James Sugrue

More to do for Cork crew in Rosapenna

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Cian McNamara_1Cian McNamara and James Sugrue have a solid chance of making the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open after the opening round of the Rosapenna qualifier. McNamara shot a three under par round of 69 to lie in 4th place at the halfway stage.  After a bogey on the 5th he came back in four under par, with a final birdie on the 17th to get himself back into contention.  James Sugrue is two shots back on -1, and currently in 10th place.  Sugrue had an interesting round, made up of seven birdies and six bodies.  irrespective of what happens tomorrow both golfers will travel to the UK from Donegal to take part in final qualifying for the British Open.

Jack Howard is tied for 15th on +1, Davey Barry and Padraig Dooley are both tied for 25th place after rounds of 75 (+3).  Given that the best scores today were -5 it’s unlikely that Continue reading →

Sugrue through to Final Qualifying for 147th Open

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AIG Senior Cup Area Semi Finals 2018 Cork Golf Club Sunday 24th June 2018Mallow’s James Sugrue has an opportunity to qualify for the British Open in Carnoustie, he booked his place in final qualifying for the British Open today when he shot an eight under par 64 in Baltray to lead the regional qualifying event.  Sugrue started with two birdies and he as four under at the turn.  Not content with that he birdied 11, 12 and 16, and he closed with another birdie on the par five 18th in a flawless round.  With fellow Mallow Senior Cup golfer Conor Dowling on the bag with him, Sugrue beat the field by four shots to claim the first of seven final qualifying spots available.  It was a consolation of sorts for Sugrue, he narrowly missed on selection for the Irish team to compete in the European Championships in two weeks’ time.  In any case, he’ll now be playing in the Continue reading →

British Am Dreams still strong for Murphy & Sugrue

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John MurphyPicture: Niall O'Shea

John Murphy

John Murphy and James Sugrue both came through the first matchplay round of the British Open yesterday, propelling them into the final 32 with hope increasing of an extended run in Royal Aberdeen.  There was a bit of a struggle for both golfers yesterday, Sugrue took a slight lead in his match early on but he had to wait until the 19th before he finally dispatched Australia’s Michael Kyle.

John Murphy too had an interesting round.  He level par after three holes but found himself two down.  He was two under through six and was still one down.  The tide did turn for Murph, by the 13th he had a three hole lead and he added another win on 14.  He lost the 15th Continue reading →

Sugrue and Murphy through in British Amateur

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Munster Strokeplay ChampionshipCork Golf Club Sunday 6th May 2018

James Sugrue

James Sugrue and John Murphy have both qualified for the matchplay stage of the British Amateur after the opening strokeplay quaifier.  The hot shots comfortably made it through along with Robin Dawson, Rowan Lester and Conor Purcell.

John Murphy qualified just outside the top ten, he shot a 69 on the Mulcar Links yesterday to close on +2.  Murphy was three under after four holes and steady golf under pressure saw him maintain a solid level of golf.  This time last week, he was still only the fourth alternative on the waiting list.

James Sugrue, who is part of the Irish squad at the event, was three shots back from Murphy in 40th place.  He shot two rounds of 73 on both Royal Aberdeen and Mulcar Links.  Both golfers have proven themselves at the highest levels, Sugrue is the reigning South of Ireland champion while Murphy won the St Andrew’s Links Trophy less than two weeks ago.  A good run in the matchplay stages will help their case for selection for the six man Irish team for the European Championships.

There was disappointment for Peter O’Keeffe who missed out on the matchplay stage, he missed the cut by two shots after a disappointing final few holes in yesterday’s second round.  The matchplay qualifier (for those tied in 64th place) takes place this morning with the first round proper starting later this morning.  James Sugrue is out at 11.08 and John Murphy starts at 13.51.

O’Keeffe retains Kerry Scratch Cup title

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Peter O'Keeffe Kerry Scratch Cup 2018

Peter O’Keeffe from Douglas being presented with the 113 year old Kerry Scratch up by Frank Hayes (Director of Corporate Affairs Kerry Group PLC) and Kevin McCarthy (Captain Tralee Golf Club). Photo by Domnick Walsh Eye Focus LTD

Peter O’Keeffe claimed his first win of the 2018 season when he successfully defended his Kerry Scratch Cup title in Tralee last weekend.  It was the perfect weekend for O’Keeffe as he fine-tuned his game in preparation for the Irish Amateur Open which started today.  O’Keeffe has been a big fan of the event in Tralee and having finished second in 2016, he won the event last year.  The Douglas man held the overnight lead after 36 holes.  He was tied with Monkstown’s Sean Desmond who Continue reading →

Win No 3 for O’Flaherty in Lee Valley

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Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup 2018, Lee Valley Golf Club. Final Round, Saturday 22nd April 2018

Gary O’Flaherty, winner of the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup for the third time. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Gary O’Flaherty claimed his third Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup title today when he shot a steady level par round to maintain his lead and take the title.  Starting with a two shot lead, many would have thought O’Flaherty would have needed a 70 or better.  But the weather conditions in Lee Valley hampered everyone, and while the course was in great condition the harsh wind played a big role.  Gary’s lead went to three after the second hole when Ronan Mullarney bogied, and he maintained that cushion through the remainder of the front nine.  A bogey on the 7th was followed by a birdie on the par five 8th hole, and he turned a three shot lead.  Tiarnan McLarnon was one of the early starters, he went around in 70 (-2) which would see him claim second place.  The back nine proved a challenge for most with all of the leaders bar O’Flaherty dropping shots.

Gallery: Lee Valley Senior Scratch 2018 R3(2)

The results told a story about the conditions, of the later starters O’Flaherty was the only golfer to match par.  Ian O’Rourke also shot a 72 while James Sugrue and Keith Crowley both signed for 73’s.  Given the quality of the chasing pack it was thought there would have been a low score, but it never happened and O’Flaherty became the first person to win back to back titles since Continue reading →

Sugrue starts 2018 with a win in Fota Island

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AIG Senior Cup, Mallow Golf Club, Sunday 25thth June 2017James Sugrue got his season off to the perfect start when he won the Fota Island Senior Scratch Cup last weekend.  Having missed the West due to a family bereavement this was his first competitive start.  After an impressive 2017, he was included on the Irish senior mens panel for 2018 and last weekend he set down an early marker.  He needed a strong finish as he was two over par after 16, but a birdie on the par three 17th and the par five 18th got him back to level par and that was enough to secure the win.  The birdie on 17 was unlikely, facing a very strong wind, Sugrue hit a three wood which went over the back of the green.  He chipped in with the second shot to give him some momentum on the final hole where he found another birdie.  Conditions were tough in Fota, the 7,000 yard Deerpark course played to all of its length in the unseasonal weather.  Second place went to Kinsale’s Cathal Butler just one shot back.  Jack Leacy from Dungarvan also finished on +1 and took third place with Daniel Rather (Dungarvan) finishing in fourth place.  Mitchelstown’s Sean Leonard won Continue reading →

Healy finishes 10th at Irish Students

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Mark Healy Kinsale

Kinsale’s Mark Healy pictured in 2015

Mark Healy finished in the top ten in Bray thanks to a great recovery that featured five birdies.  The Kinsale man had a poor start with a bogey on the opening hole and another on the second hole.  He steadied after that and pulled a shot back at the seventh.  He had birdies the 10th and 11th to get back into the red and two more birdies followed on the 15th and at the final hole.  Healy’s 67’s matched the best score of the day, winner Stefan Greenberg along with second placed Ronan Mullarney and third placed Jack McDonnell also went around the course in Bray on -3.

James Sugrue had a disappointing final round that saw him drop from third place to 12th.  He signed for a four over par 74 which featured only a single bogey.  Sean Desmond had a 72 to finish just inside the top 30 while Cathal Butler and Darren Hourihan ahd 77’s to finish in the middle of the pack, while Aoife Ni Thuama finished in 8th place in the Continue reading →

Sugrue 3rd heading into final round at Irish Students

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Sugrue5James Sugrue shot the low round of the day today in Bray, as he jumped up to 3rd place in the Irish Students Championship
The Mallow man had a back nine – included four birdies that saw him sign for a three under par round our 67. Sugrue is just three shots of the lead which is held by Alan Fahy from Maynooth.
Five other Cork golfers made the cut for tomorrow’s final round. Mark Healy is tied for 21st position on +3 while fellow Kinsale member Cathal Butler is two back just outside the top 30, Butler is also second in the team event. UCC duo Darren Hourihan and Sean Desmond also made the cut while Adam McSweeeny was one shot outside the cut mark.
Aoife Ni Thuama (UCC) also made the cut, the Douglas golfer is in Continue reading →

Butler & Sugrue bow out in Irish Close, Egan & Costello make the cut in Irish Boys U16

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Munster Boys Under 16 Open Championship 2016, Nenagh Golf Club, Wednesday 29th June 2016, Jack Egan

Jack Egan (Muskerry)

Cathal Butler and James Sugrue both lost out in the first matchplay round at the AIG Irish Close Championship in Galway yesterday.  They were the only two Cork golfers to make it into the top 64 after the 36 hole strokeplay qualifier.  Butler was up against West of Ireland winner Barry Anderson and the Kinsale man was one up after 14, but Anderson won three holes on the trot to close the match on the 17th.  Sugrue brought his match to the 18th, but crucially couldn’t win the final hole and lost by one hole to Portmarnock’s James Fox.

Muskerry’s Jack Egan made the cut for the final round at the Irish Boys Under 16 Open in Rockmount.  Egan was going around nicely today until he found trouble on the 17th and had to sign for an 80.  Still he ended up two inside the cut mark, just inside the top 25.  Kinsale’s Jody Costello shot rounds of Continue reading →