Pictures from the final day at Faithlegg: Continue reading
Junior Golf
Sara leads the way in Douglas
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
Boland continues fine form in Castletroy, Irish Boys Round 2
Adam 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
137 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
Mallow’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
Frankfield Kids Golf Camps
David Whyte and Michael Ryan have announced dates for their summer golf camps taking place in July and August. The three day camps take place on the 24/25/26 July and again on 22/23/24 August The camps are open for boys and girls aged 7 – 13 and all levels will be catered for. The camps take place at the Golf Academy at Frankfield Golf Range and are run by experienced PGA Professionals. The golf academy has recently been upgraded and golfers will benefit from learning and practicing at the top qualify facility. Further details and bookings can be made by contacting David or Michael.
Fota date for Irish Kids Golf Tour
A new kids golf event is coming to Cork, the Munster event on the Irish Kids golf tour takes place in Fota Island in August. There are four provincial events planned for this year with Mount Juliet hosting the first event in early July. There’s also an “All-Ireland”
Organiser Gordon Smyth “It’s to help develop and fill a key niche in junior golf in Ireland, the ‘Irish Kids Golf Tour’ provides an elite setting for junior golfers to compete safely & enjoyably in a professionally run Tour on Ireland’s best courses. Established in 2017 to serve competitive junior golfers and their families, the ‘Irish Kids Golf Tour’ offers professionally-conducted competitions, helps develop players on and off the golf course and prepares them for competitive golf and life beyond childhood.”
While the Mount Juliet event is fully booked there are space available for the Fota Island date. Irish Kids Golf Tour events are open to both boys and girls aged 13 and Continue reading
Muskerry through in thrilling Fred Daly area final
Muskerry had a great win in the Fred Daly Trophy area final last night, beating Mallow in a very close match. Blarney was the venue for the match and Mallow would have been favourites to advance. They had a big handicap advantage on paper and most of the players would have much more experience at this level of inter-club competition.
Jack Egan was first out for Muskerry and he beat Ed Walsh on the 18th to set a strong positive tone for the winners. As it happened the first point was already in the bag for Muskerry, Jack Taylor was giving up five shots in his match but still recorded a 4&3 win to claim a point for Muskerry. Taylor’s match was the only one not to go the full distance. When Egan closed out his mast on the 18th shortly after the advantage was clearly with the underdogs. The winning point came from Sean Geary who holed out from the fairway on the last hole, Geary birdied from 70 yards to win one up and secure the win for his club. At the same time Fionn Hickey was headed up the 19th after finishing level after 18 holes. He was called in, as was Eoghan O’Shaughnessy who was one up in his match on the 18th. It was a hugely impressive win considering that Muskerry were giving up an aggregate of 21 shots in five matches. The subs were Stephen Riordan and Peter O’Mahony, and the squad was under the watchful eye of Dave Taylor and Peter Fenlon.
Fred Daly trophy South Munster Draw 2017
It’s been a great run for Muskery, the beat a fancied Fota Island side in the semi-final and beat Castlemartyr and Fermoy in the earlier rounds. Muskerry now go on to the Munster finals which take place in Fermoy in early August.
Gallery: Champion O’Keeffe comes home to Douglas
Pictures from Peter O’Keeffe’s return to Douglas Golf Club as Irish Amateur Open Champion 2017: Continue reading
Girls International call-ups for Byrne, Clancy, Martin & Thompson.
Sara Byrne
Four Cork golfers were selected on the Irish Girls team today, they’ll be heading off to Finland next month to take place in the European Team Championships. Sara Byrne (Douglas) will be making her debut at this level while Valerie Clancy (Killarney/Mitchelstown), Mairead Martin (Kanturk) and Rachel Thompson (Cork) were all selected on the team for the second time.
It’s a great achievement and a rare case where four of the six team members are from one county. They will be joined by French U18 Champion Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden), who holed the winning putt at the Girls’ Home International matches on her Irish debut in last year. Byrne was also selected for an Under 16 girls team and has posted some very positive results thus far in 2017, most impressively a 3rd place finish at the prestigious Fairhaven Trophy earlier this month. The Team Captain Gemma Butler said “the girls have had some fantastic results so far this year and having won the second flight at the 2016 European Championships, we are excited to build on that result this time around.”
Irish Girls’ European Team
St. Laurence, Finland (July 11 – 15)
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
Byrne takes 3rd at Fairhaven
Sara Byrne continued her good form as she finished in third place at the Fairhaven Trophy this weekend. The Douglas golfer was in Lancashire along with a large number of Irish golfers competing in the Lytham and Fairhaven trophies.
Byrne posted rounds of 78,77,74 and 76 on the par 75 red course, and while she finished in place in the girls competition, she was 15th overall in the field of 40 top young amateurs from the UK & Ireland.
Just up the road from Fairhaven, John Murphy was in action in Lytham at the Lytham Trophy. Unfortunately for the Kinsale man, he missed the cut after 36 holes.
Cork Golf News 