Munster Stroke Play winner Paul Coughlan pictured with Sean Barry from sponsors C2O Group and Dave Prendergast from Golf Ireland.
Picture: Niall O’Shea
Paul Coughlan became the 100th name on the famous Cork Scratch Cup after he won the C2O Group Munster Men’s Stroke Play Amateur Open Championship at Cork Golf Club.
The Castleknock golfer produced two impressive rounds of golf on Sunday to overturn a five-shot deficit after Saturday’s two rounds. The Westmeath native, who also won in 2024 was playing in the penultimate group on Sunday morning and set about his task from the opening hole with a birdie.
“I said go out and make a few early birdies here with the way the course sets up” said Coughlan after his win. “It was kind of the same as two years ago, I might have been five or six shots behind going into the Sunday,” said Coughlan. “Lucky enough I was able to birdie the first three holes, get back in it straight away and then had a little lead coming in the back nine so I tried to play smart but safe coming in.”
“I was told I was three ahead coming down 14 so I said unless one of the lads do something pretty special, five pars will do it. Lucky enough it was,” said Coughlan.
Coughlan has played in the Munster Stroke Play for many years and he is now a two-time winner of the Munster Stroke Play, and he admitted that he likes the annual trip to Cork. “It was good, I love coming to Cork. It’s a great place to play golf. I’ve had a rough couple of months so nice to turn a corner this weekend. I know where to hit drivers and where not to hit drivers, it suits my eye. It’s play aggressive as possible until you don’t need to. Coming in I laid up a little bit just to get the job done.”
A 75-strong field teed it up over two rounds on Saturday, and that was reduced to 31 for the final two rounds Sunday. Adam Fahey from Portmarnock set the pace on Saturday rounds of 66 and 68 putting him at ten under par, two shots clear of Conor Stapleton (Westport) and five ahead of Coughlan.
Coughlan pictured after his win in 2024.
The third round saw the leaderboard tighten significantly, as Coughlan signed for an impressive bogey-free 67 to take a one-shot lead into the final round. Stapleton carded a 71, while Fahey slipped back with a 73, leaving the pair tied for second.
Having seized an advantage in calm weather on Sunday morning, Coughlan looked to build on his momentum early in the final round, carding back-to-back birdies on 2 and 3. With Fahey taking double bogeys on both 7 and 9, Coughlan moved two shots clear of the field. Heavy showers in the afternoon threatened to disrupt the event at one point, but the fast draining Little Island course held up. The soft receptive greens provided the field with plenty of birdie opportunities but nobody was able to catch the Castleknock member.
Having secured a four-shot victory at this event in 2024, Coughlan drew on his championship winning experience to keep the chasing pack at bay. He remained steady throughout the back nine as he parred his way home to seal a two-shot victory and write his name into the history books at Cork Golf Club.
Adam Fahey finished second in the standings on eight under par and picked up the Carr Bruen Shield as the best Under 25. Barry O’Connell was the best placed local golfer. The Douglas member finished on -6 to take fourth place after carding rounds of 69, 70, 72 and 71. Joe O’Neill, Barry Anderson, Robbie Walsh and Joe O’Sullivan also made the half way cut.
The event was again sponsored by Paul Buckley’s C2O Group and the C2O’S Sean Barry was there to present the Cork Scratch cup to Coughlan. Golf Ireland Munster Chairman Dave Prendergast acknowledged the support from Paul Buckley to allow the club and Golf Ireland to deliver one of the most prestigious events in the region.
John Doyle
John Doyle, the 2025 winner of the Munster Stroke Play was in action in Lytham over the weekend and the Fota Island teenager finished in 5th place in the elite amateur event. Doyle was the best of the 16 Irish golfers who travelled to the tournament outside Blackpool, and after his win in Lee Valley last week, his game is trending in the right direction as he heads for the Flogas Irish Amateur Open in Seapoint this weekend. Barry O’Connell, Sean Barry, David Howard, Robbie Walsh, Joe O’Neill, Sean Reddy and James Walsh will also tee it up in Termonfeckon tomorrow.
Cork Golf News 