Rachel Thompson

Three Cork Girls selected for Irish Team

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ILGU AIG Senior Cup Munster Final, Douglas Golf Club, Sunday 8th May 2015

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 →

Byrne loses out on 23rd hole in Irish Close Plate

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2016 Irish Girls Close Championship at Kilkenny Golf Club

Sara Byrne (Douglas) competing in the semi final of the Plate (Pat Fletcher Trophy) at the 2016 Irish Girls Close Championship at Kilkenny Golf Club.. Picture by Pat Cashman

Sara Byrne from Douglas was the unlucky loser in a titanic battle at the plate final in the Irish Girls Close at Kilkenny yesterday.  The 23 hole battle was Byrne’s second time that day going to additional holes.  In the morning semi final she beat Cork’s Rachel Thompson on the 19th.

Byrne got off to a good start in the final, with 2 birdies and a par to bring her 4 shots clear after 8 holes.  Sara’s opponent Beth Coulter wasn’t going to be put off and clawed back the deficit with a number of birdies.  It took 23 holes for the match to come to an eventual conclusion in which the Douglas member lost out.

Byrne had finished in the top ten after the first two strokeplay rounds.  Mairead Martin was third in the strokeplay qualifier and Rachel Thompson and Valerie Clancy were tied for fifth place.  Martin made it through to championship semi- Continue reading →

8-0 win for Munster Girls, Healy secures top ten in Connacht

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Valerie Clancy

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.

Fota Island

Irish Call Ups for Cork Golfers

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ILGU AIG Senior Cup Munster Final, Douglas Golf Club, Sunday 8th May 2015

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

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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

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Sara Byrne

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

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Valerie Clancy

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 Golfers in action in Irish Ladies Close at Lahinch

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ILGU AIG Senior Cup Munster Final, Douglas Golf Club, Sunday 8th May 2015

Rachel Thompson

Play got underway early this morning at Lahinch at the Irish Ladies Close Championship.  there are eight Cork golfers in action in the field of just over 60 golfers.  Cork’s Rachel Thompson and Paula Walsh (Doneraile) are representing the Senior Cup winners from last weekend and Sara Byrne is representing semi-finalists Douglas.  Killarney duo Mariead Martin (Kanturk) and Valerie Clancy (Mitchelstown) are also in action.

After today’s two rounds, the top 32 golfers will advance to the matchplay stage.  Lahinch Golf Course is one of Ireland’s top links courses and has hosted a number of high-level championship events in the past. The Irish Ladies’ Close Championship was held there in 2007 when Carlow’s Karen Delaney was crowned champion. Lahinch is host to the annual Ladies Lahinch Scratch Cup and Men’s South of Ireland Championship.  Competitors play 36 holes stroke play on the first day with 32 players qualifying for Continue reading →