Karl Bornemann was today named in the Irish Seniors team that will take part in the European Seniors Championship next month. Bornemann, who is also Captain of Douglas Golf Club this year has been on the selectors radar for two years, and his selection is a result of some solid performances over that time. This year he was 6th in the Irish Seniors Close in Malone and he recorded a top ten finish in the European Seniors Individual Championship in Austria in June. Last year he took third place in the same event. Bornemann previously missed out on an Irish cap although he was named as a non travelling reserve for one Irish squad. The team which will be managed by Mahon’s Sean O’Leary has three changes to the 2016 team, Bornemann is joined by Eamon Haugh (Castletroy) and John Mitchell (Tramore), with Cork’s Tom Cleary one of the three that missed out.
The team will be taking part in the European Seniors Team Championship which takes place from 5-9 September at PGA Sweden National.
Irish Seniors Team
Mel Deasy (Bantry Bay) is comfortably inside the top ten after the first round of the Irish Boys Under 14 Championship in Ballina. Deasy finished with a birdie three on the 18th to sign for a three over par 74. Deasy has been playing some fine golf this year and has been a key member of the Bantry Bay AIG Junior Cup team.
Peter O’Keeffe was today named on the Irish Mens team to play in the Home Internationals. O’Keeffe narrowly missed out on selection 10 years ago when he was competing at elite amateur level, and now he’s finally ticked that box. The Douglas golfer was added to the international mens panel after winning the Flogas Irish Amateur Open, and he followed that win with some solid performances through the months of June and July. Last week he finished as a semi-finalist in the South of Ireland, and many felt that would be more than enough to get the call up for August. For O’Keeffe its marks the achievement of a key long term goal, and it’s also a target he set himself. “I decided at the end of last year that I was going to work my ass off to make the Irish team” said O’Keeffe after the announcement of the team. “I’m delighted to achieve it now. I’m looking forward to preparing for the home internationals so I can have a great performance.” O’Keeffe put a huge amount of work into 
It isn’t too often that a scratch golfer would have six bogies and a double – and still be happy with his round. Well that’s exactly what happened Sean Desmond in Lahinch today. Playing is his first South of Ireland, the Monsktown teenager shot a 74 in very testing conditions. That 74 included four birdies and an eagle, which helped Desmond to bounce back from the bogies. He was actually one under after an eagle on the 5th and he finished the front nine on level par. That included a lost ball on the 7th which led to a double bogey. A birdie on the 12th saw Desmond back in the red but three consecutive bogies on 13, 14 and 15 saw him return to the black and sign for a two over par 74.
The Boy’s Interprovincial Championships get underway today in Blarney with the U18 and U14 competitions kicking off the three day festival of golf. Mallow trio Edward Walsh, Adam Boland and Greg Barrett lead a strong Cork line up in the Under 18 championship while Bantry’s Mel Deasy and Douglas’ Zak Collins are in action in the Under 14 competition.
A dozen Cork golfers will be hoping to bridge a 13 year gap and win the South of Ireland Championship this week. Mallow’s Meryvn Owens was the last man to bring the famous trophy back to Cork in 2003, when he beat the holder Colm Moriarty on the 18th green in Lahinch. Cork winners have been few and far between, John McHenry won in 1986 and before that there’s a 22 year gap to W A Kelleher’s win. The statistics would suggest that a few more years should pass before the next Cork winner, but given the strength and depth of the Cork golfers competing this year, don’t rule out a good run from a few of the form golfers.
John Murphy had two matchplay wins today to advance to the third round of the North of Ireland Open in Royal Portrush. They were two contrasting rounds, he needed a huge putt on the last this morning to get past Kiet Van Der Weele but made short work of Andrew Mulholland this afternoon. Murphy always seemed to have a narrow edge over his opponent from Holland this morning but it took a 25 foot putt on the last to go one up and advance to the last 32. This afternoon he faced Castlerock’s Mulholland and solid golf – and a good few birdies – saw him go five up at one stage near the end of the front nine. In the end he closed put the match on the 15th with a 4&3 win. He now goes on to play Derek Downie from Kirkistown Castle. It’ll be another early start for Murphy with a 7.45am tee time. He’ll be hoping for another long day tomorrow with two rounds scheduled to bring the competition down to the final four golfers.
Cork Golf News 