Cork Golf: David Ryan and Shane O'Sullivan win in Castlemartyr
David Ryan (East Cork) and Shane Sullivan (Callaway Golf) receiving the Munster PGA Fourball Trophy from Ted Higgins at the first Winter Series event at Castlemartyr Links.
THE Munster PGA made a welcome return to the course this week with their first Winter Series event in two years.
Castlemartyr Golf Links was the venue for the first event and the format was a fourball with the Munster PGA Fourball Cup on offer for the winners.
David Ryan from East Cork and Shane O’Sullivan from Callaway Golf led the way with a really impressive 63. The pair set off on an early charge that saw them six under par after eight holes.
Ryan dropped birdies at the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 8th, while O’Sullivan added two more on the second and seventh holes.
The back nine was a bit quieter with six pars and just three birdies, but it meant that they finished on nine under par and were the clear winners with five shots to spare over the field.
Tied for second were Donal McSweeney (Lahinch) and Gavin Young (Ballyneety), they had a very tidy 4 birdies and 14 pars round of 68 with the birdies coming on 6,9,13 and 17.
Also in second place were Padraig Dooley (Drive Golf Performance) and John Casey (Tralee) who had a mixed round for their 68. Padraig birdied the first 5 holes with further birdies on 11 and 15, John birdied the 18th but the birdies were cancelled by a double bogey on 6 and bogeys on 9 and 13.
There was a three way tie for fourth place on three under par; Andy MacMahon (The Golf Course at Adare Manor) & Mark Beckett (The Golf Course at Adare Manor), Shane Irwin (Monkstown) and Paul O'Neill (Shannon), and Darragh Lynch (The Golf Course at Adare Manor) & Dave Carroll (Ballyneety).
John Murphy was in action in England last week, and the Kinsale man needed a good finish to secure a place in the Challenge Tour season finale in Mallorca next month.
Murphy had already secured his Challenge Tour Card for 2023, but it was all about another was in action in Oxford in the final regular season event of the year.
He went into the week in 42nd place on the order of merit just inside the top 45 cut-off point. Murphy got off to a great start on Thursday, he was four under through six holes but then play was suspended because of the wet weather.
That meant that he faced 30 holes on Friday and the 24-year-old covered them in style.
He finished off his first round on -4, and he when he went back out for the afternoon, he slotted in five birdies to safely make the cut and move into the top 20.
On Saturday, after a slow start and some encouragement from caddie Shane O’Connell, Murphy close with a birdie and an eagle to get within five of the leaders going into the final round. Unfortunately for Murphy he never got out of second gear in the final round.
He was one under through 14 holes but a disastrous run of three birdies saw him give up over a dozen spots on the leaderboard.
He did close with a birdie, but more importantly, he cements his place inside the top 45 golfers and booked his spot for Mallorca.
It’s been another positive season for Murphy, he took that last available tour card last year but this time he had that wrapped up by August. Qualifying for the tour championship is another step as Murphy learns his trade on the pro tours.
It’s been a tough schedule of 27 events so far. After starting on the PGA Tour in February, he covered over a dozen countries in his 25 Challenge Tour starts.
The news for James Sugrue was not as good. The Mallow man posted a one under-par opening round to put himself in a decent position, but a back problem forced his withdrawal from the tournament before the start of the second round.
Murphy and his caddie Shane O’Connell will be looking forward to the trip to Club de Golf Alcanada in Mallorca at the start of November. Although a spot in the top 20 is unlikely, there is a big prize fund on offer with all 45 golfers playing four rounds.
Murphy will also have a shot at DP World Tour status when he heads to final qualifying in Spain later in November.
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