Pictures courtesy of Brian Lougheed:
Gallery: Official opening of Fred Twomey’s new Pro Shop & Academy
PGA
Trackman Roy still on Course
By any measure, Roy Clarke has had an interesting few years working in golf. Working for Trackman, the leading shot analysis system is a pretty cool job but it’s not even the most interesting job he’s had. Roy spent several years caddying on the LPGA tour, helping some of the biggest stars in the top ladies tour in the world. He’s now working with Trackman, the leading analysis tool used by professionals worldwide. Working off-course in the golf industry is limited to a small number of people and Roy covers all of Ireland and northern England in his current role. Like many golfers, it all started for Roy when he was young and he got his first taste for the game. “I started playing at 12, the folks bought me a full set of clubs from lifestyle sports worth €100 and a membership to Mahon Golf Club as a surprise one Christmas” said Roy. I couldn’t just look at them so I begged my mother to bring me down after the dinner. I was the only one out on the course. I’m sure it was closed, it was lashing, and I didn’t even know the rules. I played 36 holes a day once the summer hit, and I was golfing at a very good level by 18, playing off scratch.” It was clear that he was almost obsessive about the sport. A summer trip to the US would lead to the first stage of his golfing career. “I just had a love affair with golf and always knew it would be the industry I would work in” he continued. “The jigs and the reels would lead me to Bighorn Golf Club, Palm Springs for a Continue reading
Amateurs win PSC3, Kinsale Pro Shop Challenge
The Amateurs reclaimed the bragging rights in the Pro Shop Challenge last week, as Cathal Butler and John Murphy beat Ger Broderick and Ian Stafford in Kinsale. It was the third staging of the unique event and while the amateurs won on the course the real winner was the charity partners. Over €4,000 was raised for Marymount and the RNLI. Organiser Ian Stafford was delighted with the results of their fundraising event. “We’re absolutely delighted with the amount of money that we have raised to date which is in the region of €4,500” said Stafford. “To surpass our target of €3,600 by nearly €1,000 is phenomenal and much of this is down to the hard work of our captain Brian Doran who has been a huge help in securing sponsorship to the event. This year we had local businesses sponsoring each hole as well of a number of sponsored challenges throughout the round. To think when we first discussed this event three years ago that we would have raised nearly €11,000 from the first 3 events is hard to believe and we are absolutely delighted with the support we have got.”
Kinsale Pro Shop Challenge Gallery :: Aidan Stafford Photography
Cathal Butler was delighted to win back the title they lost last year, although they may have had some assistance from Continue reading
McNamara in touch in PGA Professional Championship
Cian McNamara is just two shots off the lead in the PGA Professional Championship at Little Aston. The Monkstown man produced rounds of 67 and 69 to reach the halfway stage on -8 and tied for 4th place. McNamara is on a run of good form and had 13 birdies over the two rounds to put himself in a position to claim the £10,000 top prize. McNamara has finished in the top ten last year and will be hoping for another decent payday this year. David Higgins is just outside the top ten on -6 and Headforts Joe Dillon is just one off the lead on -9.
The original field of over 120 golfers has now been reduced to 50 (top 40 plus ties) for the final two rounds. The third round plash is currently underway and with a majority of the golfers on the course under par it should be an interesting moving day.
Cork Golf Centre continues to grow
It’s well over a year since Cork Golf Centre opened and it that time it’s become a favourite destination for golfers. While it boasts one of Cork’s largest ranges, there’s much more on offer than just the 20 driving bays. High quality driving mats, ample space and top quality Srixon balls make for a good experience for anyone just practicing, and there are plenty of distance targets including a set of goal posts. The goal posts were the brainchild of Cork hurling fan David Keating. Dave is the Head Professional in Killarney but he was also the man behind the reopening of the facility in Ballincollig. When it opened in May 2017, Keating had a vision of creating a one stop shop, something more than just a basic range were you could hit balls. In addition to being able to buy a bucket of balls, there are PGA’s professionals available for lessons, a golf specific fitness gym and a private room for performance coaching. Resident coaches Wayne O’Callaghan and Liam Burns are hand to provide lessons, Francis Courtney provides a TPI based golf fitness programme from his dedicated onsite gym while Continue reading
Pro Shop Challenge returns to Kinsale
The Pro Shop Challenge returns to Kinsale Golf Club this month, this will be the third staging of the very popular charity fundraising event. The brainchild of Ian Stafford and Cathal Butler, the challenge started in 2016 with Ian and Cathal partnering with Ger Broderick and John Murphy respectively. The amateurs took the win that year, the young guns took an early lead and never looked back as the the confidence of youth helped them to wrap up a win. Most importantly the event raised over €3,000 for Special Olympics. Delighted with their efforts in 2016, Butler and Murphy spearheaded the second staging of the event last year. This time however their wings were clipped. Broderick and Stafford used all of their experience and knowledge to take down the cocky amateurs, beating them by a clear margin in the end. Both professionals, who were involved first hand in the coaching and development of Butler and Murphy, were delighted to beat the amateurs in front of a huge crowd in Kinsale. Yet again the main winner was the charity partner. Marymount Hospice was the selected beneficiary and over €3,000 was handed over after the event. With the series score at 1-1, interest is building in this years competition. The event was first proposed by Ian Stafford who quickly enlisted a core team to turn the idea into an event. Keeping the event going is now the priority for Ian. “With the third edition this year, the fact that the pro’s managed to win last year has given the event this year a heightened sense of interest” said Ian Stafford. “The event needs to stay competitive to be a success. Having said that both Ger and I have thoroughly enjoyed our year as Champions Continue reading
McNamara through to DDF Irish Open
Monkstown’s Cian McNamara pictured at his custom fitting bay at the range in Monkstown Golf Club. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Cian McNamara booked his place in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open this week with a dramatic playoff win this evening in Rosapenna. The Monkstown professional was tied for fourth place after the opening round, and at the end of 36 holes he was tied with tour professional Kevin Phelan for the fourth and final qualifying place. It was the Limerick native who won through in the play-off. After halving the first playoff hole, Phelan’s approach to the second found the rough and two putts meant that he carded a five. McNamara was on in two with around 30 feet for birdie. He rolled his birdie putt up to less than two feet and tapped in the par to win the final place. He now faces a tough decision on whether to travel to St Anne’s Old Links on Tuesday for final qualifying for the Open Championship in what’s sure to be a busy week.
Simon Thornton won the event and claimed the top prize of €6,000 a well as a Continue reading
More to do for Cork crew in Rosapenna
Cian McNamara and James Sugrue have a solid chance of making the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open after the opening round of the Rosapenna qualifier. McNamara shot a three under par round of 69 to lie in 4th place at the halfway stage. After a bogey on the 5th he came back in four under par, with a final birdie on the 17th to get himself back into contention. James Sugrue is two shots back on -1, and currently in 10th place. Sugrue had an interesting round, made up of seven birdies and six bodies. irrespective of what happens tomorrow both golfers will travel to the UK from Donegal to take part in final qualifying for the British Open.
Jack Howard is tied for 15th on +1, Davey Barry and Padraig Dooley are both tied for 25th place after rounds of 75 (+3). Given that the best scores today were -5 it’s unlikely that Continue reading
Davey on track in Douglas
While there are thousands of Cork people who have just completed exams, it was a different time for Davey Barry as he got word that he had passed his final PGA exams, meaning he has now a qualified teaching professional. The Douglas based Pro had been working hard for the past three years, combining work in the pro shop with his studies, but Davey is delighted that he now joins the PGA as a full member. “It’s fantastic to have finished the course. It’s a lot of work and long hours but it’s a great feeling to have gotten here” said Davey. “It was a long journey for me, I had to do some extra exams before I started the course, it was well worth it though. This is something that I’ve always wanted to do since I was young, and it’s a career that can Continue reading
Long Read: Liam Burns Celebrates 25 years in Youghal
Liam Burns is a West Cork man by birth, but after 25 years in Youghal, he surely qualifies as an East Cork man. Liam is celebrating 25 years as the Club Professional at Youghal Golf Club and after taking up the game in his mid teens, he turned it into a career. It’s surprising to hear that Liam was a later comer to golf, but once he started he was bitten by the bug. “I only started playing golf at age 16 with my good friend school teacher Paddy Kehoe” explained the Bandon native. “Paddy thought me in Hamilton High School in Bandon and his son Mark was single handicap player at the time. They encouraged me to play golf as my parents didn’t play. Starting out I would play 36 holes a day sometimes. Whenever I got a chance I was on the golf Continue reading
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