Kieran McCarthy

Kinsale delivers for Irish Seniors Championships

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Kinsale Captain Gavin Farrissey pictured with club officers and the winners from the Irish Seniors Championships.
Picture: Kinsale Golf Club.

Kinsale Golf Club hosted two major competitions last week and the mature parkland course at Farrangalway was in pristine condition for the Irish Seniors Championships.  Close to 150 Ladies and Men teed it up on over three days.  Kinsale was in great condition for the event, it was clear that the greenkeeping team had left nothing to chance as plenty of competitors commented on the quality of the course and in particular the greens.

The only negative to the week was that there wasn’t a home winner.  Shane Kenneally was the holder coming into the event but couldn’t match last year’s feat.  He battled all the way and finished in 17th place.  Fellow Kinsale golfer Kieran McCarthy was also in the mix, trading shots with Bandon’s Dave McCarthy in the final round.  The Bandon golfer shot a Continue reading →

Irish Mid-Am title for Peter O’Keeffe

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Peter O'Keeffe Irish Mid Amateur Sept 2019_2

Peter O’Keeffe (Pic: Golffile)

Peter O’Keeffe scooped a second national title today, winning the Irish Mid Amateur in Royal Belfast.  The Douglas golfer had a wire to wire win following rounds of 68,70 & 71.  His winning score of 209 was the only score to break par on the Harry Colt designed course.  O’Keeffe jumped into the lead after an opening 68 on Saturday morning, the two under par round had four birdies and one double bogey in the opening round to lead the field by one.  He followed that with a level par 70 in the afternoon, again closing with birdies on the 16th and 18th.  The 2017 Irish Open winner had a one shot lead going into today’s final round.  Rathmore’s Ben Best was one behind but two bogies on the first and second gave Peter a lead of three.  O’Keeffe went out in a steady level par, made up of seven pars, one birdie and one birdie.  The back nine was even steadier, eight pars and just one bogey on 17th say him sign for a 71.  Playing with the two nearest competitors, O’Keeffe knew he was in the lead and closed out the win with ease.  Colm Campbell and France’s Christophe DeGrancey were one back on level par for the tournament.

Kinsale’s Kieran McCarthy finished in the top ten, he finished on eight over for 8th place.  Mark Collins was one shot back and finished in 11th place.  Lee Valley’s Jason Galway was the Continue reading →

Kinsale Scratch Cup set for 29th June

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Kinsale GC Scratch Cup Facebook.inddKinsale’s Senior Scratch Cup is set to be played on Saturday 29th of June, and with the club hosting the AIG Barton Shield in July, it’s sure to attract a large field of golfers.  The Scratch Cup has a fresh feel as a result of its inclusion on the 2019 Munster Senior Interprovincial Order of Merit. The competition expects a high-quality field of Munster hopefuls, aiming to play their way on to the Munster Senior Interprovincial team.  The South Munster Barton Shield qualifier will take place in Kinsale Golf Club in July. Kinsale won the Munster Barton Shield in 2018 and will be relishing the prospect of qualifying at home. The Scratch Cup will provide an ideal opportunity for clubs participating in the Barton Shield to get acquainted with some of the course changes in advance of the qualifier.  With a gap in the national calendar, it’s also gives everyone a chance at a win at a major local event, one which dates back over 50 years.

Kinsale Scratch Cup Winners 2007The Kinsale Scratch Trophy was first played in September 1961 as a club competition and was won by Cork Golf Club. The format consisted of an inter-club scratch competition for teams of four, involving morning foursomes followed by afternoon singles with all scores to count in a Ryder Cup style format. In more recent years, the Scratch Cup has switched from a team to an individual format intermittently. Kinsale signalled the end of the team format of the competition on a winning note. Kieran McCarthy, Paul Crowley, Shane Kenneally and Keith O’Shea emerging victorious in 2007.

In 2008, the event returned to an individual format and the cup remained in Kinsale after John Keating secured the win. Notable past winners (as individuals and team players) include the Higgin’s family from Cork Golf Club in Continue reading →

McLarnon tames Lee Valley

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Tiarnan McLarnon_Lee Valley Scratch Cup_Apr 2019_2

Tiarnan McLarnon, the Boylesports Lee Valley Scratch Cup winner 2019

It was a weekend that started with Storm Hannah, but it finished with Storm Tiarnan as the Massereene golfer put manners on both the course and the field at the Boylesports Lee Valley Scratch Cup.  It was a wire to wire win for the Antrim golfer, after an opening 73 which put him in the lead, he set a course record on Saturday afternoon with a six under par 66.  Going into the final round he had a four shot lead, that meant he just needed to keep pace with second placed Ronan Mullarney.  The Irish International went on the attack again though and closed with a three under par 69 to extend his lead and win by a clear margin of seven strokes.  The 16th hole summed up the weekend for McLarnon, after missing the green he chipped in for birdie.  That effectively sealed his win, and after two regulation pars on 17 and 18 he smiled to crowd to acknowledge his first win in Lee Valley.  While Tiarnan led from the front, the chasers didn’t Continue reading →

McLarnon the man to catch in Lee Valley

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Boylesports Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup 2019Lee Valley Golf Club 27/28th April 2019

Tiarnan McLarnon

Tiaran McLarnon shot a course record 66 (-6) in Lee Valley this afternoon to take a four stroke lead heading into the final round of the Boylesports sponsored Senior Scratch Cup. The Massereene golfer tied the lead after the opening round when he and Kinsale teenager Robbie Walsh shot a pair of 73’s in difficult conditions.  McLarnon doubled down this afternoon and an eagle on the par four 1st hole helped him to take a firm hand on the 54 hole event, he’s on -5 (139) going into the final round.  McLarnon, who finished as runner up last year, is now six under for his last five rounds in Lee Valley – 66-73-70-74-71!

McLarnon is the man to catch and he’s four shots ahead of Ronan Mullarney who sot a 69 this afternoon to go with his opening 74  (143, -1).  Sean Desmond rounds off the top three.  He was under par in the afternoon as well, with a 71 to finish on 147 (+3).

Gallery: Boylesports Lee Valley Senior Scratch R2 Pictures

Kieran McCarthy was a bit cross after the opening round.  After a good drive on the 17th he failed to find his ball Continue reading →

Super 66 from Sugrue at the South

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AIG Senior Cup Area Semi Finals 2018Cork Golf Club Sunday 24th June 2018

James Sugrue

Defending Champion James Sugrue was among the pace-setters in Lahinch today as he marched around the famous links.  The Mallow man had six birdies and no bogies, he was two under at the turn and came back in four under par thanks to more birdies at the 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th.  It’s been a few decades since anyone has retained the South of Ireland, and while James will not be of Sunday afternoon just yet – it does mean he’s still holding the form that saw him feature in several competitions in June and July.  Sugrue is in third place after Mark Power and Reece Black posted rounds of 65.  With the 36 hole strokeplay cut (top 64) currently around the +2 mark, it looks like all three golfers will just need a level par round or slightly worse tomorrow to book a place in the matchplay phase.

 

AIG Senior Cup Area Semi Finals 2018Cork Golf Club Sunday 24th June 2018

Cathal Butler

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler set the early pacewith a four under par round of 68.  That was despite being two over after his opening three holes.  It was a good day for several Cork golfers, Gary O’Flaherty joined Butler on 68 and John Hickey was two shots back on 70.

Gary Ward, Peter O’Keeffe and Sean Desmond are all in the clubhouse on level par, their currently in the top 40 and another similar round tomorrow should see them advance Continue reading →

Munster Strokeplay Championship Winners

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Munster Strokeplay Championship
Year Venue Winner Club
2006 Cork Golf Club Conor Doran Banbridge
2007 Cork Golf Club Niall Gorey Banbridge
2008 Cork Golf Club Niall Gorey Lee Valley
2009 Cork Golf Club Pat Murray Lee Valley
2010 Cork Golf Club Rory Leonard Banbridge
2011 Cork Golf Club Niall Gorey Muskerry
2012 Cork Golf Club Brian Casey Headfort
2013 Cork Golf Club Kieran McCarthy Kinsale
2014 Cork Golf Club Barry Anderson The Royal Dublin
2015 Cork Golf Club Shaun Carter The Royal Dublin

O’Flaherty and Hickey set for Cork Challenge

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Cork's Gary O'Flaherty in action in Lee Valley, he's on of several local golfers in action in the Munster Strokeplay Championship this weekend. Picture: Niall O'Shea

Cork’s Gary O’Flaherty in action in Lee Valley, he’s on of several local golfers in action in the Munster Strokeplay Championship this weekend.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

The top golfers from Cork, Munster and Ireland will gather in Cork Golf Club on Saturday morning for the 72 hole Munster Strokeplay Championship.  Now in its tenth year, the Munster Strokeplay took the place of the Cork Scratch Cup which was the oldest competition of its type in the country.  In the past decade the competition has attracted a top class field and this year two thirds of the field are playing off a plus handicap. Continue reading →