Pitch & Putt Ireland2023 National U16 Strokeplay Facts and Figures
John Manning takes us through the significance of last weekend’s results in Seapoint.
Girls
Sarah Cooney becomes the first player in history to win the National Girls’ Strokeplay championship three times in a row. She joins Bernadette Coffey as a player to hold three titles (Bernadette won in 1993, 1995 and 1996).
Sarah continues the recent Leinster domination of the National Girls’ Strokeplay championship – Sarah’s win is the ninth in the last nine stagings of the championship by a representative of the eastern province.
Sarah is the sixth player ever (after Laura Coffey, Martha O’Brien, Hazel Hanrahan, Sharon Bowes and Helen Kenny) to win the National Girls Strokeplay on her home course.
With four wins (three Strokeplay and one Matchplay), Sarah is now the most successful Juvenile girl of all time at national level.
Megan Ahern emulated her club-mates Niamh Byrne and Linda O’Donovan who were previously runners-up in the National Girls’ Strokeplay championship. Megan is the eighth player representing a Cork club to finish second in the National Girls’ Strokeplay championship.
Megan is the first player to win the Munster Matchplay Championship and be second in the National Strokeplay championship since Valerie Leahy (Rocklodge) in 2003.
Sarah Ryan (Tipperary Hills) finished in third place for the second successive year. Sarah is the sixth player in history (after Maebh Ahern, Gemma McCarthy, Mary Coffey, Clare Kenny and Tracey McGrath) to capture two successive bronze medals since third place was officially introduced in 1989.
Sarah is the only player in history to win the Munster Strokeplay Championship and be third in the National Strokeplay championship in the same year.
Coincidentally (see Boys' below), 113 has been the Girls’ Strokeplay championship winning aggregate three times. 113 is the lowest of Sarah Cooney’s winning totals and the lowest overall for 10 years.
Second and third place in the Girls’ championship was decided by the tiebreaker for the fifth time.
For the first time since third place was introduced, second, third and fourth in the Girls’ championship was decided on the tiebreaker.
Boys
Jack McShane is the first Gowran member and the first from Co. Kilkenny to win the National Boys’ Strokeplay championship.
Jack progresses from U13 winner a year ago to champion, replicating Mark Cadden’s 2020 and 2021 feat. Evan Carry, Jack Mullins and Kevin Metcalfe the other players to win both the U13 category and the overall Boys Championship.
He also joins Evan Carry as winner of the Leinster Matchplay championship and the National Boys’ Strokeplay Championship in the same season.
Brian McCarthy is the seventh player from the Deerpark club to finish runner-up in the National Boys’ Strokeplay Championship. Those seven silver medals have all come in the last 17 stagings, dating back to Craig Hickey’s second place performance at Seapoint in 2007.
His progression each year continues – U13 Champion in 2021, third last year and now second. He is the first player in history to win the National Boys’ Matchplay and be runner-up in the National Boys’ Strokeplay Championship.
Brian also makes it four players who have won the Boys’ 10-13 award and also win a silver medal in the National Boys’ Strokeplay championship. Jack Mullins, Robbie Harnett and Edward Walsh are the others.
Peadar O’Toole is the first player from Athgarvan to finish third in the National Boys’ Strokeplay championship. He is the first Athgarvan player to achieve a podium finish in the Championship. Peadar is the first Kildare player to finish third in the National Boys’ Strokeplay Championship (since the bronze medal was introduced in 1989).
He also replicates Dylan Hudson (St. Patrick’s) as a Leinster Strokeplay champion (14-15) to also be third in the National Strokeplay (Dylan achieved this in different years, Peadar achieved both in 2023). Leinster 10-13 champions Terence Brady and Kevin Metcalfe also achieved a third placing nationally.
Harry Tiernan is the first player from Ryston and the first from Co. Kildare to win the Boys’ 10-13 championship (since the category was introduced in 1995). Harry emulates Jack McShane as Leinster 10-13 champion and National 10-13 champion in the same season.
He joins Evan Carry as a Leinster Matchplay runner-up to also be National 10-13 champion. Harry is the first to achieve that in a single year.
99 has now been the Boys’ Strokeplay championship winning score on three occasions. On the previous two occasions, 99 forced a play-off.
Second and third place in the Boys’ Championship was decided by the tiebreaker for the second time in a row and for the ninth time in all.
Inter-County
Kerry (by virtue of their ‘Gold’ team) move on to eight Tommy Murphy Cup wins, further consolidating the Kingdom’s third place on the all-time Roll of Honour.
Kerry’s score of 308 is the lowest winning aggregate in the history of the National Juvenile Inter-County championship.
Kerry completed a Juvenile Inter-County four in-a-row, equalling the Cork 1996-1999 sides. Cork went on to complete a five-timer in 2000.
Kilkenny finished second in the National Juvenile Inter-County championship for the first time.
Dublin finished third (by virtue of their Blue team) in the National Juvenile Inter-County championship for the fourth time (since third place was officially introduced in 1992).
Jack McShane is the eighth National Boys’ Strokeplay champion (after Ryan Towler, Conor McCarthy, Shane Farrelly, Jason McNamara, David O’Donovan, Aidan Walsh and Roy Seery) in history to help his county to a runners-up finish in the same year’s Tommy Murphy Cup.
Later this evening: We begin our build-up to proceedings in Lucan this weekend