Mairead Martin

Mairead Martin wins Cork Scratch Cup

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Mairead Martin (Kanturk) being presented with the Cork Ladies Scratch Cup trophy by Lady Captain Amanda Welsh and Lady President Nuala Lyden.

Mairead Martin won the Cork Ladies Scratch Cup in style on Saturday, shooting two under par round to win by four strokes.  The Irish International has been in good form recently and that showed in the first wound when she shot a four under par 70.  Martin was delighted with her win, her second of the year.

I really like Cork Golf Club, funnily enough I hadn’t played it very much even being from Cork” said Mairead after her win.  “It’s a challenging course but definitely rewards good approach shots.”

“I played well in round 2, I knew it was important to keep the foot on the accelerator as you never know what can happen.  I started out well with Continue reading →

Mairead Martin called into Irish Action

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Mairead Martin has been given her chance in Finland. Photo: Thos Caffrey / Golffile.

Cork will have two Irish internationals in action in Finland this week.  Mairead Martin has been called into the Irish team  for the European Ladies’ Team Championship following Áine Donegan’s US Open heroics.

Donegan was due to join Sara Byrne, Beth Coulter, Anna Foster, Kate Lanigan and Jessica Ross at Tawast Golf & Country Club in Finland next week but will instead continue her push for silverware after she made the cut at Pebble Beach.

Kanturk’s Martin was a recent nine-shot winner of the Ballybunion Ladies’ Scratch Cup, and the University of Louisville graduate now has a huge chance to make her mark on the big stage.

“With Áine progressing so well at Pebble Beach it’s a wonderful opportunity for Mairead to showcase her skills at the European Championships in Helsinki,” said Golf Ireland High Performance Director Neil Manchip.

Strong Season finish for Sara Byrne

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Sara Byrne (Douglas) in action in the AIG Irish Womens Close in 2022.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne wrapped up her third year in the US with a solid performance at the NCAA National Championship.  Sara was one of nine individual golfers who qualified for the finals in Greyhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale Arizona.  She booked a place in the finals thanks to a second place finish in the Palm Beach Regional which should have been her final event of the college schedule.  Byrne was just the second Cork golfer to make it to the NCAA finals, John Murphy played with Louisville in 2019 and again in 2021 in his senior year.  It’s been another very positive season for the Douglas golfer, she recorded three top tens in the very competitive ACC conference and the third year led the Miami Hurricanes on a number of occasions.  She played in 37 competitive rounds this year and had an impressive stroke average of 72.9, an improvement of over Continue reading →

3rd Leinster title for Mairead Martin, Murphy 2nd in Finland

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Mairead Martin (Kanturk) winner of the Leinster Women’s Championship 2022 at Bray Golf Club, 
Picture: Thos Caffrey / Golffile

Mairead Martin defeated Co Louth’s Ellen O’Shaughnessy to win the Leinster Women’s Championship.  The Kanturk golfer won 3&1 in a high quality final in tough conditions at Bray Golf Club on Sunday.  The Louisville graduate clearly likes the tournament, and has won it now on three occasions.  In two very tight semi-finals, Mairead defeated Hannah-Lee McNamara on the 17th, while Ellen defeated Katie Poots on the 18th.  Speaking after the win, Martin said: “The final was up and down all day with 1 hole between us most of the match. So really, 17 was the key moment when I hit it very close to seal victory”.   Mairead felt that the key this week was to “keep it Continue reading →

Cork’s Top Amateurs (Women)

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Cork Ladies have been to the fore of Irish golf for close to 100 years, with many leading the way both in Ireland and abroad.  Cork has produced major winners since the 1920’s and there’s every chance we’ll be adding a few more titles with the current generation.  Due to the difference in the number of men’s events compared with women’s events, it wasn’t possible to Continue reading →

Top 5 for Murphy in Alabama

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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 →

Mairead helps Cardinals to title

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Louisville Womens Golf Cardinal Cup Oct 2019Kanturk’s Mairead Martin took second place in the Cardinal Cup as University of Louisville Womens Golf earned their first win of the season.  Playing as hosts on their home course, Louisville beat the field by eight strokes to come home in style.  Mairead was the best placed Louisville golfer, with rounds of 68, 73, 69 to finish on -6.

Now playing in her second year in Louisville, this was her best finish in a college tournament.  “It was a really great weekend,” Martin said. “I felt really comfortable out here and I enjoyed it a lot.  I felt really proud of my performance, and especially the team’s performance this weekend as well.”  She finished in second place, two shots off the lead on 210.  She carded a final-round 3-under-par 69, which included four birdies, as all of them came on the back nine.  Martin led the tournament in par-3 scoring, finishing with a 2.83 average and 2-under-par.  She was also second in par-4 scoring with a 3.87 average.

“It was an unbelievable day,” head coach Whitney Young said. “The team really came together. Everyone contributed this week, and today especially. They just kept fighting and making birdies. To be able to have my first team victory as Continue reading →

Mairead Enjoying College Life

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mairead martin louisville oct 2018Mairead Martin recently enjoyed a few weeks at home after an exciting few months in the US on a golf scholarship in Kentucky.  The Kanturk golfer who completed her leaving cert in June and in August she moved to start with their acclaimed womens golf programme.  It was a great first semester, Mairead finished the second highest ranked golfer on the roster claiming two top ten finishes on her first five tournaments.  It was a busy few months for the teenager as she settled into her new home for the next few years.  “The first couple of weeks were tough and quite intense it took a while for me to get used to how busy each day was between school, practice and workouts” explained Mairead.  “I struggled to find time to even think about home or even be homesick.  When I arrived in Louisville the team and coaches couldn’t have been Continue reading →

Super 2017 for Mairead Martin

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2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf ClubKanturk’s Mairead Martin has been hitting the headlines for two years on the golf course, and she’ll be one to watch in 2018 as she play’s what’s likely to be her final full season in Ireland for a few years.  The Leaving Cert student is hoping to take up a US college scholarship next year and will be working hard to make another impression.  She spent most of the season playing off +1 and had a number of wins and great team performances for club and country.  Just six years after first playing golf, Mairead is in the top echelons of the sport.    Now the season has ended, Mairead can look back on another successful season.  The big win of the year came in Mallow when Mairead claimed a national title.  The Irish Girls close was a huge win, especially when it was played Mallow.  There was no let up as Mairead went on to win again Continue reading →