Carrigaline based PGA Professional Wayne O’Callaghan has recently set up a new base in Raffeen Creek Golf Club. The popular instructor has moved from his previous base in Fernhill where he had worked for the past four years. Wayne qualified as a PGA Professional almost twenty years ago having served his apprenticeship under Bandon’s Paddy O’Boyle. From 1998 to 2012 he worked from the busy Carrigdhoun Golf Range and in 2012 he moved to Fernhill Golf Course. Over the past four years Wayne developed a very strong junior programme, which incorporated quite a bit of on-course work which complimented the range and putting green aspect of the programme. Although his time on the PGA Irish Region Tour has been limited due to his teaching commitments, Wayne did feature in the top ten a number of times this year. Having left Fernhill in October, Wayne wasted no time in setting up a new base. “I have now Continue reading
Junior Golf
Harbour Shield goes from strength to strength
2014 Winners Mahon
The inaugural Shield was held in 2009 and it that year there were just four clubs involved. Over the years it grew to six clubs and then eight, and this year there were ten clubs involved. Although there is no handicap limit and the age limit is under 18, clubs have used the competition for their developing golfers as an introduction to inter-club competition. Although there is a huge amount of merit in winning the pennant, over the past eight years, clubs have respected the spirit of the competition. In almost all circumstances, clubs have selected the younger golfers in their junior golf programme, and those who often have high handicaps.
Mahon’s Matt Bennett and Pat Bradley were Continue reading
Murphy Enjoys Portugal Weekend, Darren Clarke Champions Weekend
Kinsale’s John Murphy had a pretty special bank holiday weekend, Murphy was in Portugal for the Darren Clarke Champions Weekend. As winner of the Munster Youths in August, Murphy was invited to take part in the event which was hosted by the Amendoeira Golf Resort in the Algarve. The 18 winners from the top youths, boys and girls competitions in 2016 invited for the three day trip. Rachel Thompson, Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy also earned invitations after their performances this year. After a 4am start in Dublin airport on Friday morning, the golfers met Clarke on arrival at the golf club and played golf with the Ryder Cup Captain three times over the two days. Although vastly experienced at top level national and international boys golf, Murphy admitted that it was a pretty special experience. “We went over to the golf club and Darren introduced himself to us. It was kind of weird at the start, but I got used to it after a few hours” said Murphy who is now a student in Maynooth. “We played 18 holes with Darren playing with us and watching us, pointing Continue reading
Martin, Clancy, Thompson & Byrne named on ILGU Panels
Valerie Clancy
The ILGU announced their coaching panels for 2016/2017 and there was good news for several Cork golfers. Valerie Clancy and Mairead Martin were both named on the ILGU High Performance panel for 2017. It’s a great achievement for both girls as they have continued to improve through the 2016 season.
2016 was also a breakthrough for Cork’s Rachel Thompson who was added to the funded performance panel for the year ahead. The high performance panel has the stated objective of developing world class players while the funded performance panel is aimed at encouraging golfers to compete at international level, at individual and team events. Thompson, Martin and Clancy all featured on the Irish Girls team that won the home internationals in Wales earlier this year.
Sara Byrne (Douglas) was named on the Horizon coaching panel which is aimed at supporting and developing younger players, and preparing them for the transition to the high performance panel in years to come. The ILGU are currently in the process of developing the new structure with the regional professionals with a view to rolling out the revised plans early in the new year.
HIGH PERFORMANCE PANEL
Ciara Casey
Valerie Clancy
Maria Dunne
Paula Grant
Leona Maguire*
Mairead Martin
Julie McCarthy
Niamh McSherry
Olivia Mehaffey*
Annabel Wilson
(*Denotes US based players)
FUNDED PERFORMANCE PANEL
Georgia Carr
Louise Coffey
Elisa Corcoran
Mary Doyle
Meadhbh Doyle
Kate Dwyer
Emma Forbes
Alice Hutchinson
Lisa Maguire
Jessica Ross
Chloe Ryan
Sinead Sexton
Rachel Thompson
Lauren Walsh
HORIZON PERFORMANCE PANEL
Sara Byrne
Beth Coulter
Aine Donegan
Anna Foster
Kate Lanigan
Niamh O’Dwyer
Canice Screene
Douglas CS & Davis College through in Irish Schools Senior Championship
Davis College Mallow ensured that the north Cork town are in with a chance to make it three Munster titles in a row as they have qualified along with Douglas Community School for the the Munster Finals. Davis College were the winners in 2015 while neighbours Patrician Academy won in 2016. Davis College topped the West Munster qualifiers in Killarney last month and last week they beat Hamilton High School Bandon in the area final. Douglas CS and Kinsale CS matched each other closely when only one stoke separated their respective schools teams in the qualifier at Fermoy. Douglas Community School topped the leaderboard by one stroke and Continue reading
Walsh named on Irish U16 Team to play England
Mallow’s Edward Walsh
Mallow’s Edward Walsh got his due reward for a great Summer of golf today as he was named on an Irish Boys Under 16 team that will play England next week. The Mallow golfer was the winner of the Munster Boys Under 17 Championship and he also featured on the winning Munster team at the Boys U16 Interprovincials. This isn’t Walsh’s first trip abroad for golf as he featured in the Italian Under 16 Championship last month.
Ireland’s under-16s will play England at Castletown Links on the Isle of Man in an international match over two days from 7-8 October. Irish Boys Champion Mark Power leads the eight players included in the Ireland team, which will play their English counterparts in a series of foursome, four ball and single matches.
Power is joined by Irish Under-16 champion John Brady as well as Jack Doherty, Sean Enright, Ian Halpin, Scott Jones, Luke O’Neill and Mallow’s Walsh. The teams will play foursome and four ball matches on the opening day with eight single matches to decide the outcome on the second day. Irish Boys Selectors Alasdair Gibson (Knock) and Kevin Raftery (Forrest Little) will accompany the team.
IRELAND U16 (v England, 7-8 October)
John Brady (Rosslare)
Jack Doherty (Carton House)
Sean Enright (Limerick)
Ian Halpin (Cahir Park)
Scott Jones (Belvoir Park)
Mark Power (Kilkenny)
Luke O Neill (Connemara)
Edward Walsh (Mallow)
Gallery: Munster U15/U17 Championship
Gallery: Mahon win Fred Daly Plate
Pictures courtesy of Mahon Golf Club: Continue reading
Mahon face Lahinch in Fred Daly Plate Final
Mahon will head to Ballyneety Golf Club tomorrow to take on Lahinch in the final of the the Fred Daly Plate. The Munster competition was launched last year and all first round losers from the Fred Daly Trophy are entered.
Mahon beat Bandon in the first round and went on to beat Monkstown in the second round. After that the saw off Douglas before beating West Waterford in the semi-final. Tomorrow’s final starts at 11.30am.
Mahon Fred Daly Plate Panel:
James Daly
Donagh Gribbon
Eoghan O’Shea
Sean Foley
Cathal Browne
Conor Twomey
Colm Kennedy
Team Manager: Ian Bermingham
Murphy leads Ireland to top spot in European Boys qualifying
John Murphy eagled his second last hole of the day today to jump into the lead after two rounds of strokeplay qualifying at the European Boys Team Championships in Czech Republic. After opening with a bogey, John added two birdies to turn on -1. He played steady par golf all the way back until a great eagle on the par five 17th saw him move to -3 and jump into the lead. It was another good day for Ireland as they took four of the first five spots, and finished 23 shots ahead of second placed.
Murphy’s second round 69 followed a level par opening round and his two rounds will put him in good stead for tomorrow’s opening matchplay phase. Ireland face Switzerland in the morning with second place Iceland facing Slovakia in the other semi-final.
The winner and runner-up teams of Divison 2 will be promoted to the European Boys’ Team Championship, which will be played at La Manga Club, Spain, in 2017. Murphy will partner Kilkenny’s Mark Power in the first of the two foursomes pairs, and the afternoon will see five singles matches being played to decide who goes trough to the semi-final.
In Flight B, Estonia Continue reading
Walsh in action in Italy
Mallow’s Ed Walsh is playing his golf in Italy this week, at the Italian Under 16 Championship. Walsh has two rounds completed in the tournament in Turin and is in a good position to make the 54 hole cut tomorrow.
Walsh opened with a 75 yesterday on the par 73 course and he added a 79 today. He’s currently in 47th place and just one shot outside the cut mark. After tomorrow’s third found the top forty golfers qualify for Friday’s final round.
Walsh had a good summer, last month he won the Munster Under 17 Championship, his first major win at provincial level. He was on the winning Munster team at the Boys Under 16 Inter-Provincials and he is also a member of the Irish Boys Under 16 panel.
Cork Golf News 