Howard wins Clutch Tour Card

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David Howard has secured a tour card for 2025 for the UK based Clutch Pro Tour.  The Fota Island golfer, who finished in the top ten on the Bridgestone Order of Merit this year entered the event after being told about the qualifier by PGA Professional Brian Kelleher.  With the Irish championship season over, Howard headed off to Mannings Heath outside London for the 54 hole qualifier on what is effectively Europe’s third tier of professional tour golf.  He ended up finishing in the top twenty, earning tour status for next year.

“I had two weeks notice, Brian sent me on a link qualifier so I booked it off the back of the East Continue reading →

Byrne sails through LPGA Q Series

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Sara Byrne’s whirlwind 2024 is continuing, the Douglas star passed the latest test last week in Florida when she qualified for the final stage of the LPGA qualifying school.

Byrne was in a field of close to 200 golfers having made the cut at the initial stage in California back in August.  Sara needed to finish the 72 hole qualifier inside the top 35 to reach final qualifying, and the 22 years old came through in impressive form.

She opened with a five under par 67 that had her at the top of the leaderboard for most of the first day.  A second round 73 saw her drop back a few places but she bounced back in the third would with a three under par 69.  That had Sara in twelfth place going into the final round, with high hopes of finishing inside the cut mark.

Byrne went through the first nine on the final day in -1, but the best was yet to come as she dropped in another four birdies to finish on 68 (-4).  That took her to -11 for the tournament and up to sixth place.

“The week was very solid.  I got off to a flying start which I knew I needed a low one like that and to be Continue reading →

Nominations opn for Volunteer of the Year

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Pat O Keeffe Club Volunteer of the Year Award 2023
Picture: Golffile | Denis O’Flynn

The Golf Ireland Volunteer of the Year Awards will return this year for their third edition.  There is a new format this year, having listened to feedback,  the Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Award scheme will be extended from one award to five awards.  There will be three shortlisted candidates for each category who will be announced at their regional AGM.

The Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Awards recognises the invaluable work being done at grassroots level and honours individual or groups of club volunteers who freely give their time to make golf a progressive, inclusive, and accessible sport for all while promoting a volunteer ethos in clubs.

This scheme aims to recognise the amazing work of the thousands of volunteers who are responsible for outstanding work in their golf clubs all around the island of Ireland in 2024.  This year there will be five Continue reading →

Cork Golf Clubs show huge support for Play in Pink

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Play in Pink has had another very successfully year on golf courses in Cork and across the country.  The charity fundraiser is over 20 years old and raises much needed funds for breast cancer research.  The initiative has grown significantly since then and there were over 200 Play in Pink days in 2023 raising over €550,000 for the charity, and 2024 is destined to beat that total.

Already Play in Pink has seen an increase of 10% in the number of fundraising days held throughout the country.  So far over 19 Cork golf clubs have supported the initiative and between them they have raised over €42,000 for the charity.

Douglas was one of the Cork clubs to get involved this year and Captain Ursula Morris was Continue reading →

McCarthy wins Blarney Scratch Cup

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Keelan McCarthy winner of the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup pictured with members of Blarney Golf Club.

Keelan McCarthy scooped one of the last trophies for 2024 last weekend when he won the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup.  The Lee Valley man led from the start on Saturday to win the inaugural Christy Horgan Cup, named in memory of the Blarney clubman.

McCarthy made all the running in the morning and led the field by four shots after shooting a one under par 69.  David Lane, Ryan Lyons, Robbie Walsh, and Aidan Rowsome were the next best going into the second round with Ben Murray and Padraig O’Connor also chasing.

David Howard shot the round of the day on Saturday afternoon when he carded a three under par 67.  When added to his morning 76 it left him on three over, and with that he secured second place.  McCarthy added a second round 72 to his morning score to finish on +1, and he won by two.  David Lane added a second round 72 to take third place and Ben Murray was third.

McCarthy was delighted to win his first scratch cup.  A previous winner of the Bruen Youths in Muskerry, Keelan has waited a few years to claim another major win.  “I’m absolutely Continue reading →

Top Thirty finish for Byrne in France

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Sara Byrne (Picture: Niall O’Shea)

Sara Byrne had another impressive week on the course when she finished in the top thirty at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.  Byrne was in Ladies European Tour action for the second time in two weeks, hoping to make the most of her playing opportunities before the end of the year.

The Douglas golfer opened with a level par 71 on the opening day of the 54 hole tournament, and a one over par 72 followed on the second day which saw her safely inside the cut mark of +5.  A final day 71 saw her finish in 28th place at Golf Barriere in northern France.

Byrne carded 11 birdies in the 54 holes, showing she has the game to stake a claim for a tour card on the professional circuit.  She won over Continue reading →

Reddan wins Mallow Scratch Cup

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Mallow held another very successful senior scratch cup over the weekend with an impressive field taking part.  The Dan Butler Cup was on offer for the winner, with three rounds of golf taking place over two days.  After the opening two rounds, Nenagh’s Dave Reddan led by two strokes, ahead of Ben Murray and Jimmy Walsh.  But after the final 18 was played there was a tie on top of the leaderboard as Fermoy’s Dean O’Riordan joining Reddan in first place.  O’Riordan shot a two under par 68 while Reddan shot a 73.  When the first play-off hole was tied, it was onto the second where Reddan too the honours.

The Tipperary native was runner-up in Mallow for the past two years so it was fitting that he claim the title after supporting the Continue reading →

Douglas Celebrate Senior Cup and Curtis Cup Successes

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Sara Byrne in action in the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne had a fairytale end to her amateur career, going unbeaten in five sessions and helping GB&I to win the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016.

The Douglas golfer may have missed out on her club’s AIG Senior Cup win, but she made a lifetime of memories in Sunningdale.  Byrne played in all five sessions and she was the only player to undefeated over the three days.  She had a win and three halves in the opening two days alongside Lottie Woad, and closed out her final round as an amateur with a decisive win.

Team captain Catriona Matthew kept her faith in Byrne and Woad on the Continue reading →

O’Keeffe wins Irish Mid-Am in Tipperary

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Peter O’Keeffe bagged his sixth Irish Championship win last weekend when he won the Irish Mid-Am in Tipperary.  The two time Irish Open Champion already had two Mid-Am titles to his name but he has had a poor 2024 by his own standards.  O’Keeffe has played well in parts this year but struggled to put a few consecutive rounds together.  HE did that over the weekend, and started brightly with a two under par 70 although he did find himself in third place.  A level par second round put O’Keeffe into a tie for the lead after the two ahead of him dropped backwards.

After two rounds O’Keeffe was Continue reading →

Three Wins for Cork Golfers

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There were three good wins for Cork golfers last week, spanning different ages and geographies. The age and geographic gap was notable with winners ranging in age from teenagers to the sixties, and wins in three different places.  Closest to home, Cian McDonnell won the Kerry Boys, Karl Bornemann won the Irish Veterans Close and Justin Dennehy won the Scottish Under 14.

Justin Dennehy has won his fair share of junior golf competitions and he was back on the winning trail last week when the 13-year-old won the inaugural Scottish Under 14 Open Championship.

The youngster posted rounds of 68 and 73 at Dunfermline Continue reading →