James Sugrue

Masters Date for Sugrue

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James Sugrue pictured at home in Mallow with his invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament.

James Sugrue is heading stateside in April, his Augusta dreams came a step closer this week when he received his official invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament.  The Mallow man had been scheduled to receive an invitation to the famous tournament after winning the Amateur Championship last June, and the official invitation finally arrived this week.  “It was unreal to finally get it” said Sugrue.  “I thought it was coming in the last week of December so I’ve been waiting for a while!”  Although the invite was never in doubt, it was an exciting wait for the Sugrue family to finally get confirmation of James’ place in the field.  An invitation to the Masters Tournament is traditionally given to the winner of the four major amateur competitions, (US, British, Asia-Pac, Latin America) provided they remain amateur.  The amateur status means that Sugrue is not eligible for any of the prize money on offer, but a good performance in April will give his status a huge boost as he considers moving to the paid Continue reading →

Gallery: Munster Golf Awards 2019

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Pictures from the awards evening in Mallow:

Fionn Hickey (Muskerry) being presented with the Munster Junior Golfer of the Year award from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Lucas Lyons (Limerick) being presented with the Munster Under 14 Order of Merit award from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Morgan O’Sullivan (Ballyneety) being presented with the Munster Under 16 Order of Merit award from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Mel Deasy (Lee Valley) being presented with the Munster Under 18 Order of Merit award from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
James Sugrue (Mallow) being presented with the Munster Senior Golfer of the Year award from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
James Sugrue (Mallow) being presented with the Munster Senior Order of Merit medal from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
James Sugrue (Mallow) being presented with a special commemorative award frollowing his win in the Amateur Championship from Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Junior Gofler of the Year Fionn Hickey (Muskerry) pictured with the James Sugrue (Mallow who won the Senior GOlfer of the Year award. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Golf winners pictured at the annual awards night. Picture: Niall O’Shea
James Sugrue pictured with Irish Mens Captain John Carroll at the Musnter Golf Annual Delegates Meeting in Mallow. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Order of Merit winner Jame Sugrue pictured with Provincial Coach Fred Twomey at the Munster Golf Annual Delegates Meetiing. Picture: Niall O’Shea
JIm Long, Chairman Munster Golf making a presentation to Gerard Gleeson in recognition of Gleeson Sports Scene’s 27 year sponsorship of the Munster Boys Championship. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Golfer of the Year James Sugrue shares a joke with Michael P Murphy from Munster Golf at the annual awards presentation. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Golfer of the Year James Sugrue pictured with Sean O’Leary (Mahon) and Barry Lynch (Raffeen Creek) at the Munster Golf Annual Delegates Meeting. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Golfer of the Year and Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue pictured with Liam Troy at the Munster Golf Annual Delegates Meeting. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf presenting a donation to Noreen Murphy and Mary Fogarty from Cope Foundation Mallow. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster GOlf’s John Fennessy pictured with Munster Senior Golfer of the Year and Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue. John was a selector and captain when James came through the Munster and Irish junior golf teams. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf presenting a donation to Jerry Mullane from Cope Foundation Mallow. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Golfer of the Year and Amateur Championship winner James Sugrue pictured with Jerry Mullane at the Munster Golf Annual Awards. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Irish Captains John Carroll (Irish Mens Team) and Michael Coote (Irish Seniors Team) pictured at the Munster Golf Annual Delegates Meeting in Mallow. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Irish Captains John Carroll (Irish Mens Team) and Michael Coote (Irish Seniors Team) pictured with Jim Long, Chairman Munster Golf at the Annual Delegates Meeting in Mallow. Picture: Niall O’Shea
Munster Senior Golfer of the Year James Sugrue pictured with Michael P Murphy at the Munster Golf Annual Awards. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sugrue named as Cork Person of the Month for October

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Sugrue Cork Person of the Month

Mallow golfer James Sugrue, who won the Amateur Championship this year, is October Person of  the Month. James has just announced he will turn Pro next summer. Pictured at the recent award presentation l/r Pat Lemasney, Southern; Manus O’Callaghan, Organiser; Ronan McManamy, M.D. Irish Examiner/The Echo; James Sugrue, Cork Person of the Month; Ann-Marie O’Sullivan, AM O’Sullivan PR; John Lehane, Lexus Cork. Pic by Tony O’Connell Photography.

Mallow golfer James Sugrue, has joined the greats of golf, and has now been named Cork Person of the Month for October. James has also announced that he will turn professional next June, after his involvement in the US Open.  Last June, the 22 year old Mallow native won gold at the 124th Amateur Championship, following in the footsteps of Cork great Jimmy Bruen, and so became only the fourth Irishman to win the Amateur Championship, with a nail-biting one-hole win over Scotland’s Euan Walker at Portmarnock.  Other past Republic of Ireland winners were Bruen, Carr and McElhinney. As a result of this win James will play in two more Majors over the next 10 months following his Open Continue reading →

Murray wins in Mallow

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Mallow SSC 2019_ Ben Murray_1

Ben Murray (Waterford Castle) pictured with John Martin O’Keeffe after winning the Mallow Senior Scratch Cup.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Ben Murray stole the show in Mallow on Sunday afternoon, winning the Senior Scratch Cup in front of a huge crowd.  The Waterford Castle man shot the lights out in the back nine, stealing the limelight from hometown star James Sugrue.  This was the first Senior Scratch Cup in Mallow for seven years and the organising group of Conor Dowling, Brian Attridge, Neil Gallagher and Sean O’Shea put on a great event.  With help from main sponsors Hegarty Building and Civil Engineering, there was a generous prize fund in place and the event filled quickly as some of Munster’s top golfers looked to claim one of the final pieces of silverware for the season.  The course was in great condition in Mallow, and the lightning fast greens suited the top class amateurs.  Monkstown’s Eoghan Long held the lead after the first 18, his four under par 68 gave him a one shot lead over James Sugrue, with Ben Murray, Joe O’Sullivan and Fionn Hickey Continue reading →

Sugrue through to US Amateur Matchplay

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James Sugrue

James Sugrue

James Sugrue is through to the final 64 in the US Amateur in Pinehurst, North Carolina.  The Mallow man was on the cut line of +4 when play was suspended last night, and had two holes to play to complete his round.  Needing two pars to get rthrough, Sugrue made quick work of the par three 17th, birdieing the hole to put himself in a great position.  He finished off the round with a regulation par on the difficult closing hole to qualify in the top half of the draw on +3.

Speaking after the strokeplay was completed, Sugrue was delighted to progress.  “I was just thinking par-par to be honest as they are two tough holes.  There was a lot of rain overnight and the course softened up a bit, so I was delighted to make the putt on 17.  The greens had been running at 13.5 so I had been very tentative earlier in the week.”  Pinehurst No 2, famous from the 2014 US Open among other majors is proving to be one of the toughest US Amateur courses, the 7,400 yard Donald Ross designed course is playing to a stroke average of 77, proving to be a worthy challenge for the world’s top amateurs.

The Amateur Champion is up against England’s Alex Fitzpatrick in the round of 64 and he’s looking forward to the matchplay format, despite the challenge of the course.    “It’s the hardest course I’ve played and you have to be really cute about where you put the ball.  At least now I can give a few putts a go after the rain.”

Mallow Scratch Cup Launch

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Mallow SSC Launch 2019

Tournament organiser Conor Dowling and Amateur Champion James Sugrue at the launch of the Mallow Senior Scratch Cup. The event takes place in Mallow Golf Club on Sun 25th Aug. 

Mallow Golf Club have just announced details of their Senior Scratch Cup, the first time the competition will be held since 2012.  The 36 hole event will take place on Sunday 25th August, and uniquely it will feature a redraw at the end of round one to pair the leading players for the second round.  Already many of the top golfers in Cork and Munster have committed to the event which is limited to 72 golfers.  It’s another chance for Cork’s top golfers to claim some silverware as the opportunities to claim a scratch cup win are narrowing.  The season started with the Muskerry Senior Scratch Cup back in April.  That event was won by Peter O’Keeffe in a strong field of entrants, and the signs are that there will be another strong field in place in Mallow.  The organising team of Conor Dowling, Brian Attridge, Neil Gallagher and Sean O’Shea have a great prize fund in place, thanks in part to the sponsorship from Hegarty Building and Civil Engineering.  Fist prize is the maximum €575 with second taking €325 and a generous €250 for third place.  There are also nett categories and prizes for Continue reading →