Muskerry Aiming for Back to Back Barton Shield Titles

Action from the AIG Barton Shield Munster Final at Dungarvan Golf Club. Saturday 15th August 2015. Picture: Niall O'Shea

Muskerry after winning the AIG Barton Shield Munster Final at Dungarvan Golf Club. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Muskerry make the almost familiar trip back to Carton House next week with high hopes of creating history with their AIG Barton Shield Team.  Having beaten four teams in South Munster, they racked up another two wins at the Munster finals stage to book their place in the national finals.  Now they are just two matches away from back to back wins in one of golf’s most prestigious national competitions.  They head off to Carton House with a settled team featuring just one change from last year.  The experienced John Waldron has stepped down and that has given an opportunity to someone else to step up and join the winning team.  That opportunity fell to Shane Whooley and the rookie has excelled all year long.  Whooley started the year playing off 2, but had several impressive performances in the early Continue reading

Desmond wins Bruen Youths in Muskerry

Sean Desmond (Monkstown) receiving the Bruen Youths Trophy from David Bruen, also included are David Taylor Captain Muskerry and Richard Cahill Sponsor.

Sean Desmond (Monkstown) receiving the Bruen Youths Trophy from David Bruen, also included are David Taylor Captain Muskerry and Richard Cahill Sponsor.

Monkstown’s Sean Desmond won the Bruen Youths in Muskerry on Monday, rounding off an impressive year for the scratch golfer.  Desmond was a key part of Monkstown Senior Cup team this season and the impressive young golfer has had a share of disappointments in the last few weeks.  He was part of two Monkstown teams that narrowly lost out in Munster finals in the AIG Senior Cup and in the Junior Foursomes.  He also had a good run in the Kerry Boys in Ballybunion before going out at the semi-final stage.  On Monday he led a field of fifty golfers to win the prestigious youths title which has taken place for each of the past 30 years.   In the morning he led the first round with a level par 71, tied with Muskerry’s James O’Connor.  Birdies on the 1st, 7th and 9th helped Desmond build his score.  Three more birdies followed in the second round, all on the front nine again.  A double bogey on the 13th in the afternoon was the only real blemish on a very solid 36 holes.  His two round total of 144 was one shot better than Daniel O’Sullivan Continue reading

Muskerry’s Egan wins Munster Boys Under 14 Championship

Munster Boys Under 14 Open Championship 2015Muskerry’s Jack Egan won the Munster Boys Under 14 Championship today at East Cork Golf Club.  Egan shot the low round of the day and his one over par 70 beat the runner up by three shots.  The young Muskerry man had a very steady  front nine, with a bogey on the third hole the only blemish.  He birdied the tricky par three 16th to get back to level par but gave the shot back on the following hole.  He parred the 18th to sign for a 70, four shots better that his handicap of five.  Second place went to Scott Millar who travelled from Clandeboye and the Castle Dargan Continue reading

Muskerry Retain AIG Barton Shield Munster Title

Action from the AIG Barton Shield Munster Final at Dungarvan Golf Club. Saturday 15th August 2015. Picture: Niall O'Shea

Action from the AIG Barton Shield Munster Final at Dungarvan Golf Club. Saturday 15th August 2015.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Muskerry’s Barton Shield team completed phase two of their plan to match last year’s heroics, after winning the competitive South Munster qualifiers, they went on and secured a second successive Munster title last Saturday in Dungarvan.  Now they face a trip back to Carton House next month for the finals of the AIG Cups and Shields, and they have a great chance of retaining the national title.  The experienced side have one change from last year, Shane Whooley has filled the spot held by John Waldron and has slotted into the seamlessly going on his recent performances.  On Saturday morning they faced Youghal in an all Cork clash.  Youghal had come through the East Munster qualifier, and despite Conor Coyne leading the team they couldn’t keep pace with Muskerry and lost by five holes.  Shannon came through on the other side of the draw with an impressive eight hole win over Tralee.  The final was set to be a battle and it was the first of three Munster finals to be decided on Dungarvan’s 18th green.  The match started as a very evenly

Gallery: AIG Barton Shield Munster Final Continue reading

Desmond, Murphy & O’Connor in the hunt at Kerry Boys

Sean Desmond (Monkstown Golf Club)

Sean Desmond (Monkstown Golf Club)

There’s still plenty of Cork interest in the Kerry Boys at Ballybunion with three of the four semi-finalists coming from Cork.  Sean Desmond (Monkstown) had a 5&4 win this morning and this afternoon he beat Kinsale’s Gary Ward on the 20th after a tough battle.  Desmond will face John Murphy (Kinsale) in the semi-final, Murphy finished off his first round match on the 13th green this morning and he won on the 15th this afternoon.  Muskerry’s James O’Connor is also through to the semi-finals, he beat Fota’s David Howard this morning and beat a fancied Rory Hill (Tralee) Continue reading

30th Bruen Youths at Muskerry Golf Club

Entries are now open for the prestigious Bruen Youths which will take place at Muskerry Golf Club on Monday 24th August.   This year will mark the 30th staging of the event which started in 1895.  It was started to mark the 50th anniversary of Jimmy Bruen’s famous win in the British Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale.  In another link to the revered Cork golfer, the cup that is played for is the cup that was awarded for the Muskerry Captain’s Prize in 1945 which was won by Bruen himself.

David Higgins, past winner of the Bruen Youths at Muskerry Golf Club

David Higgins, past winner of the Bruen Youths at Muskerry Golf Club

The competition provides young golfers with one of very few opportunities to play medal golf over 36 holes.  A double shotgun start is the format for the competition and entry is just €10.  Full details and bookings are available on the Muskerry website and booking can be made online.

The trophy is a “who’s who” of the best golfers of any given era from the last three decades, and include the names of current tour professional’s David Higgins and Niall Turner.  More recent winners include Youghal’s Conor Coyne and Kinsale’s Cathal Butler.