Images from Day 1 of the South in Lahinch: Continue reading
Cathal Butler
Gallery: Kinsale Scratch Cup 2020
Pictures from Farrangalway this morning: Continue reading
The Cork Scratch Cup
The Cork Scratch Cup
In recent years the May weekend has marked the first major amateur golf championship in Munster with the staging of the Munster Strokeplay at Cork Golf Club. The championship was introduced 2006 following an agreement with Munster Golf and Cork Golf Club. Munster Golf granted the new event provincial championship status and Cork agreed to host the event and incorporated their famous scratch cup into the new event. The Cork Scratch Cup is reputed to be one of the oldest scratch cup competitions in Ireland with many saying is it indeed the oldest competition that still runs today. Outside of a break for the second world war when all golf was suspended, the competition has been annual event on Continue reading
Mullingar win for Murphy
John Murphy, Pic: Pat Cashman
John Murphy reaped the rewards after long frustrating summer – one that demanded plenty of resilience and perseverance – he won the prestigious Mullingar Scratch Cup today to record his biggest win on home soil. “It’s been a tough season, and while I kept plugging away, things weren’t happening for me” said an excited Murphy. “I am heading back to Louisville next Saturday so I said I’d give it one more crack instead of just throwing in the towel on the summer. I am very relieved with this one.” Originally a Walker Cup panellist, Murphy has had a frustrating three months at home. Trips to England and Scotland were fruitless and outside of Kinsale qualifying for the Barton Shield finals Continue reading
Desmond & O’Mahony claim first Munster Caps, Senior Interprovincial team named
Sean Desmond (Monkstown) teeing off the 9th in Lahinch during the third round of the South of Ireland Championship. Pic: Niall O’Shea
Sean Desmond and Greg O’Mahony are set to earn their first Munster senior caps having been named in the Munster Interprovincial team today. The Cork duo are among three new faces in the Munster team that also see’s Pat Murray return after missing out last year. Captain Michael Coote and Manager George Mellerick have assembled a strong team as Munster hope to retain the title. Desmond was a strong contender for a spot after winning the South Of Ireland earlier this month, and although be missed out on an automatic spot he was certainly to the forefront of the selectors minds. Greg O’Mahony also picks up his first cap on the back of solid championship performances. He reached the last 32 in the South and the last 16 in the Irish Close in Ballybunion earlier this week. Pat Murray makes a welcome return to the team, the Tipperary native has a long and distinguished record and his matchplay experience will balance the young look to the team.
Peter O’Keeffe and Eanna Griffin were automatic picks having finished in the top three in Continue reading
Butler’s Ballyb run comes to an end
Cathal Butler
Cathal Butler bowed out of the AIG Irish Close Championship this afternoon after the Kinsale man reached the last 8 of the domestic major in Ballybunion. Of the six Cork golfers to make the top 64 matchplay stage, just Butler and Greg O’Mahony remained after two rounds of matchplay, and O’Mahony went out in the third round, losing to Charlie Denvir. Butler came through this morning’s match against Stephen Walsh, beating the former South champion on the 17th. In the quarter final he faced Robbie Brazill, the on form Irish international.
Brazill got off to a flier and Butler found himself four down after six. He won the seventh to pull one back but Brazill got the lead back to five by the turn, snuffing out any chance Butler had. The match was eventually settled on the 16th when the Naas man won 4&2. Brazill will face Alan Fahy tomorrow morning while leading qualifier Ronan Mullarney will play Charlie Denvir in the other semi-final.
AIG Irish Amateur Close Championship at Ballybunion
Match Play – Round 3
R Mullarney (Galway) bt N Hearns (Mountrath) 5&4; S Flanagan (Portmarnock) bt TJ Ford (Co. Sligo) 2&1; E Stack (Ballybunion) bt R Knightly (Royal Dublin) 2&1; C Denvir (Elm Park) bt G O’Mahony (Fota Island) 6&5; C Butler (Kinsale) bt S Walsh (Portmarnock) 2&1; R Brazill (Naas) bt D Morley (Oughterard) 2 holes; E Murphy (Dundalk) bt C Campbell (Warrenpoint) 4&3; A Fahy (Dun Laoghaire) bt E Farrell (Ardee) 2 holes
Quarter Finals
R Mullarney bt S Flanagan 2 holes; C Denvir bt E Stack 19th; R Brazill bt C Butler 4&2; A Fahy bt E Murphy 3&1
Wednesday 7 August Semi Finals
0845 R Mullarney v C Denvir
0900 R Brazill v A Fahy
1400 Final
Greg O’Mahony
Butler & O’Mahony through to last 16 in AIG Irish Close
Cathal Butler
Just two Cork golfers remain from the six that started in Ballybunion this morning. Cathal Butler and Greg O’Mahony are through to the last 16 in the AIG Irish Close in Ballybunion. Butler is on a good run of form at the moment, and he was delighted to come through the first two rounds considering the challenge that the Old Course put up. “It was blowing an absolute gale, so there was serious ball control needed” said the Kinsale man. “Obviously I had some bad holes and plenty of bogies thrown in but managed to get over the line. I just didn’t get down at all no matter what was thrown at me.” Cathal had beat Jordan Hood on the 18th this morning, and he won 3&1 over Conor Ryan this afternoon. Butler had plenty of home support in Ballybunion with all the lads staying on to support him. “Shane O’Connell from Kinsale caddied for me at the end of my first match and in the afternoon and he was a huge help. John Murphy, Gary Ward, Robbie Walsh and Eric Rumley came out to support me and it was a huge help to get me over the line especially when conditions were so tough. I love Ballybunion, it requires such precision with approach shots – it’s not easy though”
Butler will now face Portmarnock’s Continue reading
Six through in Ballybunion, AIG Irish Close Championship
Peter O’Keeffe
Six Cork golfers made it through the first test in Ballybunion this weekend, they’ve qualified for the matchplay stage of the AIG Irish Close Championship. In testing weather conditions the Old Course played much tougher than Saturday. Peter O’Keeffe ended up as the top Corkman, his level par round today saw him finish in 11th, 21 places higher than yesterday. Greg O’Mahony, Cathal Butler and John Murphy have all matched their Lahinch achievements in making the matchplay – although in Murphy’s case he had to qualify this time, doing so comfortably with three shots to spare. Mel Deasy made it through to his first championship matchplay he was the best of the +8’s and is through to tomorrow’s draw. South Champion Sean Desmond added a second 75 today to also finish on +8, he is through to the matchplay, hoping his form from Lahinch will continue. For a while it looked like Deasy, and especially Desmond would miss out, but as the afternoon score came in, all the +8’s were safely through and there was even a few +9’s to qualify. Overnight leader Ronan Mullarney added a three under par 68 to yesterday’s 65 to finish as top qualifier on -9. Eoin Leonard shot a best of the day 67 to Continue reading
Butler in second place at Irish Close in Ballybunion
Cathal Butler
The AIG Irish Close Championship got underway this morning in Ballybunion, with Kinsale’s Cathal Butler posting the low score to hold the clubhouse lead for most of the day. Despite delays due to a funeral and a nosebleed, over 130 golfers were out on the Old Course today. They were completing the first of two rounds to determine the top 64 qualifiers to go through to the matchplay stages starting on Monday.
After a good performance in Lahinch, Butler made to most of his early start. He had three birdies in a row from the 4th to the 6th, and added another on the 8th to turn on three under. Butler got to -4 on the 16th, but a bogey on the last saw him sign for 68, goo enough to hold the clubhouse lead for much of the day. The former Kerry Boys winner played very will in Lahinch last week, and he’ll be hoping that the good golf will continue as he aims to reach the final stages in Ballybunion. Butler is three behind Ronan Mullarney who opened with a blistering 6 under. Clubmate Gary Ward also finished in the red, he shot a one under par 70, thanks in part to a tasty eagle three Continue reading
Gallery: South of Ireland Saturday
Pictures from the third round in Lahinch: Continue reading
Cork Golf News 