Sara Byrne

Byrne named on Palmer Cup Team

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Douglas golfer Sara Byrne was last night named on the international team to play in the prestigious Palmer Cup which takes place in Lahinch in July.  The announcement came late on Tuesday and the 22 year old Senior was delighted with the news.

“Being selected was such an honour” said Byrne.  “It’s been a goal of mine for the last couple months to really perform and give myself a chance to make the team especially having it in Lahinch.”

“Having it at home is a cherry on top, I’m so excited to be able to compete in front of a real home crowd.”

“It feels really nice to know I had a little bit of pressure to Continue reading →

Early Season promise from Reddy in Spain

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Sean Reddy 
Picture: James Doolan

Sean Reddy got 2024 off to a bright start last week when he finished on top of the leaderboard in Spain.  The 17 year old was playing in the final event of the Toro Tour Andalucia series and he put together 3 great rounds to finish joint first and win the amateur category.

Reddy was playing in Villa Padierna Golf Club just outside Marbella and he led from start to finish in a field which featured several professionals and elite amateurs.  The Douglas golfer was in fine form, firing in 10 birdies over the Continue reading →

2023 in Review

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Sara Byrne pictured back at Douglas Golf Club with the Irish Women’s Close Trophy.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

2023 was another great year for golf in Cork.  It didn’t hit some of the highs of previous years but there was a lot of success.  There was just one national title added to the honour roll in 2023, that was when Sara Byrne won the AIG Irish Women’s Close in Connemara in June.

It was a second win for Sara, particularly impressive when you consider she’s only 21.  She previously won in 2017 in Enniscrone, three years before she headed off to University of Miami.  The win this year in Continue reading →

IGWA Awards for O’Sullivan and Byrne

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Denis O’Sullivan
Pic: Fran Caffrey

There were two Cork winners at the Irish Golf Writers awards at The K Club last week as Sara Byrne and Denis O’Sullivan were both recognised.  Byrne received the Women’s Amateur of the Year award, her second time to win it, and O’Sullivan was recognised for his distinguished services to golf.  Byrne recorded several notable wins and performances in 2023 while O’Sullivan’s career stretches over four decades.

Sara Byrne captured the Women’s Amateur award for the second time.  The 22-year-old from Douglas Golf Club won her second AIG Irish Women’s Continue reading →

Byrne continues form, Walsh second at Intervarsities

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Sara Byrne

Sara Byrne continued her current run of form with a solid, performance at the World Amateur Team Championships in Abu Dhabi last week.  Byrne started with a blistering 68 on the opening day, taking full advantage of an early tee time and cooler playing conditions.  Six birdies in that opening round showed that the course was set up for low scores and at the end of the opening day Byrne led the field of 108 golfers.  A later tee time on the second day meant Sara was playing in the hottest part of the day, and a Continue reading →

Byrne claims first NCAA Win

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Sara Byrne has had a good start to her final year in college in Miami. Pic: Niall O’Shea

While there was little in the way of golf in Cork last weekend, there were a few Cork golfers making waves.  Sara Byrne recorded his first NCAA win last week when she came out on top in the Pat Bradley Invitational in Florida.  Byrne opened with a level par 72, but found herself eight shots off the lead after teammate Barbora Bujakova shot a 64.  It didn’t even look like Byrne might match par after a tough start.  She found herself three over par after just five holes thanks to three bogies in a row from the third hole.  Four birdies would follow to get Byrne into the red but a bogey on the second last hole saw her sign for level par.

Day two saw a very different start from Byrne, she dropped six bridies in her opening nine holes to race up the leaderboard.  A level par Continue reading →

Impressive US Debut for Cain

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Mark Healy pictured with Morgan Cain after their win.

Cork duo Morgan Cain and Mark Healy were part of a win in the US last week when their college team Tusculum Pioneers won the King University Invitational.  Healy is in his first year as Director of Golf Operations while Cain joined the Pioneers as a student freshman in August.

Morgan Cain was playing in his first NCAA event and he led the competition after day one thanks to a four under par round.  Cain posted five birdies on the opening round including three on his outward nine for a 32.  He moved his score to -4 with a birdie on the 13th before surrendering a bogey on the 16th. He bounced back with a birdie on 17 and would end the day with a par on the final hole for his opening 66.  He got off to a rocky start in the second round as he went out with a 38, but shot three-under par 32 for his final nine holes of Continue reading →

Byrne ready for KPMG Women’s Irish Open

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Sara Byrne 

Sara Byrne is bringing her summer in Ireland to a close in style this week, she’s playing in the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in Dromoland. Her invitation to play came as a result of her win in the Irish Women’s Close back in June, and she will tee it up in today’s first round alongside some of Europe’s leading professionals.
Dromoland has been working hard all summer for the LET event and the course is in great condition. With an enhanced spectator village, bigger grandstands and some fine weather forecast, it should be a great weekend at the Clare resort. A large number of Cork supporters are expected to travel Continue reading →

More good golf from Byrne at LET Access

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Sara Byrne pictured back at Douglas Golf Club with the Irish Women’s Close Trophy.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne had another good performance at the LET Access tour in Sweden last week.  Fresh of the back of her 6th place finish at the Vasteras Open Byrne travelled to Upsala for the Capio Ogon Trophy.  The Douglas golfer started brightly with two level par rounds of 72 to lie inside the top ten.  A 76 on the closing day say Byrne fall to 12th place, but she picked up more important ranking points.  Between the two events Sara now has secured tour card status for the LET Access series for 2024 which provides her with playing rights regardless 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.