John Murphy was back in college golf action last week for the first time in ten months, but the Kinsale golfer has kept himself busy. After working hard in Cork for the summer he travelled back to America last August, and he was determined to make to most of his extension as a student in University Louisville. Murphy was a Senior last year but the cancellation of the second half of the season gave him another opportunity to compete in the 2021 NCAA college golf schedule. It was a big decision to return in August, when many European based golfers chose to stay at home, but it paid off for Murphy, providing him with the weather and the facilities to improve his game. “I felt as though the semester was really productive. As always, I am just trying to learn and grow as much as possible as a player, and being in this environment certainly allowed me to do that. I was able to compete with the world’s best Continue reading
JOhn Murphy
Gallery: Kinsale Scratch Cup 2020
Pictures from Farrangalway this morning: Continue reading
John Murphy wins prestigious GCAA Byron Nelson Award
John Murphy
John Murphy has won a major US college golf award, he was confirmed as the winner of the prestigious Byron Nelson Award. Three weeks ago Murphy was shortlisted as one of the three finalists and late on Thursday evening he was announced as the winner. The Byron Nelson Award is awarded based on the winners golfing and academic performance as well as their character. Although his senior year was cut short, the win was a great boost for the Kinsale man.
“I am still overawed to have been honoured with this award and to have my name mentioned in the same sentence as Byron Nelson,” said Murphy. “To be recognised for what I do both on and off the golf course is incredible and I am so grateful that the committee put their faith in me. I feel incredibly lucky Continue reading
Swift End to Murphy’s College Season
John Murphy
11 days and it was all over. On the 13th March the NCAA announced the cancellation of the college golf season, and by the 24th John Murphy was on a plane heading home. Instead of heading to Sawgrass CC in Florida for the second last regular season tournament, John Murphy was headed home. Although he had planned to sit things out in Louisville, the fear of missing a summer of golf in Ireland was part of the decision to come home, and after three years in the University of Louisville, college life looked like it was over for the Kinsale man. The plans to compete in the NCAA Regionals and the NCAA Championships were gone, the exams and graduation plans were changed, and an important trip to Louisville for his parents Carmel and Owen were all cancelled. While the wider public health issues are far more important, it was a crushing blow for Murphy who was having a really strong season. Murphy had two individual wins on the Division One circuit and three team wins. It was a great season for Murphy in many respects. He comfortably maintained his ranking in the WAGR top 150 and he came back to Cork with his head high, happy that he had seen more improvements in his game in his final year.
“My senior year certainly filled me with confidence” explained Murphy. “It was great to be recognized on a national stage and I had a lot of fun on the golf course and continued to learn and grow as a player. I had certainly put in some good work the last few years and put myself in a Continue reading
Masters Disappointment for Sugrue
James Sugrue pictured at home in Mallow with his invitation to the 2020 Masters Tournament.
The most disappointed golfer in Cork must have been James Sugrue. The Mallow man was preparing for his trip to Augusta and on Friday it was confirmed that the Masters would be postponed. Sugrue was on the BBC on Friday evening and like all other golfer fans you could sense his disappointment after the announcement was made. A group of around twenty friends and family were planning to travel to the Masters and like many others they’re now waiting for the new date to be announced. For Sugrue the postponement means that the plans for the season may change. Sugrue had indicated that he’s probably turn professional in the summer after the US Open but those plans may have to change if he needs to retain his amateur status for a deferred Masters. The same may apply to the
John Murphy
John Murphy was another golfer to be affected by the cancellation of competitions. On Friday the NCAA announced the suspension of all college sports, effectively meaning that Murphy’s Louisville college career was over. Murphy has been in a rich vein of form and saw his ranking rise to inside the top 50 in Division One stats. Louisville had also risen to 14th in the national rankings meaning that a good post-season performance was within reach. With all golf suspended for the remainder pf the season, Murphy now has a few more weeks of online lectures before he takes his finals. Kinsale teammate Mark Healy is in a similar position, although he can return for another year in Tusculum Tennessee. Murphy on the other hand is a senior and this was his final year in Kentucky. He did put the brightside out on Monday when he tweeted a video hurling in the Cardinal Stadium football pitch. The tweet went viral and brought a smile to many faces at a time when there was little to smile about.
Like most other sports golf has come to a standstill, and this week several clubs in Cork decided to close completely in light of the recent government advice. Many clubs continued to hold club competitions over the weekend while adhering to the new guidelines on social distancing. Following the weekend and the closure of pubs, there was a marked change with several courses closing. Some clubs have cancelled club competitions but have allowed members to play. Golfers were asked to observe the now usual norms of social distancing and not to engage in any handshakes. Flags were removed from some courses with semi-permanent holes being cut in the middle of the greens. Most clubhouses are now closed in line with the recommendations that came out on Sunday evening. The likelihood of inter-club events and championships taking place in the next few months are also in doubt .
Top 5 for Murphy in Alabama
John Murphy
Kinsale’s John Murphy got his final US College semester off to a good start with a top five finish in his first tournament. Murphy was competing in Alabama in the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate and shot impressive rounds of 69, 70, 69 in his way to an eight under par finish for the event. Murphy’s Cardinals finished in third place in the team competition, again continuing their good form from the fall series. Murphy now has five more events in the next two months before his Cardinals team head for the play-offs. Murphy was ranked inside top 100 in the US college rankings and this was his fourth top ten Continue reading
The Year that was 2019
James Sugrue pictured with Irish Mens Captain John Carroll
2019 was a stellar year for Cork golfers. With seven Corkmen winning international caps, there were plenty of great performances among several notable individual wins. Just three years ago there wasn’t a single Cork golfer on the national mens squad, this year there were three golfers to reach that standard in what must be regarded as a great run for Cork golf. With three seniors, one boys and three mens representatives, it was an impressive number of caps. Top of the list of course was James Sugrue, the Amateur Champion. The Mallow man won the Castletroy Scratch Cup in May, but less than a month later his world would change with the win of a lifetime in Portmarnock. An Amateur Championship win seemed unlikely at a few stages during that week in Dublin. After just five holes on the first day of qualifying Sugrue branded the course as “insanely long”, and he found himself three down deep into the back nine in the second round of matchplay. In what was a marathon rather than a sprint, Sugrue played himself into form, thanks in equal parts to a new Titleist driver, solid advice from Neil Manchip and a hot putter. On that Saturday morning playing in the Amateur Championship final, few would have thought it was his seventh round of the week. He sprinted into a five up lead against Scotland’s Ewan Walker. Despite the impressive start, the final would prove to be another marathon lasting the full 36 holes. The Mallow man, watched by a record crowd of over 3,000 claimed the win on the final green, becoming the second Cork golfer after Jimmy Bruen to win the Amateur Championship. That win saw Sugrue’s schedule change, with an unplanned visit to Portrush for the Open championship taking priority in his calendar. James was very unlucky to miss the cut, a lost ball on the 14th on Friday cost him a place at the weekend when Shane Lowry created his own bit of history. Although injury hampered Sugrue towards the end of the season he had the honour of raising the Irish flag at the Walker Cup in Royal Liverpool in September.
Peter O’Keeffe
Peter O’Keeffe started the year off with a win, he came out on top in Muskerry in April winning their senior scratch cup. A five under par 66 gave O’Keeffe a good start and he was under par again in the second round to win the competition by two strokes. It was the second time that O’Keeffe won in Muskerry, his first coming 13 years ago in 2006. O’Keeffe was fifth in the East of Ireland and topped that by reaching the final of the North in July. Prior to the North he spent the week in Lahinch caddying for Robin Dawson in the Open. Peter finished second in the North of Ireland, which this year moved to Portstewart and Castlerock due Portrush staging the Open Championship. He lost out to Englishman Aaron Edwards Hill after a final that went to the 17th hole. The Douglas man was back in Lahinch later on in July, this time as a player in the South of Ireland. He started well, finishing in the top ten after the Strokeplay qualifier. He then Continue reading
Murphy set for new season
John Murphy, left, enjoying himself with Shane O’Connell and Cathal Butler at the South of Ireland in July.
Kinsale’s John Murphy was back Cork for a few weeks in December, and the Kentucky based golfer took a well deserved break after a busy few months on the course. After 30 plus tournaments in 2019 John took advantage of the winter break to recharge with family and friends in Kinsale. Having used the 2018 Christmas break to practice in Australia, John took a different angle this year with an extended break at home.
“The last few weeks were very different to my normal schedule,” said Murphy. “Apart from having to study for my finals a lot, I had a lot of time to spend with friends and family which I don’t normally get to do, so I really enjoyed it. I took a couple weeks away from golf just to recharge. “Towards the Continue reading
Winning 63 for Murphy in Cincinnati
John Murphy
John Murphy claimed his first win on US soil today, winning the Bearcat Invitational in Coldstream Country Club. His 54 hole total of -17 (196) was a result of three rounds in the 60’s. Murphy finished his summer with a win in the Mullingar Scratch Cup, and he continued his good form with an impressive start to the college season. Yesterday he shot rounds of 67 and 66 to lead the tournament on nine under, and there was no let up today. A birdie on the second was followed by an eagle three on the fourth hole, and another birdie on the sixth saw him turn on four under. Another eagle followed on the tenth and he went par, birdie, bogey, birdie to get to -7 on the 14th green. A final birdie on the 18th saw him sign for a 63 on the par 71, 7,111 yard course. It was Murphy’s lowest competition score, beating the several impressive scores he posted on his home course in Kinsale over the summer. The 17 under total contained 17 birdies and two eagles, and beat his previous 54 hole score of -15 from Hawaii when he finished in second place.
Murphy’s Louisville Cardinals also won the team event, with the first second and eighth places, Louisville finished on -37, an amazing 26 shots ahead of second placed Arkansas. The Cardinals have a break next week before they are back in action in Tennessee in the Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate.
Top ten for Murphy in US Season Opener
John Murphy
John Murphy opened his 2019/20 college season with a flourish last weekend, scooping a top ten finish in the opening tournament of the year. Murphy shot rounds of 71, 66, 76 in the Roy Myers Invitational which took place at Duke University. Four birdies and three bogies made up Murphy’s opening round on Saturday morning, and later that day he returned a blistering 66 which tied the lowest score of the tournament. The 66 got off to a steady start, the Louisville golfer was level par after four with two birdies and two bogies. A birdie four on the ninth saw him turn on one under. He had a hot hand on the back nine though, he was five under for the five holes from the 11th to the 15th. That included three birdies and an eagle as he finished the back nine with three pars to sign for a six under score.
That 66 in the second round saw Murphy lead the event going Continue reading
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