Cork challenge bows out, ILGU Close

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

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

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

Clancy Wins Munster Senior Open Championship

Valerie Clancy

Valerie Clancy

Valerie Clancy from Mitchelstown won the ILGU Munster Senior Open in Waterville today after poor weather forced the cancellation of the final round.  Clancy led the field by five strokes after the first two rounds.  She had played seven holes today before organisers were forced to halt the third round as high winds made the course unplayable.  The Killarney member shot the low round of the day yesterday (74) to maintain her lead from the first round.  She was the only golfer to break 80 on Wednesday as she recorded a 77 in very testing conditions at the Continue reading

Irish Team Selection for Sara Byrne (Douglas GC)

Sara Byrne

Sara Byrne (Douglas) in action for Munster in Wexford GC

14 year old Sara Byrne from Douglas has got a call up to the Irish Girls Under 16 team that will play Wales in Cardigan Golf Club at the end of this month.

The Douglas golfer had a great run last year, claiming a place on the Munster Girls Under 18 team despite being just 13 at the time.  She was a key part of the Douglas Senior Cup team winning five out of six of her matches.  The talented teenager had a good start to the 2016 season, last weekend she finished in the top 15 in the famous Carlow Scratch Cup.

ILGU Coaching Systems Manager Gillian O’Leary, formerly of Cork Golf Club will be one of the three coaches travelling with the teams.  The matches will be played on Tuesday 29th March and the format will include singles and foursomes.

The Under 16 and Under 14 teams were Continue reading

Derek & Sara Byrne take 2nd place in East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes

Father and Daughter combination Derek & Sara Byrne (Douglas Golf Club) were second in the East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes yesterday.  The event was held on the Smurfit Course in The K Club.

Derek (1) and Sara (6) combined for a score of 155 for their 36 holes to claim second place.  Round 1 leaders Andrew McCormack (Newcastle West) and Chloe Ryan (Castletroy) fired a final round of 75, three over par to win with a superb overall gross score of 148.  In third place came Robert Galligan (Elm Park) and Leah Temple Lang (Seapoint) with a final score 156.

East of Ireland Mixed Foursomes Results