Sara Byrne

Mairead Martin wins Irish Girls Close Championship

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2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club

Mairead Martin (Kanturk) with the Girls Close Championship (Blake Cup) trophy after her victory at the 2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club today. Picture by Pat Cashman

Kanturk’s Mairead Martin claimed her first national title today, and did so in front of a huge crowd of supporters in Mallow Golf Club.  Martin claimed the Irish Girls Close title after five days of golf in Mallow, and did so in style – never going beyond the 15th hole in the five matchplay rounds.  After confidently striking her first tee shot down their middle of the fairway, Mairead went 1 up through1 and didn’t ease up from there. Four up at the turn, birdies at the 10th and 11th saw Martin go 6 up with 7 holes to play. The match was finished in style with an eagle from Mairead at the 444-yard par 5 12th to close out the game 7&6.

“I’m delighted to win, my short game was on form this week, I pitched in for eagle on the 12th this afternoon to win the match which was a good way to finish”” said a happy Mairead.  “I was at home in my own bed all week too which was also nice and to have so much support from the club was class! I had my sister on the bag too this week which was entertaining! She doesn’t play much golf but I hope she might Continue reading →

Cork challenge continues in Mallow, Irish Girls Close

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Rachel Thompson Baltray May 2017Cork’s Rachel Thompson is through to the final four in the Irish Girls Close.  Thompson came through two tough rounds in Mallow today, and the leading qualifier is safely through to tomorrow’s semi-final.  The Cork golf club member wrapped up yesterday’s first round match on the 13th winning 7&5 but today she went to the 19th before getting past Emma Forbes from Portrush.  This afternoon her match with Georgina Carr went to the 17th with the Cork girl taking the match on a 2&1 margin to put her through to tomorrow’s semi-final with Maeve Rooney.  There were wins too for Mairead Martin and Valerie Clancy, both golfers also come through two matchplay rounds today to qualify for the semi-final.  They now face each other in the second semi-final tomorrow morning.

Sara Byrne is the fourth Cork golfer in action in Mallow, she’s through to the semi-final of the plate competition after losing her first round match yesterday.  The Douglas golfer needed an extra hole this morning to claim a place in the quarter finals.  She had an impressive 7&6 win this afternoon beating Chloe O’Connor from Roscommon.  She will face Nicole McGavisk Continue reading →

Sara leads the way in Douglas

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Munster Senior Championship_Sara Byrne

Sixteen-year-old Sara Byrne is set to represent Ireland again later this month.  The Douglas golfer has been selected to represent Ireland at the European Young Masters later this month.  Oslo Golf Club in Norway will host the event over three days and Byrne along with Annabel Wilson were selected as Ireland’s two representatives by the ILGU.  Byrne has enjoyed a great season so far, and representing GB&I and Ireland in addition to several impressive individual performances.  On the representative front, Byrne was in Italy last week as the GB&I side took on Europe in the Junior Vagliano Trophy.  She also represented Ireland in the annual matches against Wales.  A large number of notable individual performances has seen her handicap drop from four to one over the first half of the season.  She hit the 1 mark in April while playing in the Munster Senior Open in Cork Golf Club.  That was an impressive result considering that the Douglas member opened with a disappointing 80.  She followed that with rounds of 75 and 73 to take second place overall.  She also captured the Munster Girls trophy as the best under eighteen golfer in the field.

In May she travelled to the Fairhaven Trophy in Lancashire where she finished in third place in the girls competition against an impressive international field.  She also recorded top three placings in the Lahinch and Carlow scratch cups in the early part of the season.  Most recently she had a top ten finish in the Irish Women’s Close.  Last week Sara represented Continue reading →

Byrne and Coughlan carry GB&I Junior Vagliano hopes

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Junior Vagliano 2017_2Sara Byne and Claire Coughlan Ryan are in Italy this week representing Great Britain & Ireland in the Junior Vagliano Trophy.  The two day competition gets underway in Golf Club Bogogno tomorrow.  Sara was selected as a player while Claire retained her position as team captain.   Claire was a member of the winning Vagliano Trophy team at Chantilly Golf Club, France, in 2005 and memorably, along with partner Anne Laing, defeated Michele Wie twice in the 2004 Curtis Cup match at Formby Golf Club.

The team enjoyed two official practice days and tomorrow will start the competition.  Tomorrow’s first Continue reading →

Cork interest ends in Mullingar, Irish Womens Close

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ILGU LogoCork interest in the Irish Womens Close ended today as all five Cork golfers lost out.  Top qualifier Mairead Martin lost to Irish Strokeplay Champion Maria Dunne.  There were also losses for Sara Byrne and Rachel Thompson as the competition reduced from 16 to 8.  Valerie Clancy made it through to the quarter finals but lost out to Ciara Casey from Hermitage.

There was no joy either for Paula Walsh in the Ita Wallace Plate competition.  She lost to Castletroy’s Chloe Ryan in the quarter Continue reading →

Martin through to last 16, Irish Womens Close

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Mairead Martin June 2017

Mairead Martin (Kanturk), Photo: Pat Cashman

Top qualifier Mairead Martin won her first round match at the Irish Womens Close in Mullingar today.  It was a north Cork battle as Karturk’s Martin took on Doneraile’s Walsh.

Martin faced 2017 Munster Women’s Champion Walsh in today’s first matchplay round and got off to a good start, winning 3 of the first 6 holes.  Walsh steadied the match but the deficit was too much for her to fight back and the game finished on the 16th green, 3&2 to Martin.  Martin now faces Irish Womens Strokeplay Champion Maria Dunne who’ll be looking to complete a rare double.  Walsh goes on the the plate matchplay where she faces Shannon Burke tomorrow.

It was a good day for Cork golfers, and the 17th was the hole where the other four Cork matches finished.  Sara Byrne had a 2&1 over Alice Hutchinson and Rachel Continue reading →

Mairead Martin leads Irish Close Challenge

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Mairead Martin June 2017

Mairead Martin, Kanturk.  (Photo: Pat Cashman Photography)

Kanturk’s Mairead Martin led the qualifiers at the Irish Ladies Close in Mullingar yesterday and now faces Doneraile’s Paula Walsh in an all-Cork matchplay clash.  Martin won the Leitrim Cup after finishing the 36 hole qualifier on level par, one ahead of the field.  Martin was not affected by tough windy conditions in Mullingar and her second round 73 included 4 birdies at the 1st, 2nd, 8th and 14th. “It was very tough in the blustery conditions, the wind kept changing direction all day. I putted very well this afternoon which was the key and kept my score going,” said Mairead, “I played well last week at the British Amateur in Wales and I got Continue reading →

Girls International call-ups for Byrne, Clancy, Martin & Thompson.

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Sara Byrne Fairhaven 2017

Sara Byrne

Four Cork golfers were selected on the Irish Girls team today, they’ll be heading off to Finland next month to take place in the European Team Championships.  Sara Byrne (Douglas) will be making her debut at this level while Valerie Clancy (Killarney/Mitchelstown), Mairead Martin (Kanturk) and Rachel Thompson (Cork) were all selected on the team for the second time.

It’s a great achievement and a rare case where four of the six team members are from one county.  They will be joined by French U18 Champion Annabel Wilson (Lurgan) and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden), who holed the winning putt at the Girls’ Home International matches on her Irish debut in last year.  Byrne was also selected for an Under 16 girls team and has posted some very positive results thus far in 2017, most impressively a 3rd place finish at the prestigious Fairhaven Trophy earlier this month.  The Team Captain Gemma Butler said  “the girls have had some fantastic results so far this year and having won the second flight at the 2016 European Championships, we are excited to build on that result this time around.”
Irish Girls’ European Team
St. Laurence, Finland (July 11 – 15)
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
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Thompson wins Cathy Smith Trophy in Baltray

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Rachel Thompson Baltray May 2017Cork’s Rachel Thompson finished strongly  at the Irish Womens Open Strokeplay in Baltray over the weekend.  She captured the Cathy Smith Trophy as the best under 18 and she also finished with the best nett score.  Rachel won the U18 prize with a one stroke lead over Germany’s Sarina Schmidt, but when it came to the gross prize she had a five shot lead over the field.  The competition was won by Mari Dunne who lead form the first round and closed on -9 for the tournament.

Thompson finished in second place in the Lahinch Scratch Cup recently and since then her golf has moved up a gear.  He performances over the weekend has seen her handicap drop from 2 to scratch.  Despite not playing in the Portuguese or Spanish Opens, Thompson is currently 9th in the ILGU Senior Order of Merit.  Valerie Clancy, Sara Byrne, Mairead Martin, Paula Walsh and Karen O’Neill all feature in the top twenty so there should be plenty of Cork golfers in contention for the Ladies and Girls interprovincials.

Byrne takes 3rd at Fairhaven

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Sara Byrne Fairhaven 2017Sara Byrne continued her good form as she finished in third place at the Fairhaven Trophy this weekend.  The Douglas golfer was in Lancashire along with a large number of Irish golfers competing in the Lytham and Fairhaven trophies.

Byrne posted rounds of 78,77,74 and 76 on the par 75 red course, and while she finished in place in the girls competition, she was 15th overall in the field of 40 top young amateurs from the UK & Ireland.

Just up the road from Fairhaven, John Murphy was in action in Lytham at the Lytham Trophy.  Unfortunately for the Kinsale man, he missed the cut after 36 holes.

Fairhaven Trophy Final Scores