Golfer James Walsh takes fifth place in R&A Student Series

Golfer James Walsh played his first competitive round at the Old Course in St Andrews last week when he was competing in the final of the R&A Student Series. 

The Douglas golfer, who has just turned 20 actually led the tournament going into the final round. 

At the turn Walsh was still ahead but a disappointing back nine saw him drop a few shots and he finished the 54 hole event in 5th place.

That is Walsh’s fourth top ten finish in the series that has seen him play in England, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Scotland. 

Walsh is in first year in Maynooth and is part of the Paddy Harrington Golf programme. 

Walsh also finished in 5th place on the order of merit, and impressive record for his freshman year.

Speaking on Wednesday after the second round, Walsh was delighted with his progress. 

“I played a lot smarter than yesterday,” said Walsh, who hit 15 greens. 

“I just focussed on keeping the ball in play, and as a result I hit a lot of greens. Playing this Series has made me a more well-rounded player. 

"I’m looking forward to playing the Old Course tomorrow, especially since it was my 20th birthday just before I arrived in St Andrews.”

Sara Byrne had an impressive closing round of 69 in the Joburg Open on Sunday to claim 11th place at her second Ladies European Tour event. Byrne was safely inside the cut line after opening rounds of 72 and 72 saw her on -1. 

Her round on Sunday brought four birdies and 14 pars. Her only birdie on the front nine came on the par five 8th hole, but she finished strongly with three birdies including one on the last to sign for -4 on the day and -5 overall.

After just two events Byrne is 40th in the order of merit. That’s a great starting point but it is likely that the Douglas golfer will prioritise the Epson Tour in the US. 

Sara is not in the field for this week’s Investec SA Women’s Open but she has entered the next Epsom Tour event which takes place in California at in two weeks time.

The East Cork Senior Scratch will take place at the end of this month, marking one of the first events of the season. 

The event will be held over the traditional 36 hole format with a two tee start commencing at 8am. The scratch cup is sponsored by BYD Cork and booking is available online or through the proshop on 089 4630060. 

The Lee Valley Scratch Cup is normally the first event in the calendar but has been pushed back to September due to course upgrades.

Entries for the Munster Stroke Play closed on Sunday and the event saw over 140 entries for the 75 places available on the start sheet. 

The event takes place on the May Bank Holiday weekend and it has a new sponsor this year. Paul Buckley from C20 group has come on board, and as someone who has played in the event on several occasions, he knows all about the importance of the Bridgestone Tour event. 

Buckley is CEO of C2O group and the Australian based company is expanding in the UK and Ireland. They employ over 800 staff and work in the area of building and commissioning large scale energy infrastructure projects.

“We are proud to the Munster Stroke Play and Cork Golf Club. 

"Having competed in this event myself, I truly appreciate its prestige and the rich history of the Cork Scratch Cup. 

"I also recognise the immense effort that goes into making this tournament a success, and I commend Golf Ireland and Cork Golf Club for their dedication to delivering an exceptional experience both on and off the course.”

The Strokeplay, which was started in 2006, incorporates the Cork Scratch Cup which is believed to be the oldest scratch cup in the country. Started in 1923, the roll of honour contains many of the great amateurs including four time winner Jimmy Bruen and five time winner Denis O’Sullivan. 

Holder Paul Coughlan has entered as have former winners Barry Anderson, Cathal Butler and Karl Bornemann who won 24 years ago in 2001. Details of the confirmed entries should be released this week.