Keelan McCarthy

Blarney Senior Scratch Cup set for Saturday

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There’s less than a week to go to Blarney’s second senior scratch cup and it’s looking like it will be another great event.  The field is almost full but anyone interested in playing has until Wednesday to contact the club to enter.

Darren Kelleher is one of the organisers and he’s really looking forward to the event that remembers one of Blarney’s leading members.  “The scratch cup is called after our past member Mr Christy Horgan. Christy was a brilliant clubman and he was always there to help others. The scratch cup is a 36 hole event with refreshments after 18.  The prize money is exceptionally good for amateur golf in Ireland and we are nearly full with just a few spaces left.”

“Last year was our first year having our first senior scratch cup in Blarney, all the players that took Continue reading →

McCarthy wins Blarney Scratch Cup

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Keelan McCarthy winner of the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup pictured with members of Blarney Golf Club.

Keelan McCarthy scooped one of the last trophies for 2024 last weekend when he won the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup.  The Lee Valley man led from the start on Saturday to win the inaugural Christy Horgan Cup, named in memory of the Blarney clubman.

McCarthy made all the running in the morning and led the field by four shots after shooting a one under par 69.  David Lane, Ryan Lyons, Robbie Walsh, and Aidan Rowsome were the next best going into the second round with Ben Murray and Padraig O’Connor also chasing.

David Howard shot the round of the day on Saturday afternoon when he carded a three under par 67.  When added to his morning 76 it left him on three over, and with that he secured second place.  McCarthy added a second round 72 to his morning score to finish on +1, and he won by two.  David Lane added a second round 72 to take third place and Ben Murray was third.

McCarthy was delighted to win his first scratch cup.  A previous winner of the Bruen Youths in Muskerry, Keelan has waited a few years to claim another major win.  “I’m absolutely Continue reading →

Hickey leads Munster Boys

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Fred Daly Trophy Munster Finals 2019Fionn Hickey (Muskerry) holds a share of the lead in Ballybunion after the opening day of the Munster Boys.  Testing conditions were in play all day as 68 golfers – including 11 from Cork battled with wind and rain, and there was little in the way of respite as the rain continued into the late afternoon.  Hickey had a tough start, he had a double bogey seven on the opening hole.  He was four over after four holes but two birdies on the fifth and sixth got him back on track.  He turned on +3 and a very steady back nine (+1) saw him card a leading four over par 76.  Hickey is tied for the lead with Knock’s Lee Mitchell.

Youghal’s Charlie Flavin shot 81 to finish in the top ten while Stephen Riordan and Ronan Feerick are in the top 20.  Robbie Walsh and Alex Dineen are in the top 30 while Eoghan Casidy, Mel Deasy and Keelan McCarthy are all in the top 40.

Round two gets underway tomorrow morning at 7.54am on the Cashen course, and with better conditions forecast the race will be on to post a score in top 45.  That’s the cut mark for Friday’s final round.  The cut is currently +18, but th Continue reading →

Entries open for Bruen Youths, Muskerry Golf Club.

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Muskerry_Bruen Youths 2018_1

Keelan McCarthy (Lee Valley), 2018 winner of the Bruen Youths Trophy

Muskerry will hold the annual Bruen Boys and Youths Trophy on Monday 26th August, and there will be plenty of golfers hoping to add their name to the list of famous winners.  Lee Valley’s Keelan McCarthy is the holder and he’ll be looking to follow Cathal Butler and Sean Desmond who are among very few to win the Bruen Youths twice.  Kinsale’s Butler won in 2013 and 2014, and Desmond won in 2016 and 2017.  The Bruen Youths started in 1986 as a boys (under 18) competition but later moved to youths level.  There have been many famous winners, Professionals David Higgins, Cian McNamara, Mick Collins, Mark Murphy and Aaron O’Callaghan have all won, and Ronan Twomey and Dave O’Donovan are among very few Muskerry men Continue reading →

Jack Murphy wins Kerry Boys Championship, Daniel O’Sullivan wins Plate

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Kerry Boys winner Jack Murphy pictured with his parents John and Mary.

Young Douglas golfer Jack Murphy might be just 13 years old, but he made a big impression in Ballybunion today when he won the famous Kerry Boys Championship.  And it was a double success for Cork as Daniel O’Sullivan won the Plate Final.

Murphy added his name to a list of high profile winners after a excellent display of golf this afternoon.  He was up against Lee Valley’s Keelan McCarthy in an all-Cork final, and despite being 5 years younger, the Douglas golfer came out on top.  He got off to a flying start this afternoon, he was three up after six holes on the challenging Cashen course.  By the turn he added another to go five up, and he closed out the match on the 14th after winning 5&4.  It was a great week for Murphy, he opened with a 77/82 in the strokeplay qualifier to make the top flight championship draw with a few shots to Continue reading →

Strong Cork Challenge in Kerry Boys

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

ballybunion-cashen-16-longThere’s plenty of Cork interest in Ballybunion today as the round of 16 matchplay gets underway.  The Cashen course in North West Kerry proved to be a good challenge for some of Ireland’s top young golfers over the past two days, with six Cork golfers making it through to the last sixteen.  Mukerry’s Fionn Hickey shot the low round yesterday, a 73 saw him top day two and added to his opening 76, he qualified comfortably.  The Irish International had a colourful scorecard yesterday and interesting it included four birdies – all of which came on the par three’s.  Tom Higgins from Roscommon was the top qualifier on 148, with Hickey one shot behind on 149.

Lee Valley’s Keelan McCarthy shot rounds of Continue reading →

Top Four for Fionn in Leinster, Final Four for Peter in Portstewart

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Douglas Senior Senior Scratch Cup26th May 2019

Fionn Hickey

It was another positive day for Cork golfers, 16 year old Fionn Hickey was in the prizes a the Leinster Boys while Peter O’Keeffe dispatched another two challengers and is into the semi-final of the North of Ireland.

Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey continued his positive set of results this summer with a fourth place finish at the Leinster Boys.  Played in Waterford Golf Club over the past three days, Hickey close with a one under par 70.  Three birdies in his final five holes helped the Muskerry golfer move up one spot on the leaderboard, and he also won the best Under 17 prize.  Mel Deasy (Lee Valley) finished inside the top ten, two birdies on the back nine helped improve his position after going through the front nine in +3 today.  Keelan McCarthy and Robbie Walsh came home together in 14th position.  Both golfers shot identical rounds of 74,73,78 over the three days, while Mallow’s Daniel O’Sullivan was one shot back in 22nd place.

In Portstewart, Peter O’Keeffe claimed his fourth matchplay win in two day, closing out all four matches before he reached the 18th hole.  In the round of 32, O’Keeffe faced Jake Rowe from Tandragee, and he beat the Ulsterman 2&1.  This afternoon he faced Malone’s Matthew McClean in the quarter-final and closed out the match on the 16th after holding a solid lead throughout.

Douglas Senior Senior Scratch Cup26th May 2019

Peter O’Keeffe

Tomorrow morning the Douglas golfer will face the top qualifier and 2018 West of Ireland winner Rob Brazill from Naas.  Both golfers are currently on the Irish Senior Mens panel and it promises to be an interesting match.  In the second semi final, Liam Grehan will take on Arron Edwards-Hill.  O’Keeffe has been on the road for well over a week.  Last week he caddied for his friend Rob Dawson in the Irish Open in Lahinch, and when they finished up on Sunday, O’Keeffe made the long journey to the Northern coastline for Monday’s first round in the strokeplay qualifier.

Walsh wins in Oughterard, Connacht Boys Champion

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Dubai Duty Free Irish Open

Enter a Robert Walsh JNR (Kinsale) winner of the Connacht Boys Amateur Championship 2019. Picture: Golffile | Fran Caffrey

Robbie Walsh claimed his first provincial title today when he overturned a three shot deficit to win the Connacht Boys in Oughterard.  It was a long three days for the Kinsale golfer, he was in contention from the start and held a share of the lead with Galgorm Castle’s Joshua Hill after an opening 68.  He fell back to second place after round two though when he shot a level par 72 and Hill shot a 69.  With a three shot lead, Hill was favourite to win the title, and after the opening nine it still looked like that.  The Kinsale teenager was still three behind at the turn but two mistakes from Hill and a birdie from Walsh on the par five 14th saw the pair tied for the lead on the 16th tee.  Hill went one ahead with a birdie on the 16th, but he closed with two bogies that would put him into second place.  Walsh’s birdie on the par three 17th was crucial, it gave him a one shot lead heading to the 18th tee.  Although both golfers bogied the last, Walsh knew he had a cushion and claimed his first provincial title.

Muskerry’s Fionn Hickey carded a final round 69 (-2) to move up to 4th place, that’s another good result after he won the Under 17 trophy at the Irish Boys last week.  Jack Egan (Muskerry) and Keelan McCarthy (Lee Valley) both finished inside the top twenty, and Ronan Feerick (Mallow) dropped Continue reading →

Robbie Walsh ahead in Connacht Boys, Lyons leads in Irish Seniors Close

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Boylesports Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup 2019 Lee Valley Golf Club 27/28th April 2019Robbie Walsh leads the Connacht Boys after an impressive round where he shot a 68.  The Kinsale teenager had five birdies on his way the the four under par round in Oughterard.  A bogey on the final hole spoiled an otherwise flawless round, and he ties the overnight lead with Joshua Hill.  Keelan McCarthy (Lee Valley) and Shane Connor (East Cork) are the next best Cork players, they shot level par and are tied for 13th place.  Muskerry duo Fionn Hickey (+2) and Jack Egan (+3) are both inside the top thirty, along with Mallow’s Ronan Feerick.  Round two in Oughterard takes place tomorrow with the top 45 qualifying for the final round.

Pat Lyons leads in Kilkenny – Irish Seniors Close Munster Seniors Amateur Open 2019 Killarney Golf Club Wednesday 18th June 2019Pat Lyons shot an opening one Continue reading →