Kinsale’s John Murphy had a pretty special bank holiday weekend, Murphy was in Portugal for the Darren Clarke Champions Weekend. As winner of the Munster Youths in August, Murphy was invited to take part in the event which was hosted by the Amendoeira Golf Resort in the Algarve. The 18 winners from the top youths, boys and girls competitions in 2016 invited for the three day trip. Rachel Thompson, Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy also earned invitations after their performances this year. After a 4am start in Dublin airport on Friday morning, the golfers met Clarke on arrival at the golf club and played golf with the Ryder Cup Captain three times over the two days. Although vastly experienced at top level national and international boys golf, Murphy admitted that it was a pretty special experience. “We went over to the golf club and Darren introduced himself to us. It was kind of weird at the start, but I got used to it after a few hours” said Murphy who is now a student in Maynooth. “We played 18 holes with Darren playing with us and watching us, pointing Continue reading
Mairead Martin
Martin, Clancy, Thompson & Byrne named on ILGU Panels
Valerie Clancy
The ILGU announced their coaching panels for 2016/2017 and there was good news for several Cork golfers. Valerie Clancy and Mairead Martin were both named on the ILGU High Performance panel for 2017. It’s a great achievement for both girls as they have continued to improve through the 2016 season.
2016 was also a breakthrough for Cork’s Rachel Thompson who was added to the funded performance panel for the year ahead. The high performance panel has the stated objective of developing world class players while the funded performance panel is aimed at encouraging golfers to compete at international level, at individual and team events. Thompson, Martin and Clancy all featured on the Irish Girls team that won the home internationals in Wales earlier this year.
Sara Byrne (Douglas) was named on the Horizon coaching panel which is aimed at supporting and developing younger players, and preparing them for the transition to the high performance panel in years to come. The ILGU are currently in the process of developing the new structure with the regional professionals with a view to rolling out the revised plans early in the new year.
HIGH PERFORMANCE PANEL
Ciara Casey
Valerie Clancy
Maria Dunne
Paula Grant
Leona Maguire*
Mairead Martin
Julie McCarthy
Niamh McSherry
Olivia Mehaffey*
Annabel Wilson
(*Denotes US based players)
FUNDED PERFORMANCE PANEL
Georgia Carr
Louise Coffey
Elisa Corcoran
Mary Doyle
Meadhbh Doyle
Kate Dwyer
Emma Forbes
Alice Hutchinson
Lisa Maguire
Jessica Ross
Chloe Ryan
Sinead Sexton
Rachel Thompson
Lauren Walsh
HORIZON PERFORMANCE PANEL
Sara Byrne
Beth Coulter
Aine Donegan
Anna Foster
Kate Lanigan
Niamh O’Dwyer
Canice Screene
Round Up: Davey Barry at PGA Assistants, Tom Cleary at British Seniors, Boys & Girls Home Internationals
Davey Barry (Douglas) is in action at the PGA Assistants Championship, he shot a level par 72 in his first round at Little Aston Golf Club in Bermingham. Barry had three birdies and three bogies in his opening 18 holes, and he’s just inside the top twenty heading into the second round.
Galvin Green PGA Assistants’ Championship
Cork’s Tom Cleary is in the top ten after the opening round of the British Seniors Amateur Open at Formby. Cleary had an opening 74 and is three shots behind the leader. He’s tied with Tipperary’s Arthur Pierse as the leading Irish players
British Seniors Amateur Open
Valerie Clancy, Rachel Thompson and Mairead Martin all had good starts for Ireland today at the opening day of the girl home internationals. Clancy Continue reading
Kanturk Golf Club honours Mairead Martin
Mairead Martin and Irish Olypmpic athlete Michelle Finn pictured at a celebration in Kanturk Golf Club
Top class amateur golfer Mairead Martin was honoured by he local club last week when she was awarded honorary life membership by Kanturk Golf Club. The award was made during Liam Fitzgerald’s Captain’s Prize and a large crowd was present to help celebrate both the super golfing weekend and the achievements of Martin. Mairead, fresh from an unlucky defeat in the semi-final of the Leinster Ladies Championship on Sunday was present with her family to accept the accolade from Lady Captain Kitty Hennessy.
Since concentrating on golf from the age of 12, Mairead’s progression has been rapid and now plays of plus 1. She has represented Ireland at various levels and also had the honour of representing Great Britain and Ireland in the Junior Vagliano Trophy in 2015, where she formed a winning partnership with her good friend Annabel Wilson from Lurgan. She has had some notable successes in national championships including winning the Continue reading
Three Cork Girls selected for Irish Team
Rachel Thompson
Cork’s Rachel Thompson along with Killarney’s Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy have been selected on the Irish Girls team that will compete in the home internationals
All three have shown great form this season. Mairead Martin from Kanturk reached the semi-final stage of the Irish Girls Close over the weekend, while Thompson reached the semi-final of the plate competition. Valerie Clancy from Mitchelstown won the Munster Senior Open in Waterville back in March and followed that with a very good performance in the Irish Ladies Close at Lahinch in May.
Ireland are putting forward an exceptional girls’ team, which includes Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little), Niamh McSherry (Lurgan), Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) and Annabel Wilson (Lurgan). Leinster, Ulster and Irish Girls Champion, Julie McCarthy is unstoppable and dominating Irish U18 golf alongside in form 15 year old Annabel Wilson. Wilson had a superb performance at the European Team Championships and subsequently at the Junior British Open, where she finished 9th. Having just Continue reading
8-0 win for Munster Girls, Healy secures top ten in Connacht
Valerie Clancy
The Munster Girls side won their second match today to finish up in runner up spot at the Interprovincials in Slieve Russell. There were wins for everyone today as the Munster side had an 8-0 whitewash of Connacht. Sarah Byrne (Douglas) and Grace McGrath (East Cork) won their foursomes match on the 18th while Mitchelstown’s Ciara Leonard wrapped up her match on the 15th. In the singles there were wins for Byrne and Leonard as McGrath was rested. There was no joy for the Munster Ladies as they drew with Connacht to finish in fourth place.
Valerie Clancy, Mairead Martin and Rachel Thompson were all in action in European Girls Championships in Norway again today, this time playing in the matchplay (flight b) stage. Clancy won her foursomes match and there was a win too for Martin while Thompson halved her match. The Irish girls team go on to play Netherlands tomorrow in the semi-final
A final round 76 saw Kinsale’s Mark Healy secured a top ten finish at the Connacht Boys in Galway Golf Club today. John Murphy had a 74 in his final round and he finished in a tie for 15th place. The competition was won by Limerick’s Ciaran Vaughan who finished two clear of the field.
The date for the Bruen Youths in Muskerry has been confirmed and entries are now open. The 36 hole strokeplay event takes place on Monday 15th August and marks the start of Muskerry’s Bruen Open Week.
Irish Call Ups for Cork Golfers
Rachel Thompson
There was a great deal of excitement yesterday as four Cork golfers were called up for international duty. Mairead Martin, Valerie Clancy and Rachel Thompson were all selected to represent Ireland at the European Girls Team Championship. All three golfers have had very strong starts to the season and the selection is justified on their recent performances. The competition takes place in Oslo over five days in early July.
Kinsale’s Cathal Butler was selected to play in the World University Championship which takes place in France next month. The Maynooth University student is studying for his first year exams at present so is not playing in the Castletroy Scratch Cup this weekend. Castletroy have put a huge effort into their Bank of Ireland sponsored event, and they have attracted a top class field which takes place over 36 holes on Saturday
Cork challenge bows out, ILGU Close
Yesterday’s quarter-finals marked the end of Cork’s interest in the ILGU Irish Close at Lahinch. In the morning match Valerie Clancy beat Sara Byrne in the battle of emerging talent, but Clancy lost out in her quarter final match again home favourite Sinead Sexton. Rachel Thompson and Mairead Martin also lost in their round of 16 matches.
Irish Women’s Close – Championship Quarter-Final Match Play – 14/05/16
Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) beat Valerie Clancy (Killarney) 5&3
Louise Coffey (Malone) beat Georgia Carr (Milltown) 1up
Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) lost to Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) 3&1
Maria Dunne (Skerries) lost to Olivia Mehaffey (RCDL) 2&1
Irish Women’s Close – Championship Match Play – 14/05/16
Sinead Sexton (Lahinch) beat Paula Walsh (Doneraile)2up
Valerie Clancy (Killarney) beat Sara Byrne (Douglas) 2&1
Louise Coffey (Malone) beat Mary Doyle (The Heath) 3&2
Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) lost to Georgia Carr (Milltown) 1up
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) lost to Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe) 1up
Aoife Lowry (Tipperary) beat Rachel Thompson (Cork) 4&2
Maria Dunne (Skerries) beat Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) 3&2
Olivia Mehaffey (RCDL) beat Mairead Martin (Killarney) 2up
Cork interest continues in Lahinch, Ladies Irish Close
Sara Byrne
Two Cork teenagers will face off in the final 16 of the ILGU Close Championship at Lahinch tomorrow. Sara Byrne from Douglas will play Mitchelstown’s Valerie Clancy in the second match tomorrow morning. Clancy had a 2&1 win over Lisa O’Shea while Byrne won on the 16th against Nicola Coffey.
Cork’s Rachel Thompson also won on the 16th, closing out her match against Maeve Rooney. Mairead Martin and Paula Walsh both have daunting matches ahead of them in the morning. Walsh will take on the Lahinch star Sinead Sexton who finished best qualifier on -4 after 36 holes, Sexton had an 8&7 win today to make it to the second round with ease. Mairead Martin will play Olive Mehaffey, the current Irish Open Champion. Martin beat Carlow’s Karen Delaney after their mathc was finally settled on the 19th,while Mehaffey won 8&7 against Linda Toomey.
ILGU Irish Close Round of 16 Draw
Gillian O’Leary lost out this morning but she has a Continue reading
Clancy & Thompson in Top Ten at Lahinch
Valerie Clancy
Six of the nine Cork golfers in the Women’s Close have made it through to the matchplay stage which starts tomorrow morning. Mitchelstown’s Valerie Clancy finished the 36 hole stroke play qualifier in 8th place. A one under par 73 in he second round saw he jump up the leaderboard. Cork’s Rachel Thompson recorded a 75/76 to also finish on +3.
Kanturk’s Mairead Martin was the third Cork golfer to finish on +3. Paula Walsh (Doneraile) finished in 16th place and Sara Byrne and Gillian O’Leary (now representing The Island) also made the cut to get into the matchplay. Lahinch’s Sinead Sexton led the way with a -4 total, three strokes better than second placed Chloe Ryan. Olivia Mehaffey, Maria Dunne and Mary Doyle are all safely through to the next round.
The top 32 now face off tomorrow which Continue reading
Cork Golf News 