on the ninth meant that he turned on +4.  He made the trip back in level par though, and that saw him finish in a tie for fourth place.  Donie O’Donovan had a better start with a birdie on the 2nd, but a few dropped shots saw him turn on +2.  He followed that with eight straight pars but a mistake on the final hole cost him two shots and he also signed for a 76 (+4).

Holder Micheal Quirke is one shot back alongside Tom Cleary on 77, both are in a large group that are tied for 10th place.  Both are six shots off the lead and still in with a chance of challenging in tomorrow’s final round.  Fota’s George Mellerick is back in the pack after a disappointing 85.  Dun Laoghaire Golf Course proved to be a very testing challenge for the players at the Leinster Seniors Championship today despite the very benign conditions.  Frank Flynn (Laytown & Bettystown) leads Continue reading →