Cathal Butler

McSweeney takes top 10 place in Leinster Youths

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AIG Junior Cup Munster Finals

Adam McSweeney

Adam McSweeney (Douglas) shot a final round 68 at the Leinster Youths to secure a top ten finish.  McSweeney started brightly with a birdie on the opening hole and although he bogied the 7th, he regained the shot on the 8th.  Two more birdies followed  on the 10th and 11th and McSweeney eagled the 14th.  He took a four iron on the short par four and holed out with a classy wedge from 135 yards.  Unfortunately for McSweeeney he dropped a shot on the way home but he did sign for a 68 and was one of only three golfers to break 70 on the final day.

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler recovered from a disappointing 79 yesterday to card two rounds of 73 today.  That saw him move up to tie for 12th place.  Mark Healy and Gary Ward also made the 36 hole cut but finished down the field on the final day.

Winner Marc Norton came storming through the field with a final round 67.  The 19 year old Belvoir Park golfer set the clubhouse target on level par and then waited anxiously as Jake Whelan (Newlands) and Jack Blake (The Island) tried to catch him down the closing straight.  In the end both players came up short.  Norton’s final round heroics included six birdies, three on each nine. Two under at the turn thanks to birdies at the first, sixth and eighth, Norton picked up further shots at the 10th and the 13th, where he stitched a 6-iron within two feet of the pin from 179 yards.

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Butler best of Cork golfers at Leinster Youths (R1)

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Cathal Butler leads the Cork challenge in Esker Hills at the Leinster Youths.  Butler shot a 74 but he’s currently six shots off the lead set by Adam Mulhall from Ardglass.  Mark Healy and Cillian Moloney both shot 78 and Adam McSweeney is a shot behind.
Leinster Youths Amateur Open Championship, Esker Hills Golf Club

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Hickey, McCarthy & Butler make the cut in the East of Ireland

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

John Hickey

John Hickey (Cork) remains the leading Cork golfer after the second round of the East of Ireland Championship at Baltray.  Today Hickey added a 73 to yesterday’s 71, and his level par total saw him safely through to the final day tomorrow.  Mallow’s Paul McCarthy is one shot behind Hickey, as is Kinsale’s Cathal Butler.  Paul O’Hanlon still holds the lead, his -9 total is four shots clear of the field.

Gary Ward (Kinsale) was very unlucky to miss the cut, he shot a wonderful 69 today.  Although he opened with two bogies in his first four holes, he rattled off three birdies and an eagle in five holes in the middle of his round.  Unfortunately for Ward he missed the cut by one shot, Saturday’s untidy 78 came back to cost the Kinsale man a place in the final day.  James Sugrue also missed the cut following a second round 75.

 

Hickey, McCarthy and Butler have 36 holes to play tomorrow, with order of merit points on offer all three will have an added incentive for finishing strongly.

East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship Scores

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Order of Merit Race Heats Up

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Gary O’Flaherty

Gary O’Flaherty’s performances in Castletroy, Cork and Ballybunion this month will have moved him up the Munster Senior Order of Merit.  There are four automatic places in the team from the Order of Merit, and three of them look like going to Cathal Butler, Andrew McCormack and Gary O’Flaherty.  Mark Shanahan, John Hickey and James Sugrue are all battling for the last automatic place, as are Waterford duo Eanna Griffin and Robin Dawson.  There are plenty of points on offer over the coming weeks.  The East of Ireland takes place next week and the Tralee Scratch Cup, the Connacht Strokeplay and the British Amateur all take place in June.  Captain Phil Cooney will have a tough job selecting his four picks as all of the above along with Pat Murray, Ian O’Rourke, Peter O’Keeffe and Continue reading →

Irish Call Ups for Cork Golfers

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ILGU AIG Senior Cup Munster Final, Douglas Golf Club, Sunday 8th May 2015

Rachel Thompson

There was a great deal of excitement yesterday as four Cork golfers were called up for international duty.  Mairead Martin, Valerie Clancy and Rachel Thompson were all selected to represent Ireland at the European Girls Team Championship.  All three golfers have had very strong starts to the season and the selection is justified on their recent performances.  The competition takes place in Oslo over five days in early July.

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler was selected to play in the World University Championship which takes place in France next month.  The Maynooth University student is studying for his first year exams at present so is not playing in the Castletroy Scratch Cup this weekend.  Castletroy have put a huge effort into their Bank of Ireland sponsored event, and they have attracted a top class field which takes place over 36 holes on Saturday

Sugrue jumps into Top Ten at Flogas Irish Open

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James Sugrue 2016James Sugrue recovered from an early double bogey to post a two under par 70, and jump into the top ten at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open.  Sugrue had a 5 on the par three fourth hole, but bounced back with quick two birdies.  More birdies on the back nine saw him move under par and he signed for a 70.  The Mallow teenager is the best placed Cork golfer in action in Royal Dublin, he now on -3.  Mark Shanahan finished with a one under par 71 to move inside the top 20.  It could have been much better only for a double bogey on the 17th and he’s now on -1 for the tournament.

Cathal Bulter continued his consistent form, a level par 72 saw him finish tied for 28th place, slightly better where he say yesterday.  Ian O’Rourke also shot a level par round to make the cut which fell at +5.  Cork’s John Hickey had a tougher day, he signed for a disappointing 80 that saw his drop out of contention for a place in the top 50.

Colm Campbell remains on top of the leaderboard, he’s two shots clear of the field on -14 after 54 holes.  The final round takes place tomorrow.

Flogas Irish Amateur Open Live Scoring

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Shanahan, Sugrue and Hickey in the red, Flogas Irish Amateur Open R2

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016Mark Shanahan and James Sugrue both shot two under par 70’s at Royal Dublin today in the second round of the Flogas Irish Amateur Open.  Sugrue is now two under for the tournament and he’s just outside the top 10.  Around half of the field have completed their second rounds.  Castlemartyr’s Mark Shanahan is two shots behind Sugrue.  He had a mixed start to his round but he birdied three of the last six holes to get back into the red and he’s on level par after 36 holes.  Shanahan is tied for 20th place currently.  John Hickey bounced back from his opening 75, he had four birdies and two bogies and signed for a 70 to get back to +1.  Cathal Butler shot a second round 74 and he now also sits in 30th place on +1.  Ian O’Rourke is currently on +5, he added a 75 to his opening 74 and he’ll need a better score tomorrow to make the 54 hole cut.

Lee Valley winner Colm Campbell from Warrenpoint leads the competition, he shot a second successive 68 to lead by two shots on -8.

Flogas Irish Amateur Open Live Scoring

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Good start for Cork golfers at Flogas Irish Amateur

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Cathal Butler (Kinsale/MU)

Two birdies and an eagle on the back nine yesterday saw Cathal Butler (Kinsale) jump back up the leaderbaord at the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in Royal Dublin.  Butler had a poor opening nine as four bogies and a birdie saw him on +3 at the turn.  He birdied the 10th and 16th and eagled the par five 14th hole on a back nine charge that saw him go into the red and finish the opening day in a tie for 12th place.

James Sugrue (Mallow) was another golfer to benefit on the back nine.  Sugrue was +2 at the turn but added five birdies in the second half of his round. Unfortunately for the Mallow golfer he added a double bogey 5 on the par three 13th hole and he bogied the 18th.  He still finished on level par just outside the top 20.

Ian O’Rourke who now plays out of Royal Dublin signed for a 74 (+2), the same as Castlemartyr’s Mark Shanahan.  John Hickey (Cork) is one back on 75.  Munster golfer Eanna Griffin is just one off the lead on -4 while fellow Munster interpro  Geoff Lenehan is on +2 and Robin Dawson in on +3.   All 120 golfers will play again today and tomorrow with the top 50 qualifying for Sunday’s final round.

Flogas Irish Amateur Open Live Scoring

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Play-off Delight for Butler

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Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Cathal Butler (Kinsale) winner of the Munster Strokeplay Championship at Cork Golf Club.

Cathal Butler recorded his second major win of the season when he won a play-off yesterday to scoop the Munster Strokeplay Championship.  Butler was seven strokes off the lead going into the final round but jumped up the leaderboard thanks to some great play.  Butler birdied the 2nd, 6th and 9th but gave one back on the 7th where the pin had caused several problems for the field.  He then went on a burst with three consecutive birdies on 11,12 and 13, and after parring the 14th he was five under and leading the tournament by two shots.

Further back on the course, 54 hole leader Gary O’Flaherty had dropped a few shots and it looked like it would be an all Cork battle between O’Flaherty and John Hickey.  A large number of spectators were Continue reading →