Davey Barry wins in Rosslare, Spillane wins Macroom Senior Scratch Cup.

DaDavey Barryvey Barry (Douglas Pro-Shop) won his first big event on the PGA Irish Region tour yesterday with a great round in Rosslare.  Playing in tough weather conditions the Douglas Assistant Pro won by two shots in the Kelly’s Resort sponsored Rosslare Pro-Am.  Barry started well with a run of birdies on the third, fourth and fifth, but he gave two shots back before the turn with bogies on the seventh and ninth.  Despite playing the very difficult conditions Davey had a great back nine, he added four birdies including two on 17 and 18 to see him finish two shots clear of Damien McGrane, Mark Murphy and Colm Moriarty.  David Ryan shot a two under par 70 to claim fifth position alongside David Higgins, and Wayne O’Callaghan finished in the top twenty.  It was a good weekend for Davey who was also named in the field for the Irish PGA Championship which takes place in Moyvalley at the end of this month.

Macroom’s 36 holes Senior Scratch Cup was hit by the weather yesterday, and the decision to reduce the event to an 18 hole format was welcomed by almost all of the field.  Mallow’s Ian Spillane won with a level par 71, three shots clear of James Sugure.  Macroom’s Alan Moriarty won the nett prize with a 76.  Eyes now turn to Kinsale and Castlemartyr who host their senior scratch cups next weekend.

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Sugrue & Murphy top 10 in Irish Youths, Ryan wins Wexford Pro-Am

Golf_James Sugrue_MunsterNeither James Sugrue or John Murphy managed to overcome Neil McKinstry’s lead in the Irish Youths yesterday although they  both finished inside the top ten.  Murphy was in second place, two shots off the lead going into the final round and Sugure was just one shot behind Murphy.

Sugrue got off to a great start with a birdie on the opening hole but bogies on 4,5 and 6 meant that he dropped back and wasn’t able to put pressure on the leaders.  The par 70 course had a CSS in round three of 73, indicating the difficulty in scoring for all golfers.  None of the 100 golfers playing were able to match par with only seven golfers returning 71.  Murphy had a tough start to the day, he was in the final group with leader Neil McKinstry.  Murphy had a double bogey on the 2nd, and Continue reading

Butler through to last 16 in AIG Irish Close at Ballyliffin

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

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

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

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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O’Flaherty runner-up in Ballybunion Senior Scratch Cup

Munster Strokeplay Championship 2016

Gary O’Flaherty (Cork)

Gary O’Flaherty proved he’s a golfer on form last weekend when he finished in second place at the Ballybunion Senior Scratch Cup.  The 2014 winner was just one shot behind winner Fergal O’Sullivan (Tralee) on level par.  This is the third year that Cork golfer finished in the top two, 2015 winner Ed Stack was third also finishing on level par.

Keith Crowley (Fota Island) was fourth and James Sugrue (Mallow) was fifth, both finished on +1 total of 144.  Jack Howard (Fota Island) finished just inside the top ten and Mark Ford (Cork) was 11th.  Mallow’s Eoin Goggin won the nett prize on -4.

The next senior scratch cup takes place Continue reading

Sugrue jumps into Top Ten at Flogas Irish Open

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

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

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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Sugrue wins Muskerry Senior Scratch Cup

Munster Youths Amateur Open 2016James Sugrue backed up his good form at the Munster Youths by winning the Muskerry Senior Scratch Cup today.  The 70+ golfers faced very testing conditions with frost

Sugrue led going into the afternoon thanks to a three under par 66 this morning.  He backed that up with a level par 69 in the afternoon for a winning total of 135 (-3).  Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty shot the low round of the afternoon, his 67 saw him jump for tied 7th to second place on -1.  Andrew McCormack from Newcastlewest also finished on -1  and took third place with 68,69.

Muskerry’s Conor Riordan took the best nett prize with 134 (-4), he also had the 4th best gross score.  Nenagh’s David Reddan Jnr was 4th in the gross standings with 138.

The Mallow man continues the trend of youth winning in Muskerry, Conor Coyne (Youghal) won in 2015 and John Hickey (Cork) won in 2014.  More details to follow.

Muskerry Senior Scratch Cup, sponsored by Shane Sadler, final standings: Continue reading