Cathal Butler

McSweeney and Butler in top ten at Intervarsities

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AIG Junior Cup Munster Finals

Adam McSweeney (CIT/Douglas)

Adam McSweeney (CIT) and Cathal Butler (Maynooth) lead the Cork challenge at the Inter Varsity Championship aft both shot 69’s in today’s first round.  Lahinch was in great condition for the opening round and the benign weather made for some good scoring.  Kyle McCarron (Maynooth) led the way with a great 66.

McSweeney had seven birdies in a colourful round.  A double bogey on the 6th hurt, as did a bogey on the 17th when he was standing on -4.  Cathal Butler had a tough start with bogies on the first and second, but he soon made up for it with an eagle on the 4th.  Six birdies followed but three dropped shots meant that he signed for a 69.  Both are well inside the top ten going into the second round.

Golffile.ie Inter Varsities Gallery Round 1

James Sugrue (CIT) was out early this morning and finished with a one under par 71, an eagle on the last brought him back into red figures and he’s in 12th place going into the second round.  John Hickey (CIT) is two shots back Continue reading →

Butler through to last 16 in AIG Irish Close at Ballyliffin

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016Cathal Butler is the last Cork golfer left in the Irish Close at Ballyliffin, winning both of his matches today.  The Irish international and Munster Strokeplay winner beat Jonathan Yates 3&2 this morning and followed that with a 19th hole win over John Cleary.  Butler faces Jake Whelan in the second match tomorrow morning and is off at 8.09am.

Despite finishing in the top 20, James Sugrue ended up with one of the toughest draws, he was up against defending champion Tiernan McLarnon.  Unfortunately for Sugrue, McLarnon won on the 16th, and he also won in the afternoon to go through to the last 16.

Both John Hickey and John Murphy won their first round matches but exited the competition this afternoon.  Hickey beat Ronan Mullarney on the 18th today, and he took Richard Knightly to the 20th hole before losing out to the Royal Dublin man.

John Murphy saw the 20th as well, his morning match needed two extra holes before he saw off Rob Brazill.  The effort took Continue reading →

Sugrue Leads Cork challenge at Irish Close

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James Sugrue 2016

James Sugrue pictured with the Muskerry Senior Scratch Cup which he won earlier this year

The business end of the AIG Irish Close Championship gets underway tomorrow with four Cork golfers qualifying for the matchplay phase.  Mallow’s James Sugrue lead the Cork challenge with a pair of 75’s that saw him finish day two inside the top 20.  Sugure was going very well he was one over for the front nine, but a double on the par five 13th meant he signed for his second 75.  Kinsale’s John Murphy playing in his first Close is just one shot behind Sugrue.  He came in with a two over par 74 which bettered his opening round by three shots.  Cork’s John Hickey also bettered his opening score by three shots, a 75 today was a disappointing finish as the recent Barton Shield winner was -1 at the turn.  Hickey is Continue reading →

Butler claims 3rd scratch cup in Killarney

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Cathal Butler

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler won his third scratch cup of the year when he came from behind to win the Killarney Senior Scratch Cup on Saturday.  The 36 hole competition, played over both courses had a capacity field and report from the players were very positive.  Peter O’Keeffe from Douglas led after the opening round with a 73, two clear of Cathal Butler who was his closest challenger.  O’Keeffe added 72 on Mahony’s Point in his second round, giving him a total of 145.  With the wind picking up and Butler being one of the alter starters the odds were that O’Keeffe would maintain the lead.  As it happened Butler shot a hugely impressive 69 in his second to tie O’Keeffe and win on the countback.

Butler could have been better placed after the first round, he was three over for his final three holes on Killeen.  He made no such mistakes on the run-in in Mahony’s in the afternoon.  He birdied three holes on the front nine and added two more birdies on the 11th and 16th.  He bogies the 3rd and the par five 13th, be he was three under when standing on the 18th tee.  There could have been trouble on the 18th Continue reading →

Kinsale’s Pro-Shop Challenge

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Pro Shop ChallengeKinsale PGA Professionals Ger Broderick and Ian Stafford face a tough challenge later this month as they will take on John Murphy and Cathal Butler in the “Pro-Shop Challenge”.  The event takes place at Kinsale Golf Club on Monday 22nd August and the event is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria next year.

The idea came from Ian Stafford who’s nephew Darragh Ryan is a volunteer with Special Olympics.  Ian explained how the event came about: “I volunteered time as a golf coach with the Special Olympics in the past so I personally know that is a worthy cause.  It was my idea to have the charity match and Ger, John and Cathal all jumped at the opportunity to participate for such a worthy cause, I haven’t heard of something like this been staged locally before so I thought it might be something different and may peak some interest for the golf fan.”

The format for the day will be a fourball better ball strokeplay match over 18 holes between the 2 professionals in the club, Ger Broderick and Ian Stafford against the reining Munster Strokeplay and Fota Scratch Cup Champion Cathal Butler and reining Munster Boys and Kerry Continue reading →

No Friday Feeling for Cork Golfers in Lahinch, South of Ireland Day 3 Report

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Cathal Butler (Kinsale) 

Friday was a bad day for Cork golfers in Lahinch as the matchplay stages of the Pierse Motors South of Ireland got underway. Four Cork golfers qualified through to the top 64 matchplay, but by Friday evening all four had exited the competition.  Paul McCarthy made a stunning start to the competition on Wednesday and Thursday during the strokeplay qualifying rounds.  McCarthy was -5 for 36 holes but lost out in the matchplay when David Foy beat him on the 16th green.  Peter O’Keeffe also lost out in the first round.  Robbie Cannon, his playing partner from Wednesday and Thursday got the better of him with an impressive 6&4 win.

Golffile Gallery from Day 3 at Lahinch

John Hickey won his morning match against Rosslare’s Gary Collins but then lost out in the second round when beaten by Daniel Holland by one hole.  Kinsale’s Cathal Butler also made it through the first round with a win on the 18th green over former champions Pat Murray.  Like the other Cork golfers though, he lost out in one of the later matches this afternoon, losing on the 16th to Stephen Watts.  The final 16 are back on the course tomorrow morning and four more round face the finalists when the competition concludes on Sunday.

South of Ireland Amateur Continue reading →

McCarthy continues leading role in Lahinch, South of Ireland Day 2

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Paul McCarthy Munster Youths Tralee

Paul McCarthy

Paul McCarthy shot another under par round to finish the strokeplay phase in a tie for second place.  McCarthy shot a two under par 70, with two birdies in the last three holes to get back into the red.  McCarthy, currently playing off +2 was just one shot behind leader Jake Whelan from Newlands.  Peter O’Keeffe carded his second successive 74 to finish in on +4 and safely inside the cut for the matchplay phase.  Cork’s John Hickey finished one shot outside O’Keeffe, Hickey was having a solid round until the 11th when he went on to bogey five of the closing holes.  Both O’Keeffe and Hickey were in great positions after the opening round, and solid second rounds meant that they were never at risk of missing the cut.

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler was hovering around the cut line after day one and a second round 73 certainly helped his chances of making the Continue reading →

Butler, McCormack & O’Keeffe earn Munster places

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Fota Island Top Golfer Senior Scratch Cup 2016

Cathal Butler  pictured with the Fota Island Senior Scratch Cup. 

There are three new picks on the 2016 Munster team, as Captain Phil Cooney plots to win this third interprovincial title in five years as captain.

Newly capped Cathal Butler jointly topped the order of merit, and the Kinsale man is one of three members of the team joining the team.  His order of merit placing was predominantly down to his performance in winning the Munster Strokeplay in May, but also his performances in the East of Ireland and the Irish Amateur Open added valuable points.  Butler has spent the winter working with the Harrington Scholars golf programme in Maynooth University where he is also a full time student.

As well as access to top level training and fitness programmes, Cathal also played in the competitive Hilary Golf Society outings in Dublin through the winter.  He’s also a member of the Irish Mens development squad and Butler is just back after competing for Ireland in the World University Championships in Brive.  Butler also beat a top class field in Fota Island in March to win the Senior Scratch Cup which bodes well as the inter-pro’s are being held on the same Deerpark course.

Andrew McCormack from Castletroy was also an Continue reading →

Barrett takes 5th place in Leinster Boys, Butler 14th in France

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Fred Daly Trophy Munster Finals

Greg Barrett (Mallow)

Mallow’s Greg Barrett finished in 5th place in the Leinster Boys Championship.  Mullingar was the venue for the Championship and the event was declared on the 54 hole standings after the final round.  The two handicapper from Mallow was level after 15, but he dropped a shot at the par five 16th and signed for a one over par 73.  The result wasn’t bad as he jumped two places on the leaderboard.  John Brady (Rosslare) held his lead to claim the title.  Kinsale’s Mark Healy finished inside the top thirty, posting rounds of 76, 78, 78.

Meanwhile, Cathal Butler, Robin Dawson and Eugene Smith are in action in Brive in the World University Championships.  Butler is tied for 14th place alongside Dawson, and Smith holds top spot on on -2.  Butler finished on +5, not helped by being +5 for the par 5’s.  Ireland also lead the team standings and the second round takes place tomorrow.

World University Championships, Brive

Fota Island