Douglas Golf Club recently celebrated the successes of three of their members, all three were capped for Ireland this year. Sara Byrne, Karl Bornemann and Peter O’Keeffe were the centre of attention on the evening when members, families and friends gathered at the club. As well as receiving presentation from the club, the trio were also granted honorary membership from the club with Management Committee Chairman Jerry Cronin presenting certificates to all three. It was a great year for all three golfers. In addition to being selected for Ireland Girls, Sara Byrne was also selected for the GB&I team that played in the Junior Vagliano trophy in Italy early in the season. She also Continue reading
Sara Byrne
Super 67 for Sara Byrne
Sara Byrne pictured during the Irish Girls Close, picture: Pat Cashman
Sara Byrne shot a career low round of 67 in Douglas on Sunday, and won the Girlie Hegarty Trophy in the process. Six birdies and just one bogey saw Byrne finish well ahead of the field. The sharp shooter was on form, helped by the fact that Douglas is her home course. Sara finished four shots clear of the field with her 65 nett, Aoife Ni Thuama won the best gross with a 73. Bandon’s Sarah Higgins won the 18 hole stableford competition while Aoife Keating (Douglas) won the nine hole competition. It’s been a solid year for the Sara Byrne. The teenager has had a very busy summer and her five under par round was yet another milestone in a year that saw several improvements. Byrne was in action Girls Home Internationals recently, where Ireland narrowly lost out to England, and prior to that she was representing Great Britain and Ireland in Italy at the Junior Vagliano Trophy.
Next up for Sara is the British ladies Strokeplay which takes Continue reading
International Action for Cork Girls
Mairead Martin (Kanturk) Picture: Pat Cashman
Four Cork Girls are in action for Ireland today in the Ladies and Girls Home Internationals. Little Aston Golf Club near Brimingham is hosting the both events which get underway today. Despite being eligible for the Girls team, Mairead Martin has been selected for the Ladies team. The Kanturk native has been in great form recently, she won both the Irish Girls Close and the Leinster Ladies Championship in the past three weeks. Mitchelstown’s Valerie Clancy (representing Killarney) will feature on the Girls team alongside Cork’s Rachel Thompson and Douglas’ Sara Byrne.
Last year, Ireland were victorious in the Girls Home Internationals with the Ladies’ honours going to England. Three of the victorious 2016 Girls’ team have returned to defend their title. Clancy, Thompson and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) will be a source of experience for Captain Gemma Butler, who will be relying on them to lead their fellow teammates.
Ireland take on Scotland today, they face Wales tomorrow and England on the final day.
The combined Girls and Ladies teams (Pic: Derek Byrne)
Ladies Home International Matches
Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Ciara Casey (Hermitage)
Maria Dunne (Skerries)
Paula Grant (Lisburn)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little)
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
Reserve: Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
Team Captain: Danielle McVeigh (RCDL)
Team Manager: Clodagh Hopkins (Woodbrook)
Team Coach: Donal Scott
Girls’ Home International Matches
Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle)
Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush)
Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Reserve: Georgia Carr (Milltown)
Team Captain: Gemma Butler (Birr)
Team Manager: Helen Jones (Royal Portrush)
Team Coach: Chris Jelly
Mairead Martin wins Irish Girls Close Championship
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
Cork’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
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
Sara 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
Cork 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
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
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
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